An English professor at SRU submitted a play he created for nomination of a Pulitzer Prize.
Dr. Timothy Ruppert, an English professor, said the play is set in 1556 England and is titled ‘The Consorts,’ dealing with the last evening of a man condemned to death who has the chance to save himself.
Ruppert said he was inspired by BBC historical dramas and drafted a short one-act version of the play in 2001 and submitted it to the Pittsburgh New Works Festival play competition, where it was not selected for performance. He submitted a revised version in 2013 but it was not selected. He gave it to a friend at Duquesne University, who helped make the piece into a two-act play. The full-length version was then read by local actors in 2015 and workshopped in 2016.
“All in all, the process took about three years, although the very first attempts go back to the early 2000s,” Ruppert said.
Ruppert said that he entered the play after his director insisted that he do so. He said the process was lengthy but not stressful, with the most stressful part being having to enter a photo.
The winners of the prize will be announced in early 2017 and Ruppert said that winning the prize would be an honor.
“I believe that, in the theatre, the accomplishments of any one contributor reflect not simply an individual’s talent but the spirit and dedication of all involved,” Ruppert said. “To win the Puliziter Prize would be much less about what I achieved and much more about the wonderful and gifted people who helped to bring ‘The Consorts’ to life.”
