...

Logo Yotel Air CDG
in partnership with
Logo Nextory

American playwright ak payne wins Susan Smith Blackburn Prize

Culture • Mar 11, 2025, 11:23 AM
5 min de lecture
1

Founded in 1978, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize is the longest-running prize in English theatre for female and nonbinary playwrights. American writer ak payne has won the 2025 prize for their play "Furlough’s Paradise", which they describe as a “lyrical journey about grief, home, and survival.”

"Furlough’s Paradise" was nominated by Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre, which premiered the play in 2024. Director Tinashe Kajese-Bolden is now set to take it to the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.

Telling the story of two cousins, Sade and Mina, the play focuses on their relationship as they meet at the funeral of their mother and aunt while Sade is on a three-day furlough from prison and Mina is away from her high-flying career. Through these two cousins, the play examines what it means to be a Black woman in today’s America.

At the announcement ceremony, payne said: “I am so grateful to receive this award and join a list of some of my favourite writers whose plays have shaken how I understand the world and who have made it possible”.

Kai Heath and Asha Basha Duniani in the Alliance Theatre production
Kai Heath and Asha Basha Duniani in the Alliance Theatre production Greg Mooney

As the overall winner, payne received $25,000 (€23,000), as well as a signed print by renowned artist Willem de Kooning, created especially for the prize.

“At this moment in our history as a country, and as a Prize which honours women, trans and non-binary writers, we must acknowledge the very real threats that are being aimed at our hard-won freedoms. We must remind ourselves of the power of our voices, and the special magic we create when we lift them at the theatre. Every voice on our stage tonight deserves to be honoured, celebrated and heard,” Leslie Swackhamer executive director of the prize said.

payne has been a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn prize twice before. This year, the prize chose to award two special commendations and $10,000 (€9,200) to "49 Days" by Haruna Lee and "An Oxford Man" by Else Went. Six other finalists also received prizes of $5,000 (€4,600).

Playwright ak payne
Playwright ak payne Susan Smith Blackburn Prize

Past Winners of the Prize include Annie Baker, Caryl Churchill, Lucy Kirkwood, and Lucy Prebble. Last year’s Winner, "1536" by Ava Pickett, is set to premiere in Europe at the Almeida Theatre in London in May, directed by Olivier-winner Lindsey Turner.


Today

900-year-old Vatican doomsday prophecy resurfaces amid Pope Francis’ illness
Culture • 2:07 PM
7 min
According to a 900-year-old book in the Vatican, 'Judgement Day' may be upon us soon, and Pope Francis might be the last leader of the Church.<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button"><a href="https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/03/14/900
Read the article
The joy of six: Donatella Versace's best looks that changed the face of fashion
Culture • 1:36 PM
12 min
As the imperious creative director steps down from the Italian fashion house, we take a look at some of the most iconic looks Versace produced under Donatella's stewardship.<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button"><a href="https://www.euro
Read the article
Lumière and Cannes head Thierry Frémaux on celebrating the 130 years of cinema in 2025
Culture • 11:24 AM
31 min
Euronews Culture sits down with Thierry Frémaux to discuss the 130-year anniversary of the invention of cinema, his new film honouring the legacy of the Lumière brothers, and the threats cinema faces in its second centenary.<div class="small-12 column tex
Read the article
Can’t Buy Me Love? John Lennon gets honoured by Royal Mint on what would have been his 85th year
Culture • 8:36 AM
5 min
Money can’t buy you love, but £18.50 (€22) can buy you a newly minted John Lennon coin...<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button"><a href="https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/03/14/cant-buy-me-love-john-lennon-gets-honoured-by-royal-mint
Read the article
Gene Hackman's estate asks court to block release of death investigation records
Culture • 7:51 AM
5 min
Gene Hackman's estate attempts to block the release of photographs and footage from the investigation into the Oscar winner and his wife's death, citing a desire to protect the couple's privacy.<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button"><a h
Read the article
Paris Fashion Week: Get ready-to-wear sexy, seductive and spectacular clothes this winter
Culture • 6:47 AM
26 min
Facing a luxury spending slump, designers are pushing ‘beyond’ on all levels. Paris Fashion Week A/W 25 was awash with an array of concepts and intricate craftsmanship that defy neat trend buckets.<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button">
Read the article
Europe's oldest human face found in Atapuerca: 'We may be looking at a new species'
Culture • 6:15 AM
10 min
The discovery is particularly important as it places the arrival of the first populations in Europe before the 'Homo antecessors', whose remains date back approximately 860,000 years. It is a key piece in understanding the evolution of humans on the conti
Read the article
clipping. - ‘Dead Channel Sky’: Euronews Culture's verdict
Culture • 12:19 AM
5 min
The experimental hip-hop trio are back with a new concept album which propels the listener into a cyberpunk club. It’s an ambitious and occasionally thrilling dystopian rave that may be too messy for its own good.<div class="small-12 column text-center ar
Read the article