Acceptance Speech:

“I can’t tell you how much this award means. This recognition is really a testament to the tremendous heart, brains, creativity, and talent of a small-but-mighty crew – Masako Tobaru, Bebe Herrera, James McHale, Casey Long, and, of course, Oanh Nguyen and Erika Miller at Chance, Aubrey Savarino, who brought Abby Burgess to life, Katie Chidester, whose brilliant staging and directorial choices made the most of the script, Jenny Jacobs, whose thoughtful dramaturgy supported us at every step, and our brilliant stage management and design teams – the tech rehearsals for this show hit us like a tsunami, but they weathered the storm.

“The Origin of MATINICUS is an example of Chance Theater really living up to its name – when the theaters were still closed during the pandemic. I got a call from them offering me a commission to write a play – no strings attached. They took a chance on new work, on the fact that theater would be back, and on a story that they couldn’t be sure would resonate with their audiences. I am grateful they took that chance, and (always) excited to see what new work they will champion next.” – Jenny Connell Davis, playwright of “Matinicus.