Pictured: Madeleine George, 2021 Hermitage Major Theater Award Winner. Image provided by The Hermitage Artist Retreat.

Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director and CEO of the Hermitage Artist Retreat, announced Wednesday that accomplished playwright and screenwriter Madeleine George, currently a writer on the hit Hulu series Only Murders in the Building, has been newly selected as the 2021 recipient of the Hermitage Major Theater Award (HMTA). This national jury-selected prize, established by the Hermitage last year with generous support from the Kutya Major Foundation, offers one of the largest non-profit theater commissions in the country. George will receive a cash prize of $35,000, as well as a residency at the Hermitage (Sarasota County, Florida) and a developmental workshop in a major arts capital such as New York, Chicago, or London in the fall of 2023. The Hermitage Major Theater Award was also awarded to theater-maker and director Shariffa Ali earlier this year.

“Amidst such a brilliant group of finalists, the inaugural Award Committee was faced with an incredibly difficult decision in determining a recipient for this award,” said Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “Madeleine George is one of the American theater’s most gracious and gifted talents, and we’re honored to present her with the HMTA. The heart and humor in her writing is enhanced by her generous spirit and her deep passion for the theater.”

Pictured: Madeleine George, 2021 Hermitage Major Theater Award Winner. Image provided by The Hermitage Artist Retreat.