The Hendrix-Murphy Foundation is proud to announce the winners of this year’s Werner Trieschmann Playwriting Contests.
In the alumni category, Dawn Branch ’05 was awarded first place for “The Third March, or Beth,” with Charlie Stewart ’22 earning second place for “Six Feet Down Under.” In the student category, Grace Moody ’28 took home first place for “Trials and Tribulations,” while Kyndall Brooks ’26 was recognized with second place for “Left Behind.”
Hendrix Players and the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language will present the 29th annual Playwright’s Theatre on Friday, September 11, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in Cabe Theatre at Hendrix College, featuring a staged reading of Branch’s first-place alumni-winning play, “The Third March, or Beth.” The event is free and open to the public, and no tickets or reservations are required.
“The Third March, or Beth” reimagines “Little Women” through Beth’s eyes, unsettling the idea that she was ever simply shy and good, and asking what it costs to go unseen by the very people who love you most. The reading will be directed by Ann Muse ’83, a Hendrix alumna and retired professor who previously chaired the college’s theatre department.
A discussion with playwright Dawn Branch and contest judge Keegon Schuett will follow the reading; a reception in Mills Lobby will close out the evening. Schuett, this year’s contest judge, is a gender-nonconforming playwright from Memphis, Tennessee, whose play “This Dry Spell” won the 2024 Yale Drama Series.
Branch graduated from Hendrix College in 2005 with a background in psychology and theater, then followed that restless curiosity to Boston, where she studied film and production. She has since made her home in Los Angeles, building a career that now spans more than fifteen years in the entertainment industry. Her plays have found audiences around the world, and beyond her own work, she thrives in collaboration with friends’ and colleagues’ films, scripts, books, and plays.
About the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation
The Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language were founded in 1978 by a gift from Charles H. Murphy, Jr., former CEO of Murphy Oil Corporation, in memory of his mother Bertie Wilson Murphy. Their mission is to enhance and enrich the study of literature and language at Hendrix College. For more information, visit hendrixmurphy.org.
About Hendrix College
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges and celebrated among the country’s leading liberal arts colleges for academic quality, engaged learning opportunities and career preparation, vibrant campus life, and value. The Hendrix College Warriors compete in 21 NCAA Division III sports. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. Learn more at hendrix.edu.