Three musical theater writers whose works cover Shakespeare, Afghanistan and a modern spin on the Greek Fates have been awarded the 2019 Kleban Prizes.

The most promising lyricist award went to two winners: the performer and composer Shaina Taub and the playwright and musical theater writer Sarah Hammond. Charlie Sohne received the prize for most promising librettist.

Ms. Taub wrote and starred in an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” which premiered at the Public Theater last summer. She is currently writing a show about the women’s suffrage movement, and is working on lyrics for the upcoming Broadway musical production of “The Devil Wears Prada.”

Ms. Hammond wrote the book for “String,” a modern-day fable that debuted in Washington last year. She is currently developing “Wind-Up Girl,” a musical about the French philosopher René Descartes.

Mr. Sohne wrote the book and lyrics for “The Boy Who Danced on Air,” a play about pedophilia in Afghanistan that had its Off Broadway premiere at the Abingdon Theater in Manhattan.

Each of the winners will receive $100,000, payable over two years. They were chosen by a panel consisting of the actress Alison Fraser, the composer-lyricist Amanda Green and Eric Schaeffer, the artistic director of the Signature Theater in Virginia.

Previous recipients of the Kleban Prize include Lisa Kron (“Fun Home”), Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak (“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”), and David Lindsay-Abaire (“Shrek the Musical”).

Source: Read Full Article