Pulitzer Prize Centennial
2016 is the 100th Anniversary of the Pulitzer Prize, Columbia University has launched the Centennial Campfires Initiative “to ignite broad engagement with the journalistic, literary, and artistic values” the Prizes represent. The project hopes to generate grassroots events and conversations across the country about the impact of journalism and the humanities on our lives and times, illuminating their value to public life today and imagining their future.
This Challenge is presented as a Campfire project
Members of Cold Reads/Charlotte
Pledge to Read
—aloud, in company, with no preparation (cold),
and for no one but ourselves (no audience)—
at least one play that’s won the
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
before the 100th Anniversary of the first. *
WE CHALLENGE
Literate America to Do the Same
* The first Pulitzer Prize for Drama was awarded May 16, in 1918, the year after it all began. Although the official Centennial celebration is in progress now, the century of plays is a year away.
To Participate
Anyone can pick a time and place, invite some friends, download a play (CLICK HERE for a list and links) and read. Those who wish to compete for the prize must register (below).
[Actually, there are no prizes yet, beyond the pleasure and satisfaction of convivial discovery. If some benevolent organization wants to capitalize on this project, feel free to offer rewards.]
Chalk It Up
Once you’ve read one play, we encourage you and those who read with you to complete the form below. We’ll put your names on the list . Repeat the form for every play you read and we’ll keep track, compile the comments, and publish the results.
It’s Not Too Late
So far only Cold Reads/Charlotte has signed on. Founder Gray (who plans to read all 85!) has checked off a dozen Prize plays, with assorted friends (and strangers) since the May 16 Kickoff event; otherwise, the game has yet to begin. (Follow Gray’s progress in Category: Charlotte.)
What else do you have to do this year?
Sign Up Now
Fourteen other barren years still leave a daunting 85 prize-winning plays, admittedly a lot (seven a month!) We’ll read as many as we can find and legally obtain, and the one who scores the highest wins Top Prize.
Not in the habit of reading plays?
You don’t know what you’re missing. It’s convivial, entertaining, enlightening, uplifting, good for the human brain and spirit (among other things: see Why Read Plays? Simple steps and guidelines for hosting a successful read appear in How It Happens.
Think of it as a book club, only you read aloud with others (plays are always only people talking to each other), sharing the discovery.
Or it’s any parlor game, from poker to Parcheesi, speaking lines in turns like playing cards or tokens on a board, only everybody wins.
Don’t think of it as “acting” (unless you like to act). Acting happens only after weeks of study and rehearsal. This is just reading. Everybody reads.
And it doesn’t matter if there are more characters than readers (double up) or vice versa (swap and share), or if they’re young or old, male or female, black or white, beautiful or plain. You’re reading.
Finally, feel free to interject a comment, ask a question, share an insight, start a conversation. In a cold read, convivial discussion is as valuable as the drama itself. If you don’t get to the end, plan to meet again, or finish on your own.
Other tips on how to enjoy a cold read are describe in How It Happens.
Follow the Blog
Posts related to this Challenge appear in Category: Campfire
PLEASE NOTE. Although we by no means discourage those who choose to read these plays in silent solitude (by all means, do), our challenge is to share these plays with friends (or strangers), in the spirit of the Campfire Initiative, and roughly according to the Cold Reads protocols described in this blog.
“We [the Puliitzer Centennial Committee] intend to reach diverse audiences, using Campfire events to foster invigorating discussions – much as actual campfires create circles of conversation – both in person and through social media. We also hope to inspire new generations of practitioners.”
Cold Reads/International 
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