For Playwrights: Weissberger Award

The award, which has been given annually since 1988, honors noted theatrical attorney and avid theatre supporter L. Arnold Weissberger who passed away in 1981. Annually, over 300 theatre professionals from around the country are invited to nominate scripts that have not been published or produced for the highly selective competition. A panel of esteemed theatre artists selects the winner from a group of finalists.

Past winners of the award include Kenneth Lin, Julia Cho, Ken Weitzman, Victor Lodato, Catherine Treischman, Neena Beber, Constance Congdon, Sherry Kramer, Doug Post, Mary Gail, Elizabeth Egloff, Michael Chepiga, Carter W. Lewis, Benjie Arensen, Mac Wellman and Deborah Brevoort.

Plays must be nominated and nominators are eligible by invitation only. Invitations are sent out in the spring to theaters, agents and graduate programs, who may each nominate one script for the competition. Nominated scripts must be full-length, unpublished, and not have received a professional production or be scheduled for professional production by December 31. Musicals, screenplays, and children's plays will not be considered. A panel of theatre professionals will select the winner, to be announced in winter of the following year in New York City.

Nominees should mail one bound copy of the script to the Williamstown Theatre Festival at the following address:

L. Arnold Weissberger Award
PO Box 428
Williamstown, MA 01267-0428

The script must include a title page with the author's name, address, and phone number. Please provide a cover letter introducing the nominee with the script, or under separate cover if necessary. Annual postmark deadline for submissions is June 15. Only scripts accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope will be returned. Scripts sent to our New York office will not be eligible. If you feel you have been accidentally left off the invitation list, please contact Suzanne Agins, Artistic Associate (New Plays).