The Judith Royer Award for Excellence in Playwriting - Paper Dream
My play Paper Dream is the winner of the Judith Royer Award for Excellence in Playwriting, chosen from the pool of 150 submissions in 2020.
“The award is named in honor of Dr. Royer for her dedication to the development of new plays throughout her distinguished career. Dr. Royer is a producer, director and dramaturg with new play development programs sponsored by the NEA, Playwrights Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, and Theatre Gallery. She established the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival’s playwriting program and is a founding member of ATHE. The Royer Award honors a new play marked by sophisticated and nuanced dramatic storytelling, compelling content, and the potential to make a major artistic impact on contemporary theatre.”
"Nalan’s play offers a compassionate portrayal of the world of Angel Island in the 1930s, which resonates into our particular political moment. Its focus is the frustrated world of a group of courageous women who tried not only to save their lives but to improve it and their conditions as well. Intricately detailed and exhaustively researched, Paper Dream plays with that elusive idea of the American dream asking if it, too, is made of paper."
Dr. Hank Willenbrink, judging committee at ATHE.
“ Paper Dream brings to life an overlooked part of American History. Not only does this play serve as a deeply resonating history lesson, but it also tells a beautiful story about family and sacrifice. Designers would have a lot of fun representing this show on stage. Highly recommend!”
Playwright Zack Peercy
“Lyra Yang handles this story with compassion and fortitude. Visually compelling, carefully curated, it moves like it has an engine- engaging, powerful, and purposeful. A director would and should fall in love with this script.”
Director Bridget Grace Sheaff
“The mark of a good period piece is that it retains its relevance in our modern world. Paper Dream excels in this area. With beautifully developed characters, an engaging plot, and a well-researched historical and cultural context, this is definitely a story worth telling. History buffs and those with an interest in social justice will find this very worthwhile!”
Playwright Jordan Kilgore
Related updates (2022):
Earlier in March 2020, Paper Dream was selected as a part of Miranda Theatre's Liz Smith Reading Series to celebrate Woman's Month and had a public staged-reading at Cherry Lane Theatre in New York City. Our cast includes: Leanne Cabrera, Karen Tsen Lee, Yan Xi, Ashil Lee, Ariel Estrada, Tim Hassler, Nina Zoie Lam. It was directed by Chicago-based Helen Young. Helen has helped me significantly in shaping the play from its early-stage during a workshop at Chicago Three Cat Production back in 2019.
Later in October 2020, Paper Dream had a virtual staged-reading at West Washington University, directed by Seattle-based Desdemona Chiang. Our brilliant cast includes: Annie Yim, Isabelle Bushue, Wendy Chinn, Owen Yen, Jesse Gervais. Assistant Director Erin Smith. Our production team includes: Dramaturg Amber Du. Stage Manager Lily Furlong. Production Stage Manager and Technical Director Clara King. Production Manager Savannah LeCornu. Company Managers Mark Kuntz, Kamarie Chapman, Sound and Props Design Jack Harbick.
In December 2021, Paper Dreams (I changed the title) was awarded a workshop grant from Miranda Theatre Company. “Founded in 1989, Miranda Theatre has developed and presented over 30 NY and world premiere of plays by writers that include Adam Bock, Cusi Cram, Jeff Daniels, Bronwen Denton Davis, Israel Horovitz, Laurel Ollstein, Adam Seidel and Emily Whitesell.” Our workshop is scheduled for Fall 2022!