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About the Otis Guernsey New Voices
Award
Initiated by the late
Otis Guernsey, longtime editor of the "Best Plays" series, this award, now in its 11th year, honors
playwrights who have begun to make a significant mark on the American
Theatre. Originally chosen by acclamation. This honor is
now awarded by a process that includes a nomination by one of our
past
winners or the Festival Director. The nominated playwright then
submits a work to be read by the selection committee, comprised
of our past winners and distinguished names in the American Theatre,
who pick the playwright to receive the award. The award includes
a trip to the Inge Festival, a reading of a new work by the playwright
and carries an honorarium, presented with the award, to the winning
playwright at the Festival. This year, the award has been named
for Otis, who was a great friend of the Inge Festival and of
playwrights everywhere.
2003 New Voices Award
Winner:
Theresa
Rebeck, Writer of Stage, TV and Film, Selected For William Inge
Theatre Festival's "New Voices" Award
 Theresa Rebeck, an acclaimed writer for screen
and television as well as the stage, has been selected as the “New
Voices in the American Theatre Award” winner for the 2003 William Inge
Theatre Festival, April 9-12, at Independence Community College.
The “New Voices” award celebrates a talented
playwright, who receives a reading of one of the works during the
four-day event. The William Inge Theatre Festival is named for
William Inge, Oscar- and Pulitzer-Prize winning writer and
Independence native.
“We are excited to welcome Ms. Rebeck as the 11th recipient
of the New Voices award,” said Inge Festival artistic
director Peter Ellenstein. “Her
work has been appearing more and more frequently on America’s stages
and she is helping to inspire younger writers throughout the country.”
Many of Rebeck’s stage works are published in her
Complete Plays: 1989-98. Her most produced play is “Spike Heels,”
a take on the Pygmalion theme, which played in New York City in 1992
with Kevin Bacon and Tony Goldwyn in major roles. Additional plays
include “Loose Knit,” “View of the Dome,” and “Sunday on the Rocks,”
all of which have been performed across the country.
 She is also acclaimed in writing for TV and film.
Her work on “NYPD Blue” has won the Writer’s Guild of America award
for Episodic Drama, the Hispanic Images Imagine Award, and the
Peabody, among others. Rebeck’s further television credits include the
HBO series “Dream On,” “Brooklyn Bridge,” “Third Watch,” and “L.A.
Law.” She is currently co-executive producer of “Law & Order:
Criminal Intent.” Her film projects include “War Crimes” for Francis
Ford Coppola and, currently, “Bloodlines” for Winkler Films.
At the Festival, a reading of Rebeck’s play,
“The Bells”s
will be held on Saturday, April 12, at the Inge Theatre on the
Independence Community College campus. That evening, the Festival will
bestow its annual Distinguished Achievement in American Theatre Award
to playwright Romulus Linney, whom Time Magazine describes as “…one of
America’s most mysteriously buried treasures.” International opera
star and native Kansan Samuel Ramey will also attend, to accept the
Inge Festival’s Kansas Citizen of the Arts award.
In the musical genre, Rebeck continues work on
the musical adaptation of the 19th century melodrama, “The
Two Orphans.” A collection, of one-acts, “Rebeck Revisited,” ran for
nine months at Theatre Neo in Los Angeles, which was named as of the
ten best plays of 1999 by LA Weekly.
Her plays have been published by Samuel French as
well as Smith and Kraus. The latter company has included her work in
the Best Plays by Women series five times.
Rebeck continues to be active with new theatre
projects, including commissions from the South Coast Rep of Costa
Mesa, Calif., and City Theatre in Pittsburgh.
Rebeck was nominated for the award by former New Voices award winner,
Mark St. Germain.
The Inge Festival, featuring conferences,
workshops, panels and live performances, runs April 9-12. For tickets
or further information, call (800) 842-6063, ext. 4216; (620)
331-4100, ext. 4216; or at www.ingefestival.org.
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