Goodman Theatre

For Immediate Release

(Chicago, IL - May 8, 2008) Goodman Theatre is pleased to announce Chicago-based playwright Carlos Murillo (Bridgeport) as the recipient of the 2008 Ofner Prize for new work. Named for the late David Ofner, a Goodman trustee who served as chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1983 to 1985, the $5,000 commission is awarded annually to an emerging playwright. Previous recipients include Carson Grace Becker, David Barr, Tanya Saracho and Brett Neveu-whose play Gas For Less will enjoy its world premiere in the Goodman's Owen Theatre May 24 - June 22, 2008.

Playwright and director Carols Murillo's most recent play, dark play or stories for boys, was a highlight among the staged readings included in the Goodman's 2006 Latino Theatre Festival and had its world premiere production at the Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville. It has also been seen at Actor's Express in Atlanta and The Theatre at Boston Court in Pasadena. His plays have been produced and developed in New York City (NYC Summer Play Festival, En Garde Arts, Soho Rep, The Public, NY Theatre Workshop, INTAR), Southern California (Theatre @ Boston Court, Circle X, South Coast Rep, A.S.K. Theatre Projects), Minneapolis (Red Eye, The Playwrights' Center), Seattle (The Group, Annex), and Austin (dirigo group, Salvage Vanguard). He is a two-time recipient of the National Latino Playwriting Award (1996 and 2006), grants from the Rockefeller Foundation MAP Fund, a Jerome Fellowship from the Playwrights' Center and a Minnesota State Arts Board Cultural Collaborations Grant. His play A Human Interest Story (or The Gory Details and All) was named one of the five best new works of 2004 by New City and was nominated for Best Drama by the Austin Critics Table in 2006. His work has been published by Heinmann Press and Theatre Forum International Theatre Journal. Murillo is an Assistant Professor at The Theatre School of DePaul University and is a resident playwright at New Dramatists in New York. He lives in the Bridgeport neighborhood with his wife Lisa Portes-who will direct Naomi Iizuka's Ghostwritten in the 2008/2009 season.

Over the last 15 years, Goodman Theatre has awarded commissions to a diverse group of both young and established writers including David Cale, Kia Corthron, Tom Donaghy, Rebecca Gilman, John Logan, Scott McPherson, Charles Mee, Richard Nelson, Keith Reddin, José Rivera, Charles Smith, Lynn Nottage, Naomi Iizuka and Regina Taylor. Many of these commissioned works, which include Spinning Into Butter, Boy Gets Girl, Blue Surge and Dollhouse by Rebecca Gilman; Griller by Eric Bogosian; All the Rage by Keith Reddin; Oo-Bla-Dee by Regina Taylor and Floyd and Clea Under the Western Sky by David Cale have gone on to production at the Goodman and at leading theaters around the country.

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