“For the Love of Uvalde” is one of the top 10 plays chosen from a blind submission pool of over 2,000 entries.
Yale University Press has officially announced that Ayvaunn Penn, assistant professor in the Department of Theatre, has earned a coveted spot on the 2024 Yale Drama Series Short List with her original play, “For the Love of Uvalde.”
Selected by judge and Tony-nominated Broadway playwright Jeremy O. Harris, “For the Love of Uvalde” is one of the top 10 plays chosen from a blind submission pool of over 2,000 entries from around the world. The play explores the grief and aftermath of the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
“It is an immense honor to have ‘For the Love of Uvalde’ named on the 2024 Yale Drama Series Short List,” said Penn. “Knowing that this work was ranked in the top 10 means that the weight of this piece reflecting Texas and national history carries a universal impact. That is the true win—not the title. Those killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting, the survivors and others impacted in Uvalde, Texas, will be remembered and never forgotten.”
Ayvaunn Penn, assistant professor in the Department of Theatre. Photo Credit: Chris Plavidal
“Professor Penn is truly a master storyteller. In ‘For the Love of Uvalde,’ she elegantly tells the painful story of unheard voices, and now that it has been recognized as one of the top 10 plays by the Yale Drama Series Short List, the stories of these families will be heard around the world,” said Amy Hardison Tully, Teresa Ann Carter King Dean of the College of Fine Arts.
“Penn has a keen ability to create compelling art by theatrically capturing some of life’s most complicated and alarming events,” said Department of Theatre Chair Jennifer Engler. “She fearlessly tackles the telling of difficult stories in a way that is unique and relevant. ‘For the Love of Uvalde’ was written with passion and perspective that forces audiences to engage in meaningful conversation. We are so fortunate to have her as a faculty member, and it is an absolute pleasure to support my colleague in her endeavors.”
Penn was previously awarded the TCU College of Fine Arts Dean’s Exceptional Travel Grant and funding from the Department of Theatre to present her play and a presentation titled “Facilitating Social Change Through Art” for Uvalde community members at the El Progreso Memorial Library.
The presentation featured an excerpt from “For the Love of Uvalde” and a listening session. The play is now housed in El Progresso’s Robb Archives Collection and was named a 2023 semifinalist for the prestigious Princess Grace Playwriting Fellowship.
“When Harry Parker—Theatre Department Chair at the time—hired me in 2019, I knew I was joining the faculty of an amazing institution,” said Penn. “Little did I know, however, just how much support I would receive in my mission to engage society in critical conversations through art. I am immensely grateful to Dean Tully, Department Chair Jennifer Engler, The Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and all of the faculty, staff and students who have contributed to the development, funding, promotion and championing of ‘For the Love of Uvalde.’”