Curtain Call, Inc., Fairfield County, Connecticut’s premiere community-based theatre, announces the establishment of what the organization hopes will become an annual award to celebrate diversity in the musical theater: The American Harmony Prize. The goal of the American Harmony Prize is to showcase new works of musical theater that explore our country’s many ethnic, religious and gender identifications. To do so, the prize will be awarded each year to the writers of a new musical that delves into a different specific segment of American society. The inaugural American Harmony Prize will showcase a new musical that dramatizes an aspect of the experience of Black Americans. In addition to a cash award of $250.00, a condensed version of the winning musical (approximately one hour in length) will be performed as a part of Curtain Call’s series of new musicals in concert at the Ethel and Sidney Kweskin Theater in Stamford, Connecticut, in February of 2008. Musical theater writers interested in having their work considered for the American Harmony Prize should submit a plot synopsis of no more than 800 words (or roughly two pages), the first 10 pages of the libretto (with all dialogue, lyrics and stage directions included), a cd that demonstrates as much of the musical’s score as has been recorded to date (it needn’t be of studio quality) and one sample of the sheet music for a song from the show’s piano / vocal score. A “short list” of applicants will be contacted after the first round of judging and asked to submit a full libretto and additional samples of the piano / vocal score for the final consideration. There is no submission / reading fee. Applicants that wish to have their materials returned should include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. In order to qualify for consideration, a musical cannot have been professionally produced (Equity Dinner, LORT, Production, Special Production, SPT, Stock, etc…) or published, but it may have been performed in readings, concerts, workshops and non-professional productions. Submissions will be accepted via mail from Monday, August 6, 2007 until Saturday, September 22, 2007. Submissions should be mailed to: Curtain Call, Inc., 1349 Newfield Avenue, Stamford, CT 06905, Att. American Harmony Prize. Source: TRU