The new play “The Guards at the Taj,” about life-shaking events in 1648 India as the sun rises on the just-completed Taj Mahal, is the recipient of the 2015 Laurents/Hatcher Foundation Award, which provides $50,000 to the winning playwright and an additional $100,000 to defray production costs for the play’s premiere. The playwright is Rajiv Joseph, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,” which ran on Broadway in 2011 starring Robin Williams. And the production funds will go to Off Broadway’s Atlantic Theater Company, which will mount the play in May, with the award-winning actor Amy Morton directing.
The award was announced on Thursday by trustees of the foundation of the writer and director Arthur Laurents (“Gypsy,” “West Side Story”) and his partner of 52 years, Tom Hatcher.
The foundation also announced a special citation of excellence, its first, for playwright Lindsey Ferrentino and her new work “Ugly Lies the Bone,” which will be mounted later this year at the Roundabout Underground space in Manhattan. Ms. Ferrentino will receive $25,000 and Roundabout Theater Company will get $50,000 for production costs.
The Laurents/Hatcher award, given annually for an unproduced, full-length play of social relevance by an emerging American playwright, was first presented in 2011 and was last given to Daniel Pearle for “A Kid Like Jake” two years ago. Submissions were accepted for the 2014 award but no winner was named.