New York Drama Critics' Circle

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The New York Drama Critics' Circle currently comprises 22 drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines and wire services based in the New York City metropolitan area.

The group was founded in 1935 at the Algonquin Hotel by Brooks Atkinson, Walter Winchell, and Robert Benchley, among others.

The New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, awarded every year to the best new play of the season, with additional awards for musicals and foreign or American plays as well as citations for special achievement, is the United States' second oldest theatre award, after the Pulitzer Prize for drama. The first was awarded to Winterset by Maxwell Anderson, who won the following year as well for High Tor.

The prestigious award for Best Play carries with it a cash prize of $2,500, and $1,000 goes to the playwright who receives the award for best American or foreign play. The awards are made possible by a grant from the Lucille Lortel Foundation.

The New York Drama Critics' Circle's members are affiliated with Time Out New York, The New Yorker, New York Magazine, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, the Wall Street Journal, Newsday, USA Today, Variety, the Village Voice, the New York Observer, the New York Sun, the Star Ledger, the Bergen Record, the Associated Press, Gannett Newspapers, Bloomberg News, Back Stage, Time and Entertainment Weekly.

The critics of the New York Times, arguably the most influential in New York, are not members of the Drama Critics' Circle. In 1989, the newspaper's executive editor decreed that their critics could no longer participate in any awards. The Times critics served as non-voting members of the Drama Critics' Circle until 1997, when the newspaper reversed its policy and allowed its critics to resume voting for the awards. In 2003, the permission was again revoked, and the Times critics were asked to withdraw from the Circle.

Contents

[edit] Best Play

Winners for Best Play

[edit] Best Musical

Winners for Best Musical

[edit] Best American Play

Winners for Best American Play

[edit] Best Foreign Play

Winners for Best Foreign Play

[edit] Special awards and citations

For the 1997-98 season, a special citation was awarded to the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Kander and Ebb's Cabaret.

For the 1998-99 season, David Hare was given a special citation for his contributions to the 1998/99 season.

For the 2001-02 season, Elaine Stritch received a special citation for Elaine Stritch At Liberty.

For the 2003-04 season, Barbara Cook received a special citation for her contributions to the musical theatre.

Two special citations were awarded for the 2005-06 season: John Doyle, Sarah Travis and the company of the revival of Sweeney Todd; and Christine Ebersole for her performance in the Off-Broadway musical Grey Gardens.[1]

For the 2006-07 season, the Broadway revival of the play Journey's End received a special citation.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.playbill.com/news/article/99653.html Playbill article, May 11, 2006

[edit] See also

[edit] External links