The Pulitzer Prize for Drama is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It is one of the original Pulitzers, for the program was inaugurated in 1917 with seven prizes, four of which were awarded that year.[1] (No Drama prize was given, however, so that one was inaugurated in 1918, in a sense.)[2] It recognizes a theatrical work staged in the U.S. during the preceding calendar year.
Until 2007, eligibility for the Drama Prize ran from March 1 to March 2 to reflect the Broadway "season" rather than the calendar year that governed most other Pulitzer Prizes.
The drama jury, which consists of one academic and four critics, attends plays in New York and in regional theaters. The Pulitzer board can overrule the jury's choice; in 1986, the board's opposition to the jury's choice of the CIVIL warS resulted in no award being given.[3]
The 1951 prize was to go to Frank Loesser, Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows' musical Guys and Dolls, but was vetoed by the Trustees of Columbia University due to Burrows' communist sympathies, and no award was given.[4] In 1955 Joseph Pulitzer, Jr. pressured the prize jury into presenting the Prize to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which the jury considered the weakest of the five shortlisted nominees ("amateurishly constructed... from the stylistic points of view annoyingly pretentious"), instead of Clifford Odets' The Flowering Peach (their preferred choice) or The Bad Seed, their second choice.[5]Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was selected for the 1963 Pulitzer Prize for Drama by that award's committee. However, the committee's selection was overruled by the award's advisory board, the trustees of Columbia University, because of the play's then-controversial use of profanity and sexual themes. Had Albee been awarded, he would be tied with Eugene O'Neill for the most Pulitzer Prizes for Drama (four).
Of note, South Pacific won the 1950 Pulitzer for Drama but its source material, James Michener's Tales of the South Pacific, also won the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
The award goes to the playwright, although production of the play is also taken into account. In the case of a musical being awarded the prize, the composer, lyricist and book writer are generally the recipients. An exception to this was the first Pulitzer ever awarded to a musical: when Of Thee I Sing won in 1932, book authors George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, as well as lyricist Ira Gershwin, were cited as the winners, while composer George Gershwin's contribution was overlooked by the committee. The reason given was that the Pulitzer Prize for Drama is a dramatic award, and not a musical one. However, by 1950 the Pulitzer committee included composer Richard Rodgers as a recipient when South Pacific won the award, in recognition of music as an integral and important part of the theatrical experience.[11]
¹All listed dates are Prize years. Generally, the musical in question opened in New York during either the preceding calendar year or the preceding Broadway season.
Multiple wins and nominations
The following individuals received two or more Pulitzer Prizes for Drama:
Wins
Playwright
Nominations
4
Eugene O'Neill
4
3
Edward Albee
5
Robert E. Sherwood
3
2
August Wilson
6
George S. Kaufman
2
Lynn Nottage
Thornton Wilder
Tennessee Williams
The following individuals received two or more nominations:
Nominations
Playwright
6
August Wilson
5
Edward Albee
4
Eugene O'Neill
3
Quiara Alegría Hudes
David Henry Hwang
Tracy Letts
Donald Margulies
Suzan-Lori Parks
Robert E. Sherwood
Sam Shepard
2
Jon Robin Baitz
Gina Gionfriddo
John Guare
A.R. Gurney
Richard Greenberg
Tina Howe
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Stephen Karam
George S. Kaufman
David Mamet
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lynn Nottage
Sarah Ruhl
Neil Simon
Jeanine Tesori
Alfred Uhry
Thornton Wilder
Tennessee Williams
Lynn Nottage is the only female playwright to win the prize twice. She and August Wilson are the only playwrights of color to accomplish this feat.
Jon Robin Baitz, Gina Gionfriddo, John Guare, A.R. Gurney, Richard Greenberg, Tina Howe, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Stephen Karam, Sarah Ruhl and Jeanine Tesori have each been named finalists twice without winning. David Henry Hwang is the only person to have been named a finalist thrice without winning. Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeanine Tesori are the only people to be named as a finalist twice for writing and composing a musical, with Miranda winning in 2016.
References
^ ab"1917 Winners". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved 2013-12-20.
^ abc "Drama". The Pulitzer Prizes (pulitzer.org). Retrieved 2013-12-20.
