“I am confident this award will help identify the next generation of American playwrights who understand the special power of theatre to transform hearts and minds and that Philadelphia Theatre Company will continue to be a welcoming venue for them.”
-Terrence McNally, 2011
2026–2027 Cycle
Submissions Open: April 7th
Submissions Close: June 2nd
Announcement of Finalists: Late August
Announcement of Winner: Wednesday, September 9th
About Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally was an American playwright, librettist, and LGBTQ+ trailblazer, described by The New York Times as “the bard of the American Theater.” One of the few playwrights of his generation to successfully move from the avant-garde to mainstream acclaim, McNally helped redefine American playwriting over six decades.
He was the recipient of five Tony Awards — two for his plays Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class, two for the books to his musicals Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime, and the 2019 Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement. His many honors include the 2011 Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award (he served as Vice President of the Guild from 1981–2001), the 2015 Lucille Lortel Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame (1996), and induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters (2018). His legacy lives on through his plays, musicals, and operas performed worldwide, and through his papers housed at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin.
Philadelphia Theatre Company mounted the world premieres of Master Class, Golden Age, Some Men, and Unusual Acts of Devotion, as well as the Philadelphia regional premieres of Love! Valour! Compassion!, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, Mothers and Sons, and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.
About the Terrence McNally Award
Terrence McNally’s storied collaboration with Philadelphia Theatre Company included four world premieres, underscoring his long-standing commitment to Philadelphia’s vibrant cultural scene and thriving community of artists.
As a continuation of that commitment — and of Terrence’s deep belief in supporting early-career playwrights — the Terrence McNally Award was established to support one Philadelphia-based early-career playwright with financial resources, artistic support, and a public reading of their play at Philadelphia Theatre Company.
Past McNally Awardees have included Pulitzer Prize–winner James Ijames, Bill Cain, A. Zell Williams, Martín Zimmerman, Donja R. Love, Stephanie Kyung Sun Walters, and most recently MK Tuomanen, recipient of the 2024 Award for their play Night Science.
Under the stewardship of Artistic Directors Taibi Magar and Tyler Dobrowsky, and in partnership with the Terrence McNally Foundation, the Award continues with a renewed focus on identifying and championing the most promising early-career playwrights in Philadelphia — celebrating the extraordinary artistry, diversity, and bold storytelling rooted in this city.
