The Barbour Award was created in 2007 to celebrate new work for the theatre. For this annual event, EAG partners with one local theatre company, playwriting program, or playwrights collective. Our partnering company nominates three playwrights to be finalists for the award and then we work together to present a staged reading of one not-yet-produced play by each finalist at our unique and historic theatre at Guild Hall  (1 East 29th Street, NYC 10016). The Award culminates in one playwright receiving a $500 cash prize for their work.
The online application for the Barbour Playwrights Award is now OPEN! This application is for companies who work with playwrights, not individual playwrights themselves. You can preview the application questions here. No work samples or scripts are required as part of the application process.
What's the timeline?
  • Right now: Applications open.
  • Monday, February 2: Applications close
  • March: EAG's partner company is announced.
  • June: EAG and partner company present three readings at Guild Hall

Who is this opportunity for?
We are looking for an NYC theatre company that regularly works with multiple playwrights. Individual playwrights are not eligible to apply for this Award, nor does EAG partner with individual playwrights. 
If you are a company or collective who does not already have a new play program with multiple writers, this residency may be a heavy lift. However, if you are regularly mounting new play readings and looking for a space and a partner to help you showcase three playwrights in your network later this year, this could be an ideal partnership and a tremendous opportunity.

What does the partnering company need to provide?
  • Three (3) new plays, each written by a different NYC playwright
  • All actors and support staff necessary to mount a reading of each play
  • Coordination of rehearsals to prepare readings

What will EAG provide?
  • Three (3) evenings in EAG's unique and historic Manhattan venue, Guild Hall, for play readings, including box office and front-of-house support
  • Rehearsal space before each reading
  • Script printing
  • Marketing support
  • Limited funding (amount TBD) to help pay all artists involved
  • A $500 prize to the winning playwright
The deadline is February 2, 2026 at 11:59PM ET!
The Barbour Award was established and endowed by Janet Barbour Carhart, Alison Barbour Fox, and from a portion of the gift left to EAG by Mr. Thomas Barbour’s estate. All proceeds from the staged readings of the Barbour finalists’ plays goes directly to supporting future Barbour Awards.

Thomas Barbour was a dedicated supporter of the theatre, emerging playwrights, and the Episcopal Actors’ Guild. On stage and screen, Mr. Barbour had a prolific acting career, including featured roles in Arthur with Dudley Moore and The Great White Hope with James Earl Jones. Off-stage, Mr. Barbour worked tirelessly on behalf of EAG, serving many years as Treasurer and Vice-President. Under his leadership, the Guild’s scholarship program grew from two annual awards of $500 to five annual awards of $1,000. Mr. Barbour also co-founded Polaris North and was a long-time member of the Perry Street Block Association.
Past Award Winners
  • 2025 - Holly Hepp-Galvan, Lakshmi Counts Her Arms and Legs (Rising Sun Performance Company)
  • 2024 - Kristine M. Reyes, Eggs on Ice (Atlantic Pacific Theatre)
  • 2023 - Stephen Kaplan, Un Hombre: A Golem Story (The Skeleton Rep(resents))
  • 2022 - Jon Krupp, Kilonova (Playwrights Gallery)
  • 2021 - Garrett David Kim, Are You There Truman? (Leviathan Lab)
  • 2020 - As a result of COVID-19 disrupting our 2020 Barbour readings, the award was split between all three finalists: Garrett David Kim, Cherry Lou Sy, and Ray Yamanouchi (Leviathan Lab)
  • 2019 - Reynaldo Piniella, Black Doves (Quick Silver Theater Company) 
  • 2018 - Alexis Roblan, The Andrew Play (New Perspectives Theatre Company)
  • 2017 - Andrea J. Fulton, A Punk or A Gentleman (Theater for a  New City)
  • 2016 - Perry Guzzi, Across the Way (HB Studios)
  • 2015 - Dara O’Brien, Early Sunday Morning (Resonance Ensemble)
  • 2014 - Mark Karafin, Man in the Moon (Oberon Theatre Ensemble)
  • 2013 - Bill Cosgriff, Rio Rita (ARTC)
  • 2012 - Aaron Jafferis, How to Break (HERE)
  • 2011 - Ian August, Donna Orbits the Moon (NJ Rep)
  • 2010 - (tie) Lynn Rosen, Apple Cove, and Laura Eason, 40 Days (Women’s Project)
  • 2009 - Alisha Silver, Golden (Hunter College)
  • 2008 - Jack Frankel, Human Voices (Polaris North)
"Lakshmi Counts Her Arms and Legs" by Holly Hepp-Galvan, of the Barbour Award 2025
"Kilonova" by Jon Krupp, winner of the 2022 Barbour Award
"Are You There Truman?" by Garrett David Kim, winner of the 2021 Barbour Award
"Black Doves" by Reynaldo Piniella, winner of the 2019 Barbour Award
"The Andrew Play" by Alexis Roblan, winner of the 2018 Barbour Award

Questions?

Director of Operations and Development Rebecca Lovett can help with the Barbour Award.