For the presentation of this year’s $40,000 Steinberg/ATCA New Play Awards and the $1000 M. Elizabeth Osborn Award, ATCA’s New Play Committee planned on an April 2020 on-stage presentation at South Coast Repertory’s Pacific Playwrights Festival in Costa Mesa, California.

The winner of the New Play Award 2020 is Oregon-based E. M. Lewis and her play ”How the Lights Get In”. A number of  ATCA/Steinberg citations were equally presented.

ATCA was so enthusiastic about the event that the association built a national conference around the ceremony and festival.

Then the world changed, and ATCA had to adapt.

With the primary goal to celebrate the winning playwrights and their work — as well as the theaters that launched these plays — ATCA decided to create a video and share the news virtually. That video, which you can click below, includes an introduction by ATCA executive committee chair Martha Wade Steketee, remarks by philanthropist Jim Steinberg, an introduction of the finalists, and announcement of the winner of the Steinberg-ATCA and a fourth playwright award (the Osborn). Most important, the video features extended thoughts from the playwrights themselves.

The recording, shared on social media, quickly was seen by more viewers than would have been able to see it live.

–Lou Harry, ATCA executive committee member and chair, New Play Committee

the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKEF3F5Py3U&feature=youtu.be