Due Date: April 6, 2026

Purpose: To honor and remember Dr. Betty Jean Jones, a founding member of the American Theatre and Drama Society and highly respected and admired educator, ATDS accepts nominations each year for the Betty Jean Jones Award.

In honor of Dr. Jones’ memory and meaningful membership in ATDS and the field of American theatre, the Betty Jean Jones Award honors individuals who have achieved excellence as college/university teachers and mentors in the profession.

Jones received her B.A. in English from Bennett College, her M.F.A in Directing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and her Ph.D. in American Theatre and Drama from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Internationally recognized for her scholarly expertise in American theatre and film, Dr. Jones was also an avid and internationally recognized director. After teaching at her alma maters, Dr. Jones was a Professor of Theatre and an Associate Dean at the University of Michigan until her untimely death from a plane crash.

Award Amount and Additional Benefits: The Honoree will receive conference registration (up to $450) to attend the annual membership meeting and awards ceremony, a $200 Honorarium, and Lifetime Honorary Membership in ATDS (or if they already hold a lifetime membership, they may nominate up to ten student or contingent colleagues for one year’s membership).

Eligibility:

• Nominees should have taught on the college level (either full or part time) for at least 10 years. These need not have been consecutive.

• Nominees should have had an impact on students and the profession as a teacher and mentor, contributing to the field of theatre and drama in and of the Americas as a scholar and/or artist.

• Nominees should have demonstrated exceptional teaching and mentorship of undergraduates, graduate students, or early career colleagues within academic, artistic, and professional development settings.

Nominations: Nominees need not be members of either ATDS or ATHE, but the individual making the nomination must be a member of ATDS. Nominations from students, colleagues, and other members of the academic community are welcomed.

Recognizing that notions of America and the U.S. encompass migrations of peoples and cultures that overlap and influence one another, we especially encourage nominations of individuals whose mentorship cultivates knowledge production of and about the global majority.

Submissions: The ATDS nominating member must submit a letter of nomination with no more than three supporting letters. These submission letters should clearly describe the meritorious efforts, activities, and recognitions that provide evidence of the nominee’s distinctive contributions as a teacher and mentor.

Nominations should be sent by April 6, 2026 to James Wilson at jwilson@lagcc.cuny.edu. Email submissions with attachments are preferred. Please use the email heading: “Betty Jean Jones Award.”

The American Theatre and Drama Society will generally honor one person each year, but a nominee’s file will be considered for up to two subsequent years.

2026 Committee: James Wilson (The Graduate Center, CUNY), Sean Metzger (UCLA), and Beth Osborne (Florida State University). 

You can learn more about Dr. Jones and her legacy at the Gaines-Jones Foundation (https://www.gaines-jones.org/).

John W. Frick Book Award

Due Date: February 28, 2026

Purpose: The American Theatre and Drama Society’s John W. Frick Book Award honors the best monograph published each year on theatre and performance of/in the Americas, recognizing that notions of “America” and the United States encompass migrations of peoples and cultures that overlap and influence one another. The award recipient will receive a cash prize of $200 and be recognized at the annual ATDS membership meeting at the 2026 ATHE Conference.

Evaluation and eligibility: Books will be evaluated on the basis of originality and contribution to the field of American theatre, drama, and performance. Books must exhibit a copyright date of 2025. Edited collections, anthologies, and plays are not eligible.

Nominations: The author, the publisher, or any member of ATDS may submit nominations.

Submissions: Hard copies are preferred for ease of reading; digital copies are acceptable and will be given equal consideration. To submit hard copies, please mail one copy of the book to each of the three committee members’ physical addresses, listed below. If submitting digitally, please electronically send (using a Zip file if necessary) a copy of the book to jonathc@bgsu.edu, broderick.chow@cssd.ac.uk, and Lindsay.Goss@unimelb.edu.au.

Jonathan Chambers
Bowling Green State University 
223 Wolfe Center 
Bowling Green, OH 43403 

Broderick Chow c/o
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Embassy Theatre, 60-64 Eton Avenue
London, United Kingdom, NW3 3HY

Lindsay Goss
519 Belton St
Charlotte, NC 28209

The American Theatre and Drama Society (ATDS) once again offers the Vera Mowry Roberts Research and Publication Award for the best essay published in English. Essays must appear in a refereed scholarly journal or edited collection and focus on Theatre and/or Performance in the Americas (recognizing that notions of “America” and the United States encompass migrations of peoples and cultures that overlap and influence one another). The award recipient will receive $200 and a one-year membership in ATDS and will be recognized at ATDS’s meeting during the annual conference of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE). 

