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The Relentless Award, established in honor of Philip Seymour Hoffman and his pursuit of truth in the theater, is the largest annual cash prize in American theater awarded to a playwright in recognition of a new play.
“People on the lookout for fierce talent and boldly adventuresome plays have learned to take a cue from the Relentless Award.”
—The New York Times
Submissions for the 2026 Relentless Award are now closed. Thanks so much to all who submitted! We can't wait to read your plays.
Upcoming Events
I Came Back for Molly
February 26- March 15 | Theatre Row
Molly Carden (Emotional Creature, Amerikin) takes us on a biting, funny, and searing personal journey through her brain: adolescent death wishes, white rooms, uber ballerinas, and what we do to escape them. Directed by Mimi O'Donnell, I Came Back For Molly is a new solo piece about survival, and what it means to really live.
The Verbatim Salon
March 19 | Theatre Row
The Verbatim Salon is a monthly public event where actors share stories from interviews recorded with people interacting with the US immigration system. These stories are performed using an in-ear verbatim technique. Actors listen in real time to the recordings via headphones as they speak the words aloud in front of the audience. Learn more
“At a moment when the impulse of young writers is to craft plays that are small, tidy and producible, the Relentless Award celebrates writing that disrupts and up-ends our notions of what can be presented on the American stage. We are looking for brave, fearless and imaginative writers, who despite the tug of the industry at large, remain unabashedly true to their own voices.”
—LYNN NOTTAGE,
Two-Time Pulitzer Winner,
Relentless Selection Committee
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