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• Awards
  • Michael Kanin Playwriting Awards Program
    • National Student Playwriting Award
    • John Cauble Short Play Award
    • Ten-Minute Play Festival
    • KCACTF Theatre for Young Audiences Playwriting Award
    • KCACTF Musical Theater Award
    • KCACTF Latino Playwriting Award
    • Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award
    • David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Award
    • Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award
    • Mark Twain Comedy Playwriting Award
    • The Paula Vogel Award in Playwriting
    • The KCACTF National Science Playwriting Award
    • Rosa Parks Playwriting Award
    • Quest for Peace Playwriting Award
    • Paul Stephen Lim Asian-American Playwriting Award
    • The Ken Ludwig Playwriting Scholarship
    • The National Partners of the American Theatre
  • National Festival Invited Productions
  • The National Committee for the Performing Arts O'Neill Theater Center Fellowship Program
  • Faculty Development Opportunities
  • The LMDA-KCACTF Dramaturgy Award
  • Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship
• Regional Festivals
• National Festival
• Summer Intensives

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival brings the Musical Theatre Award to faculty and college and university students. The composer, lyricist, librettist, and producing institution of the award-recipient musical will receive the following:

• $1000 for music
  
• $1000 for lyrics
  
• $1000 for book
  
• $1000 to the college or university producing the musical

1. The musical must be entered in the KCACTF Michael Kanin Playwriting Awards Program.
2. The musical must be original and copyrighted.
3. The writing team (composer, lyricist, librettist) may be faculty and/or students; the students must fulfill the eligibility requirements as set forth in rule 5 for the Michael Kanin Playwriting Awards Program.
4. The play must be produced by a college or university or publicly presented in a “rehearsed” or “staged reading” format following a significant development process. The play must comply with the guidelines for scripts entered in the KCACTF Michael Kanin Playwriting Program.
5. A panel of artists from the field, selected by KCACTF, will make the final determination as to the award recipients. All collaborators agree to send the following entry materials before December 1

• A completed manuscript of the book, lyrics, and the score of the music;
• A professional-quality recording of the score.

For other questions, refer to "Rules and Procedures for the Michael Kanin Playwriting Awards Program" above.

KCACTF Musical Theater Award Winners

2010
LISTEN TO ME Score by Timothy Guillot, Catholic University of America
SALAMANDER LEVIATHAN Book by Krista Knight, University of California-San Diego

2009
Sleepy Hollow Music by Tom Edward Clark, Book and Lyrics by Jim Christian, Weber State University

2008
Standardized Testing - The Musical!!!, Music and Lyrics by Sam Willmott, New York University

2007
Hopeless Spinning, Margaret Iha and Michael Gallant, Illinois State University

2006
No award this year

2005
To Memphis (with the intention of returning), book, music and lyrics by Peter Lerman, Columbia University


2004
Good Morning Athens! A Rock Musical , book, music and lyrics by Sean Keogh, University of Wyoming

2003
No winner selected this year


2002
STRAIGHT MAN, Music and Lyrics by Gabriel Kahane, Book by Thomas Beatty, Brown University

2001
Emma book, music and lyrics by Stephen Karam, Brown University

2000
The Picture of Dorian Gray-A New Musical Play Book, Music and Lyrics by James Skousen, Crofton Hills College, Yucaipa, California

1999
Homestead Book, Music and Lyrics by Timothy J. Nevits, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio

1998
No winner selected this year

1997
No winner selected this year

1996
no winner selected this year

1995
no winner selected this year

1994
no winner selected this year

1993
All That He Was, Larry Johnson and Cindy O'Connor, California State University, Fullerton

1992
no winner selected this year

1991
no winner selected this year

1990
High Calibre, Pat Daugherty, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston

1989
no winner selected this year

1988
Bottoms Up: Musicommedia, Ensemble-written, U.C.L.A., CA

1987
(award split)
Texassity, Jennifer Buck, Libba Carver, H. Mark Cullimore, Rob Holley, Kaye McDougall, and Paula Rabb, Angelo State University, San Angelo, Texas
Executive Calibre, Sean Dillon and Bruce Engelfried, University of LaVerne, CA

1986
Gynt, Sam Rossi and Flash Allen, University of Southern Maine, Gorham

1985
Steakhouse, H. Mark, Cullimore, Angelo State University, TX
Bruinhaha, company-written, University of California, Los Angeles

1984
Georgie Down and the Lord of the Lightbooth, Tony D. Mueller and Jack Gallup, Mankato State University, MN

1983
no winner selected this year

1982
The Peach Blossom Fan, James Harris (book and lyrics) and Rodney Thomaston (music), University of Alabama, University

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Rules and Procedures

1. The musical must be entered in the KCACTF Michael Kanin Playwriting Awards Program. A completed registration form must be made showing the production fulfills all conditions.
2. The musical must be original and copyrighted. A professional-quality cassette recording of the score must accompany all entries.
3. At least 50% of the writing team (composer, lyricist, author) must fulfill the eligibility requirements as set forth in rule 5 for the Michael Kanin Playwriting Awards Program.
4. The musical must be fully produced by a college or university to be considered for this award.
5. A panel of experts selected by KCACTF will make the final determination as to the winners. All collaborators agree to send the following entry materials before November 30, 2001, to KCACTF, The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC 20566:
• A completed manuscript of the book, lyrics, and the score of the music
• A professional-quality cassette or CD recording of the score