Leah Ryan's Fund for Emerging Women Writers (FEWW)

Mission/intro to the Fund
Leah Ryan’s Fund for Emerging Women Writers (FEWW) was established in 2008 to honor the memory of Leah Ryan, a woman of letters who wrote plays, poetry, essays, lyrics, adaptations, and collaborated with performance artists. The Fund aims to encourage talented but still unrecognized women-identified playwrights.
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Playwriting Award
We grant an annual cash award, a weekend workshop at Powerhouse Theater (Vassar), and a staged reading in New York City for a play written by an emerging woman, trans, or non-binary writer. Winners have gone on to become prominent voices in theater, film, and television. To learn more or apply, click here.
The Vladimir Award
Each year, we give a $5,000 grant to a professional writer experiencing a life-threatening illness. Most recipients remain anonymous for privacy reasons. To learn more, click here.
Leah Ryan
Leah Ryan (1964-2008) was a playwright, essayist, writer of post-modern greeting cards, and a general woman of letters. The Fund was established to honor her memory. Read more here.

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All women, trans women, and non-binary playwrights who consider themselves emerging (as distinct from fledgling or mid-career playwrights) are eligible to apply for the 2020 Leah Ryan’s FEWW Prize. Playwrights from all over the world are encouraged to apply, but the play must be written in English. Eligibility does not require that a submitted work adhere to the traditional three-act structure. One-acts, two-acts (even four-, five-, six- acts), monologues, adaptations, and any other wild (or deceptively tame) format will be considered with equal seriousness. The only absolute requirement is that the submitted text be a completed full-length work for theater.

The fee to apply is $10. The deadline is 11:59pm on Monday, January 13, 2020.

The winner will be chosen by a committee selected by a readers committee selected by the board members of Leah Ryan’s FEWW, and will be presented with her award as part of the 2020 Lilly Awards, which honors the work of women in American theater. In addition, the winner will receive a cash prize of $2,500, a workshop at the Vassar Powerhouse Theater, and a reading of her play in New York City.

Finalists will be contacted in mid-March and will have one week within which to submit their full play.

Click here to submit your work.

We look forward to receiving your application!