Eligibility: The author must be a degreed (no longer enrolled in a graduate program) but untenured scholar at the time the essay is published. The competition is also open to independent scholars, or scholars working in adjunct, or full-time, non-tenure track positions. Eligible essays must have been published between February 2025 and February 2026. The selection committee welcomes co-authored publications; however, all authors must be untenured at the time the essay is published.  

Nomination: Nominations may come from the author(s) of the essay, any member of the American Theatre and Drama Society, or the editor of a journal or collection in which the essay appeared. Authors may nominate only one essay. Editors may nominate one essay per volume or collection.

Submission: Electronic submissions only. Please email a PDF (preferably readable/OCR) of the article to Caitlin Marshall (csmars@umd.edu), Chair of the Selection Committee by May 1, 2026. The email subject should read “Vera Mowry Roberts Award 2026 Submission” and the article title should be included in the email message. 

2025-2026 Selection Committee: Caitlin Marshall (chair, University of Maryland), Eero Laine (University at Buffalo), and Claire Syler (University of Missouri). 

Due Date: April 30, 2026

Purpose: To help individual authors offset costs not normally covered by publishers, such as illustrations, facsimiles, accompanying multimedia materials, and permissions.  Proposals that make use of new technologies are also welcome.  The proposed project must focus on Theatre and/or Performance in the Americas (recognizing that notions of “America” and the United States encompass migrations of peoples and cultures that overlap and influence one another). The award recipient will receive a cash prize of $200 and will be recognized at the annual ATDS award/membership meeting at the 2026 ATHE Conference.

Eligibility: Scholars at all stages of their careers are encouraged to apply. Applicants need not be members of ATDS, but members are especially encouraged to apply.

Amount: $200.00

Application:

• An abstract (no more than 1,000 words) that describes the project and its contribution to American theatre and drama scholarship.

• A copy of the article, or, if a book, a representative chapter.  If the project is non-print, please arrange to send a DVD, CD, or web link.

• A copy of the contract/letter of agreement from the journal editor or publisher indicating that the project has been accepted.  The contract or letter should specify the author’s assumption of the expenses for which the subvention is requested.

• A detailed budget and explanation of the expenses to which the subvention would be applied. If for a specific item/illustration(s), please include a description and the rights/reproduction cost).

Selection committee: Jieun Lee (chair, Emory University), Karen Jean Martinson (Arizona State University), and Mary McAvoy (Arizona State University).

Please submit all materials via email to Selection Committee Chair Jieun Lee (jieun.lee.theater@emory.edu)

Due Date: May 1, 2026

Purpose: To support travel costs related to archival and ethnographic research

Eligibility: Faculty members at any rank who have not previously been awarded an ATDS Faculty Research/Travel Award are eligible to apply. Applicants do not have to be ATDS members to submit, but submissions from members are especially encouraged.*

Award Amount: $500.00

The application should include the following:

• A 600-word proposal detailing either your archival or ethnographic research project. Please include in your proposal an explanation of the nature and significance of the project, the intended use of archive or scope of the ethnographic study, the expected outcome (monograph, article submission, edited volume, etc.), and a brief description of other funding sources (if applicable). 

• A CV with one-paragraph bio.

Submit completed applications as a single PDF via email to committee chair, Zach Dailey (daileyz@uhd.edu)

Awardees will be notified by June 1, 2026. 

2026 Committee: Zach Dailey (University of Houston-Downtown), Kristen Wright (New York University), and Clara Kundin (Eastern New Mexico University).

*Important Note: This year’s Faculty Research/Travel Award is designated to support travel costs related to archival and ethnographic research. In 2027, the Faculty Travel/Presentation Award will be designated to support costs related to travel to conferences (including but not limited to ATHE). Former winners of an ATDS Faculty Travel/Presentation Award may apply for this year’s Travel/Research Award.

Deadline to Apply: June 1, 2026

The ongoing challenges of the academic job market mean that many faculty have positions that do not allow them access to regular university funding for research or conference travel. As an organization, the American Theatre and Drama Society is committed to supporting contingent faculty members (i.e., adjunct faculty or part-time faculty as defined by your institution; teaching staff) in their on-going and future work. For this reason, ATDS sponsors a grant for contingent faculty. This grant is meant to help with either Option 1) Conference Travel, OR Option 2) Travel for Academic Research in the field of theatre, drama, and performance of the Americas at a location not in the candidate’s immediate geographic area.

Eligibility: Contingent faculty whose positions render them ineligible for institutional research or travel support.

