Veronica Kelly Prize 2024 Award Winner
| Type of post: | Association news item |
| Sub-type: | No sub-type |
| Posted By: | Sarah Thomasson |
| Status: | Current |
| Date Posted: | Wed, 25 Jun 2025 |
Dear ADSA members,
As you will be aware, the Veronica Kelly Prize for best postgraduate paper was run as an essay competition as there was no conference in 2024. The ADSA Board are very pleased to announce that Bridget Mac Eochagain of the University of Sydney has been awarded this prize for the essay, “The Grotesque Furies: From Ancient Greek Punishers to Transgressive ‘Affect’ers of Social Protest in Lucy Kirkwood’s Maryland."
Prize Citation:
The judges also awarded Rebecca O’Leary from the University of Auckland the runners-up prize for the essay, "'I think we live on different planets' – The Intrusion of Outsiders in Domestic Violence Narratives."
Runners-up Citation:
As you will be aware, the Veronica Kelly Prize for best postgraduate paper was run as an essay competition as there was no conference in 2024. The ADSA Board are very pleased to announce that Bridget Mac Eochagain of the University of Sydney has been awarded this prize for the essay, “The Grotesque Furies: From Ancient Greek Punishers to Transgressive ‘Affect’ers of Social Protest in Lucy Kirkwood’s Maryland."
Prize Citation:
The judges commended the essay for its convincing analysis, thoughtful engagement with feminist and grotesque theory, and through-line of argument. The judges felt that this essay would produce a strong contribution to the field of theatre and performance studies, with particular emphasis on its insightful reimagining of mythological figures in a contemporary social context, especially against the backdrop of widespread sexual and gender-based violence both in Australia and overseas.
The essay’s core argument, which traces the evolution of the Furies from ancient avengers to modern symbols of “affective anger” in Kirkwood’s Maryland, was appreciated for its originality and depth. The integration of Frances Connelly’s theories of the grotesque and Sara Ahmed’s work on feminist anger was noted as relevant and appropriate. Judges remarked on the effective writing style of the piece, along with the detailed textual analysis provided. Ultimately, the essay stood out for its theoretical innovation, topical relevance, and engagement with feminist performance theory, making it a deserving recipient of the (delayed) 2024 Veronica Kelly Prize.
The essay’s core argument, which traces the evolution of the Furies from ancient avengers to modern symbols of “affective anger” in Kirkwood’s Maryland, was appreciated for its originality and depth. The integration of Frances Connelly’s theories of the grotesque and Sara Ahmed’s work on feminist anger was noted as relevant and appropriate. Judges remarked on the effective writing style of the piece, along with the detailed textual analysis provided. Ultimately, the essay stood out for its theoretical innovation, topical relevance, and engagement with feminist performance theory, making it a deserving recipient of the (delayed) 2024 Veronica Kelly Prize.
The judges also awarded Rebecca O’Leary from the University of Auckland the runners-up prize for the essay, "'I think we live on different planets' – The Intrusion of Outsiders in Domestic Violence Narratives."
Runners-up Citation:
The judging panel found the essay to be a valuable contribution to the field of theatre and performance studies, addressing the urgent and sensitive topic of domestic violence through a comparative analysis of Shelagh Stephenson’s Five Kinds of Silence and Angus Cerini’s The Bleeding Tree.
The essay was recognised for raising vital questions about how domestic violence narratives can be told safely and ethically in performance, and for highlighting the potential of theatre as a site for listening, witnessing, and acknowledging trauma. The discussion of the audience’s role and the ethical positioning of artists entering the worlds of victim-survivors was noted as a strength, alongside the relevance and significance of the topic.
The essay was recognised for raising vital questions about how domestic violence narratives can be told safely and ethically in performance, and for highlighting the potential of theatre as a site for listening, witnessing, and acknowledging trauma. The discussion of the audience’s role and the ethical positioning of artists entering the worlds of victim-survivors was noted as a strength, alongside the relevance and significance of the topic.
The Board would like to offer congratulations to both Bridget and Rebecca and to acknowledge the work of the judging committee: Daniel Johnson, James Wenley, and Joanne Tompkins.
If you are a postgraduate student, please consider nominating for the 2025 Veronica Kelly Prize, which will be running in its traditional format at the Wellington conference in December.
Best wishes,
Sarah and Chris
ADSA Co-Chairs
If you are a postgraduate student, please consider nominating for the 2025 Veronica Kelly Prize, which will be running in its traditional format at the Wellington conference in December.
Best wishes,
Sarah and Chris
ADSA Co-Chairs
