Noa Gardner wins 2026 M. Elizabeth Osborn Award for “The Staircase”
COSTA MESA, Calif. – Noa Gardner has won the American Theatre Critics/Journalists Association’s (ATCA) 2026 M. Elizabeth Osborn Award for his play The Staircase. Given by ATCA in memory of critic, director, educator and new play advocate M. Elizabeth “Betty” Osborn (1941-1993), the prize recognizes the work of a playwright who has not yet received a major New York production, such as a Broadway or Off-Broadway engagement, or received any other major national awards. The Osborn Award carries a $3,000 cash prize.
The 2026 Osborn award, was presented along with the 2026 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award on Saturday, May 2, in Costa Mesa, Calif., as part of the 2026 Pacific Playwrights Festival. ATCA thanks South Coast Repertory for generously hosting the presentation.
The Staircase premiered at South Coast Repertory.. A family fable and “mysterious tale about holding on, letting go, and the curious force that pulls us back home.” The winning work was selected from a pool of eligible scripts recommended by ATCA members from around the country. Cameron Kelsall (Philadelphia, PA) served as chair of the ATCA New Play Committee during the adjudication process. Other participating members included Nancy Bishop (Chicago, IL), Lindsay Christians (Madison, WI), Mike Fischer (Milwaukee, WI), Amanda Finn (Chicago, IL), Lou Harry (Indianapolis, IN), Elizabeth Kramer (Louisville, KY), Martha Wade Steketee (New York, NY), Doug Strassler (New York, NY), and Bob Verini (Boston, MA)..
The M. Elizabeth Osborn Award was established in 1994. An ATCA member and editor-author at Theatre Communications Group, Osborn championed new plays, fostering and promoting the early careers of such dramatists as Paula Vogel, Tony Kushner, and José Rivera.
Past recipients of the Osborn Award include Rebecca Gilman, J.T. Rogers, Rolin Jones, Chelsea Marcantel, Jonathan Norton, Cori Thomas, Madison Fiedler, and last year’s honoree Judgment Day by Rob Ulin. Click here for a full list of Osborn Award winners.
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