Ro Reddick and Hannah Doran Win 2026 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize

Playwrights Ro Reddick and Hannah Doran have each been awarded the 2026 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, a $25,000 award recognizing outstanding English-language plays by women+ playwrights. The announcement was made at a ceremony at the Royal Court Theatre in London on February 26, 2026.

Award-Winning Plays

Ro Reddick received the prize for Cold War Choir Practice, currently running at MCC Theater in Fresh York City. Hannah Doran was honored for The Meat Kings! (Inc.) of Brooklyn Heights, which premiered at London’s Park Theatre last fall.

A Dual Win

This marks only the third time in the prize’s 48-year history that two writers have shared the honor. Previous dual winners include Paula Vogel and Moira Buffini in 1998 and Ellen McLaughlin and Mary Gallagher in 1987. Leslie Swackhamer, executive director of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, noted the distinct styles of the winning plays, stating they are “very different…but both are dealing with our current moment in theatrically thrilling ways.”

Themes and Inspirations

According to an interview with American Theatre, both plays are set in New York state – Cold War Choir Practice in Syracuse and The Meat Kings! (Inc.) of Brooklyn Heights in Brooklyn – and take place in workplaces that are also struggling family businesses.

Reddick’s play, set in 1987, draws inspiration from her childhood experiences in a children’s choir that sang songs about nuclear war. She incorporated lyrics reminiscent of those songs into Cold War Choir Practice, exploring themes of surveillance and the anxieties of the Cold War era, which she connects to contemporary concerns.

Doran’s play originated from her own experience working in a Brooklyn butcher shop while pursuing her playwriting degree at NYU. She focused on the dynamics of a male-dominated workplace led by a queer, butch woman, examining issues of discrimination and intersectionality. The production featured realistic props, including gelatin-based fake meat, to enhance the immersive experience.

About the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize

Established in 1978, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize is the largest and oldest award dedicated to recognizing women+ writing for the English-speaking theatre. Eight additional finalists received prizes of $5,000.

Rob Weinert-Kendt’s Perspective

Rob Weinert-Kendt, editor-in-chief of American Theatre, congratulated both playwrights, noting that despite the plays’ differences, they both offer compelling commentary on the state of America. American Theatre reports that Weinert-Kendt has read both plays but not seen them performed.