MARK JASON WILLIAMS
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Named Outstanding PlayWright for the Second Time

I'm thrilled to announce that I received the 2013 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity Award for Outstanding Playwriting for my latest play, Straight Faced Lies. I was also honored with this award in 2011 for my play, The Other Day, making me the first person in Planet Connections history to become a two-time award winner for outstanding playwriting.
Picture
Celebrating with Straight Faced Lies Director Melissa Skirboll and cast members Hannah Logan Wolfe, Danny Hilt, and Linda Blackstock
Winners were announced on August 4 at the 5th Annual Planet Connections Awards Ceremony, which I was also asked to write for the second year in a row. It was an amazing evening at the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, and quite the thrill to experience over 300 people laughing at my jokes, hear Tony and Academy Award winning writer John Patrick Shanley recite my words, and to be able to stand before friends and fellow artists and accept my second playwriting award. I hadn't even prepared a speech! But, thankfully, I was able to shake my nerves and come up with something coherent:

"I'd like to thank Planet Connections for providing a forum for artists such as myself to present work that represents what we're all thinking, and sometimes afraid to speak. This is my fourth year participating in Planet Connections, and it's been a great pleasure writing these words for you tonight, and sharing my plays with you. I'm incredibly humbled and honored to be here."
With emcee and friend David Stallings, who won Best Lead Actor
With Director Shaun Pecknic, who is current Resident Director of Once
With Alessanda Drappos, a friend and nominee for Best Supporting Actress
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