David Charles Horn Foundation

The David Charles Horn Foundation is a private American philanthropic foundation devoted to playwriting. It was established in 2003 by Francine Horn in loving memory of her late husband and business partner, David Charles Horn—a British-born, naturalized American citizen who was an internationally known advertising creative director and copywriter, as well as a successful publishing entrepreneur. David Horn's gift for words allowed the couple to enjoy a life filled with travel, culture, and beauty, but he did not live to realize his long-held dream of seeing his own literary work in print. The foundation was created to honor that unrealized dream. The foundation's central activity is the creation and funding of the Yale Drama Series Prize, published by Yale University Press. The prize is distinctive for its openness: each year it invites original, full-length plays in English from emerging playwrights around the world. Since its launch in 2006, the competition has received more than 19,000 submissions from 116 countries. A celebrated American or British playwright serves as a two-year judge and appoints readers to blind-review as many as two thousand submissions, narrowing them to a more manageable number—usually 30 to 50 plays—from which the distinguished judge reads without knowing the authors' identities and selects the winner. In addition to publication of the winning play—rare for an unknown work—the winner receives a professional staged reading at a prominent venue in New York or London and the $10,000 David Charles Horn Prize. The legendary American playwright Edward Albee served as the first judge of the series. The foundation thus operates at the intersection of philanthropy, publishing, and theater, using an award-plus-publication model to discover and celebrate compelling new voices in playwriting.

The David Charles Horn Foundation was established in 2003 by Francine Horn in loving memory of her late husband and business partner, David Charles Horn. David was a British-born American citizen who, in his day, was not only an internationally sought-after advertising creative director and copywriter but also a successful publishing entrepreneur. His gift for words enabled the couple to live a life full of travel, culture, and beauty, yet he did not live long enough to realize his long-held dream of seeing his literary work in print. The Foundation was created to honor that unfulfilled dream by publishing the winning work of an emerging playwright. The Foundation's signature initiative is the Yale Drama Series Prize, which it founded and supports. The prize was launched in 2006 and is produced by Yale University Press. It is unusual in its openness, annually inviting submissions of original, full-length, English-language plays by emerging dramatists from across the globe. Since its launch, the competition has received more than 19,000 submissions from 116 countries. An acclaimed American or British playwright serves as judge for a two-year tenure and appoints readers to blindly sift through as many as two thousand submissions, culling them to a more manageable number — typically between 30 and 50 plays — which the distinguished judge then reads and chooses a winner from, without any knowledge of the author. The legendary American dramatist Edward Albee served as the first judge for the series. In addition to publication of the winning play — a rarity for an unknown work — the play is given a professional staged reading at a prestigious venue in New York or London, and the playwright receives the David Charles Horn Award of $10,000. The series has drawn praise from figures such as John Donatich, who noted the strategy of going to the best established playwrights to find the best emerging ones, and from playwright David Hare, who observed that the prize has proved there are plenty of good playwrights out there. Nicholas Wright has emphasized the importance of publishing plays as books so that the printed copy reaches people who have not seen — and may never see — the play, including those in other countries.

• 2006

  Yale Drama Series Prize launched, produced by Yale University Press.

• 2003

  Foundation established by Francine Horn in memory of David Charles Horn.

• Edward Albee serves as the first judge of the Yale Drama Series.

• More than 19,000 submissions received from 116 countries since launch.

A philanthropic foundation that invigorates contemporary theater by discovering and celebrating compelling new voices in playwriting through the Yale Drama Series Prize.

1. 1DC Horn Foundation - DC Horn Foundationdchornfoundation.org
2. 2About - DC Horn Foundationdchornfoundation.org
3. 3Yale Drama Series - DC Horn Foundationdchornfoundation.org
4. 4David Charles Horn Foundationwikidata.org