The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has announced that the 2025 award has been given to U.S. playwright a.k. payne for their play Furlough’s Paradise. Awarded annually since 1978, the prestigious international Prize is the largest and oldest award recognizing women+ who have written works of outstanding quality for the English-speaking theatre. On March 10, the Prize hosted theatre artists and leaders at Playwrights Horizons to honor and celebrate payne and a cohort of 8 Finalists. Payne received a cash prize of $25,000, and a signed print by renowned artist Willem de Kooning, created especially for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Furlough’s Paradise was nominated for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize by Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre which premiered the play in 2024. Additional Awards: This year two plays received Special Commendations of $10,000 each, a rare honor given at the discretion of the judges: 49 Days by Haruna Lee (Taiwan-Japan-US) & An Oxford Man by Else Went (US). Finalists, each of whom received $5,000 are: Chris Bush (UK) Otherland, Carys Coburn (Ireland) BÁN, Keiko Green (US) You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World, Isobel McArthur (UK-Scotland) The Fair Maid of the West, Suzie Miller (Australia-UK) Inter Alia, Anna Ziegler (US) The Janeiad. The Judges were Linda Cho, Jennifer Ehle, Nancy Medina, Mark Ravenhill, George Strus and Indira Varma. Press contact: DKC/O&M (212/695-7400)...