The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center

Wendy Wasserstein, playwright and Eugene O'Neill Theater Center alumni, was a passionate advocate for the O'Neill's Open Submissions program. Her Uncommon Women and Others was selected through Open Submissions for development at the O'Neill's 1977 National Playwrights Conference.

Open Submissions allows any writer - with or without representation - to submit a script for consideration for NPC development. Through Open Submissions the O'Neill has given voice to many unknown and emerging playwrights, among them August Wilson, who was discovered in 1983 when he submitted Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

Wendy lost her life in 2006 at an all-too-young age. Following her death the Wendy Wasserstein Fund was created at the O'Neill through the generous support of her family and friends with the goal of ensuring the survival of the Open Submissions program by establishing the endowment to help underwrite costs, and so minimize the playwright's cost for script submission.

The O'Neill's long-term goal is to build the Wendy Wasserstein Fund to the point where earnings can fully support the cost of conducting Open Submissions - and so allow the elimination of the playwright script submission fee.

All gifts to the Wendy Wasserstein Fund are fully tax-deductible, and will be invested in perpetuity with only earnings available for expenditure in support of Open Submissions alone.

If you would like to add your support to this special effort, please make a donation to the O'Neill's Wendy Wasserstein Fund.

Click here to make a donation to the Wendy Wasserstein Fund

Thank you for your support.