Award Amount: $500.00 and One-Year Membership to ATDS

Your application should include:

Option 1: Conference Travel Support

1.     CV

2.     A two-page (maximum), double-spaced proposal detailing your research project and the conference you plan to attend to present your research (please include the name of the conference, dates, and relevant travel details). Also, it is possible for an application to address a combination of needs (e.g., to attend a conference at a site where you will also conduct research).

Option 2: Travel for Academic Research

1.     CV.

2.     A two-age (maximum), double-spaced proposal with an explanation of the nature and significance of the project, the intended use of archive or scope of the ethnographic study, the intended use of the funding and when (with budget), and the expected outcome (monograph, conference presentation, article submission, edited volume, performance text, or other creative work, etc.).

Preference will be given to proposals that best reflect ATDS’s mission to advance the study of American theatre and drama (broadly defined), its varied histories, traditions, literatures, and performances within its cultural contexts. ATDS also encourages the evolving debate exploring national identities and experiences through research, pedagogy, and practice.

Please submit applications via email to committee chair Noe Montez at noe.montez@emory.edu with the subject line “ATDS Contingent Faculty Award Proposal.” Awardees will be notified by June 1, 2026. 

2026 Selection Committee:  Noe Montez (chair, Emory University), Lindsey R. Barr (American University), and Jessica Friedman (San Diego State University)

Due Date: May 1, 2026

Purpose: To provide support for graduate student travel to present or conduct research (such as, but not limited to, archival or ethnographic) related to theatre and performance in the Americas. Awardees will receive $500, a one-year free membership to ATDS, and recognition during ATDS’s 2026 awards ceremony/annual membership meeting.

Eligibility: Any student currently enrolled in a graduate program in theatre/performance studies in the US (or related studies) is eligible. Students need not be members of ATDS at the time of application but preference will be given to ATDS members. Please note that the applicant must still be in graduate school during the proposed time of use for the award.

Application Process: Please submit the following materials via email to committee chair Charlotte Canning at charlottecanning@utexas.edu. Please use the email heading: “ATDS Graduate Student Travel/Research Award.” 

• A brief proposal (200 – 500 words) that describes your research project OR an abstract of the paper demonstrating a clear connection to theatre and performance in the Americas;

• A budget plan;

• An invitation/notice of acceptance from the panel organizers for conference travel OR detailed research questions and methodology for the archival/ethnographic research travel;

• A current Curriculum Vitae;

• One letter of support from a faculty mentor familiar with your work. Letters from ATDS members are especially welcome.

2026 Committee:  Charlotte Canning (University of Texas, Austin), Ann Folino White (Michigan State University), and Carla Della Gatta (University of Maryland)

Emerging Scholars Award

Due Date: May 31, 2026

The American Theatre and Drama Society (ATDS), in coordination with Disability, Theatre, and Performance (DTaP), is pleased to announce “Activating Imagination in/and Community: Emerging Scholars in ATDS and DTaP,” a panel at the ATHE 2026 conference. Papers submitted may treat any aspect of theatre, performance, and drama of the Americas, its varied histories, traditions, literatures, and performances within its cultural contexts. We also welcome papers by scholar-artists who integrate performance as research. While all submissions are encouraged, we particularly recommend submitting papers that reflect ATHE’s 2026 conference theme of “activating imagination in/and community.” For a full description of this year’s theme, visit the website at this link. See ATDS’s ATHE CFP link here.

Papers should be 8-10 pages long, double spaced. 

Please note: This panel introduces new scholarship on American theatre and drama and Disability, Theatre, and Performance from emerging (graduate student) scholars. The DTaP focus group will also issue calls for emerging scholars for participation in this jointly coordinated panel. Our panel will feature four emerging scholar papers, selected by the members of the ATDS and DTaP focus groups. Papers submitted through ATDS do not necessarily need to engage directly with disability studies. However, the idea is that the work brought together in the co-sponsored panel will be deepened by an engagement with other DTaP focused papers that are centered on this topic. The four selected scholars will present their papers, followed by a short period of questions and answers from the attendees. Submissions are welcome from any scholar currently enrolled in a graduate program who has not previously presented at ATHE.

Award recipients for the ATDS Emerging Scholar panel in 2026 will receive constructive feedback from the committee, geared towards the panel presentation. The top two papers will be invited to revise and publish their conference papers in the 2027 issue of Theatre Annual. The winners of the ATDS Emerging Scholar Award will also receive a free one-year membership to ATDS and a check for $150.

Members of the ATDS Emerging Scholar committee include: Nick Fesette (chair), Jade Power-Sotomayor, and Maria De Simone. 

To apply, fill out this short Google form and upload your proposed conference paper (8-10 pages, double-spaced) by May 1, 2026. Questions and concerns may be sent to Nick Fesette (nicholas.fesette@emory.edu) via email.