For the first time in its fifteen-year history, the Yale Drama Series Prize for Emerging Playwrights has released a shortlist of eight playwrights who are in consideration for the prestigious award. This decision was made by the prize organizers to “better reflect the pluralism of [the prize's] applicant pool, and to provide a broader context about the state of the American Theater at the emerging level.”

The eight shortlisted playwrights, all of whom are Guild members, are Jordan Ramirez Puckett, Lilly Camp, Matthew Paul Olmos, Seayoung Yim, Candrice Jones, Libby Heily, Aaron Coleman, and Iraisa Ann Reilly. Their works were selected from over 1,500 submissions from 56 countries by a judging panel of former Yale Drama Series Prize winners, including Neil Wechsler, Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, Virginia Grise, Jacqueline Goldfinger, Leah Nanako Winkler, and Rachel Lynett.

The Yale Drama Series Prize is presented in cooperation with Yale University Press and is sponsored by the David Charles Horn Foundation. The winner receives the David Charles Horn Prize of $10,000, as well as the publication of the winning play by Yale University Press and a staged reading.