Introducing the James Stevenson Commissions for Short Comedic Plays

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This year, for the first time since its inception in 2018, Playing on Air did not accept script entries for the James Stevenson Prize for Short Comedic Plays. Instead, our programming pivoted in a new direction, and  the initiative has evolved into  the James Stevenson Commissions for Short Comedic Plays. 

Sponsored by the late Stevenson’s wife, Josephine Merck,, the commissions share the Stevenson Prize’s aim of bringing new American short plays to a nationwide audience. 

This fall, Playing on Air is thrilled to announce the debut of our first Stevenson commissioned plays, all world premieres. Three talented playwrights were awarded $1500 for plays that best celebrate the spirit and wisdom of the late James Stevenson, a celebrated author, illustrator, and beloved New Yorker cartoonist.

  • The Fall 2021 season opens on October 31st with TECH DEMONS, a James Stevenson Commission by playwright Sarah Gancher. TECH DEMONS is directed by Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Trevor: The Musical) and features actors Isaac Oliver (Glow, High Maintenance) and Jay O. Sanders (Girl from the North Country, Uncle Vanya) and music by composer Dan Moses Schrier (The Color Purple, Falsettos, American Psycho).

  • On November 7th, we’ll release our second Stevenson Commission play, playwright Brittany K. Allen’s THE WAYFARER’S CODE. The vibrant comedy is directed by Marchánt Davis (A Journal for Jordan, Tuscaloosa), features music by composer Tom Kochan (The Elephant Man, Pretty to the Bone) and stars actors Frankie Faison (The Wire, Death of a Salesman, Fences, Luke Cage) Caitlin O'Connell (The Crucible, The Heiress, The Killing of Sister George), Robin de Jesus, and Calvin Leon Smith (The Underground Railroad, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Deuce).

  • JARED AND IVANKA’S PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE AT MAURICE J. FELDMAN JEWISH DAY SCHOOL, our third Stevenson Commission play, debuts on December 12th and was written by playwright and screenwriter Jonathan Spector and directed by Daniel Aukin. It stars Paul Sparks (Physical, Sweetbitter, House of Cards, Boardwalk Empire), Cindy Cheung (13 Reasons Why, New Amsterdam), Tracee Chimo Pallero (People of Earth, Difficult People, Genius, Madame Secretary), and Thomas Jay Ryan (West Side Story, The Crucible, The Little Foxes, Henry Fool).

A thousand thanks to the artists who have shared their time and talent to make the first three years of the Stevenson Prize so memorable -- and to the sponsors who’ve made it all possible. We’re excited about this new direction, and look forward to even more electrifying commissioned plays to come.