Sabrina Marthendal is the winner of the 5th edition of the New Playwriting Prize for Female Authors

photo credits @Sabrina Marthendal

Brazilian artist Sabrina Marthendal is the winner of the 5th edition of the New Playwriting Prize for Female Authors, with her new play Pedral . The award is part of the program of the Festim Esta Noite Grita-se, an initiative of Companhia Cepa Torta, which celebrates its 9th edition this year, with its epicenter in Lisbon and regular extensions to the Algarve, in partnership with Teatro das Figuras (Faro) and the Centro Cultural de Lagos.

Created to recognize and encourage female-authored dramaturgical creation in the Portuguese language, the Prize is aimed at authors with or without works already published or publicly presented and annually awards an unpublished work.

In this edition, the jury composed of Ana Lázaro, Inês Barahona and Mickaël de Oliveira distinguished Pedral for her “singularity and sensitivity, highlighting the quality of her refined and singular writing, as emotional as it is poignant, and in which the language and the universe distinguish the playwright with a unique signature” - in the words of the jury.

About the winner

Sabrina Martendal is a Brazilian artist who works primarily through the hybridity of the performing and visual languages. She is an actress, director, playwright, theater and photography teacher, and researcher.

Visual and cultural photographer. She has worked in the city of Blumenau, Santa Catarina, and surrounding areas for 25 years. She has been a member of Cia Carona de Teatro since 2006 and Cia MovIn since 2019.

She holds a bachelor's degree in Theater Interpretation from the Performing Arts Program at the Regional University of Blumenau - FURB. She has participated in training with Janaína Leite (São Paulo/SP), Periplo Compañía Teatral (Buenos Aires/AR), Grupo XIX de Teatro (São Paulo/SP), Unicamp Interdisciplinary Center for Theater Research - LUME (Campinas/SP), Nilo Biazzetto Neto (Curitiba/PR), Lilian Barbon (Florianópolis/SC), Sérgio Sakakibara (Florianópolis/SC), Michelle Serena (Curitiba/PR), among others. In 2019, she released, co-authored with Gregory Haertel and Thiago K, the book-CD "Quando o Grito enfim Chegar" (When the Scream Finally Arrives). She has written and directed more than 20 theater shows for the Carona School of Theater and performed in more than 15 shows throughout her career.

The 2025 edition

Between January 1 and March 31, 2025, the Prize received 133 entries from various Portuguese-speaking countries. After a rigorous selection process, the jury selected three finalists:

• Immigrants , by Ema Fonseca

• On Board , by Marta Prieto

• Pedral , by Sabrina Marthendal

The authors developed their texts in dialogue with the jury, in a process of creative monitoring that preceded the final decision.

In addition to the distinction given to Pedral , the jury awarded honorable mentions:

• On Board , by Marta Prieto, for its formal boldness and critical look at the relationship with animal ecology, explored through irony and humor;

• Immigrants , by Ema Fonseca, for its thematic relevance and simple language that highlights the richness of family and social relationships in everyday life.

The winner will receive a prize of €1,000 and will see their text published by Companhia Cepa Torta in partnership with Douda Correria, in addition to being included in the programming of the 9th season of Festim Esta Noite Grita-se.

Come hear this piece's world premiere on December 6th and 7th at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon. It will then travel south on the 11th and 12th, where it will be performed at the Faro Municipal Library and the Lagos Cultural Center, respectively.

Commitment to female authorship

The New Playwriting Prize for Female Authors aims to strengthen the presence of female-authored plays, in a context where gender inequalities persist in the theatrical field. By recognizing new works annually, the award reaffirms the commitment to giving visibility, space, and value to the creations of contemporary female authors.

Previous winners

• 2024 — Luz Ribeiro, Lacuna

• 2023 — Sofia Perpetua, Tanque

• 2022 — Maria Giulia Pinheiro, Isto não é relevante

• 2021 — Lara Mesquita, Sempre que acordo