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Playwright and screenwriter
Suzan-Lori Parks
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Suzan-Lori
Parks' historical trilogy set during the Civil War has won a theater award
honoring the late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, one of the largest prizes given for
dramatic writing.
Parks' "Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts
1, 2 & 3)" traces the journey of a slave named Hero, his wife, Penny,
and the best friend he betrayed, Homer. Spanning a total of three hours, the
plays premiered last fall at the Public Theater to largely rave reviews. It is
the initial trio in a planned nine-play cycle.
The Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by
American History honors a new play or musical that explores the United States'
past and deals with "great issues of our day." Given every year
through Columbia University, it comes with US$100,000.
The
winning play Monday beat out four other finalists: Robert Schenkkan's "The
Great Society," Marcus Gardley's "The House That Will Not
Stand," and two by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins — "Appropriate" and
"An Octoroon."
The judges
this year included playwright Kristoffer Diaz, playwright and director Stephen
Adly Guirgis, playwright David Henry Hwang and librettist John Weidman.
"In
its unflinching treatment of homecoming, betrayal and heroism, 'Father
Comes Home from the Wars' announces itself as an iconic work that
challenges and engages Western theatrical tradition while providing a
compelling contribution to the urgent American conversation about race,"
the judges said.
The prize was
established by Kennedy's sister Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith in consultation
with playwright Tony Kushner. It is given every Feb. 22, the anniversary of the
late senator's birth.
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