^Opening night on Broadway : a critical quotebook of the golden era of the musical theatre, Oklahoma! (1943) to Fiddler on the roof (1964). Steven Suskin. New York: Schirmer Books. 1990. ISBN0-02-872625-1. OCLC 21671593.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
^Fischer, Heinz-Dietrich & Erika J. Fischer. The Pulitzer Prize Archive: A History and Anthology of Award-Winning Materials in Journalism, Letters, and Arts München: K.G. Saur, 2008. ISBN3-598-30170-7ISBN9783598301704 p. 246
^The Pulitzer committee recommended Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? *, but the Pulitzer board, who have sole discretion in awarding the prize, rejected the recommendation, due to the play's perceived vulgarity, and no award was given instead. Klein, Alvin. "Albee's 'Tiny Alice,' The Whole Enchilada". The New York Times. May 24, 1998: CT11.
^"THE HOT WING KING Wins the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama". Broadway World.
Media related to Pulitzer Prize for Drama winners at Wikimedia Commons
February 05, 2023
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The Pulitzer Prize for Drama is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters Drama and Music It is one of the original Pulitzers for the program was inaugurated in 1917 with seven prizes four of which were awarded that year 1 No Drama prize was given however so that one was inaugurated in 1918 in a sense 2 It recognizes a theatrical work staged in the U S during the preceding calendar year Until 2007 eligibility for the Drama Prize ran from March 1 to March 2 to reflect the Broadway season rather than the calendar year that governed most other Pulitzer Prizes The drama jury which consists of one academic and four critics attends plays in New York and in regional theaters The Pulitzer board can overrule the jury s choice in 1986 the board s opposition to the jury s choice of the CIVIL warS resulted in no award being given 3 The 1951 prize was to go to Frank Loesser Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows musical Guys and Dolls but was vetoed by the Trustees of Columbia University due to Burrows communist sympathies and no award was given 4 In 1955 Joseph Pulitzer Jr pressured the prize jury into presenting the Prize to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof which the jury considered the weakest of the five shortlisted nominees amateurishly constructed from the stylistic points of view annoyingly pretentious instead of Clifford Odets The Flowering Peach their preferred choice or The Bad Seed their second choice 5 Edward Albee s Who s Afraid of Virginia Woolf was selected for the 1963 Pulitzer Prize for Drama by that award s committee However the committee s selection was overruled by the award s advisory board the trustees of Columbia University because of the play s then controversial use of profanity and sexual themes Had Albee been awarded he would be tied with Eugene O Neill for the most Pulitzer Prizes for Drama four Contents 1 Awards and nominations 1 1 Notes 1 2 1910s 1 3 1920s 1 4 1930s 1 5 1940s 1 6 1950s 1 7 1960s 1 8 1970s 1 9 1980s 1 10 1990s 1 11 2000s 1 12 2010s 1 13 2020s 2 Musicals 3 Multiple wins and nominations 4 References 5 External linksAwards and nominations EditIn its first 106 years to 2022 the Drama Pulitzer was awarded 91 times none were given in 15 years and it was never split The most recipients of the prize in one year was five when Michael Bennett James Kirkwood Jr Nicholas Dante Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban shared the 1976 prize for the musical A Chorus Line 2 Notes Edit marks winners of the Tony Award for Best Play marks winners of the Tony Award for Best Musical marks nominees of the Tony Award for Best Play or the Tony Award for Best Musical 1910s Edit Year Production Author1917no award 1 1918Why Marry Jesse Lynch Williams1919no award 1920s Edit Year Production Author1920Beyond the Horizon Eugene O Neill1921Miss Lulu Bett Zona Gale1922Anna Christie Eugene O Neill1923Icebound Owen Davis1924Hell Bent Fer Heaven Hatcher Hughes1925They Knew What They Wanted Sidney Howard1926Craig s Wife George Kelly1927In Abraham s Bosom Paul Green1928Strange Interlude Eugene O Neill1929Street Scene Elmer Rice1930s Edit Year Production Author1930The Green Pastures Marc Connelly1931Alison s House Susan Glaspell1932Of Thee I Sing George S Kaufman Morrie Ryskind Ira Gershwin1933Both Your Houses Maxwell Anderson1934Men in White Sidney Kingsley1935The Old Maid Zoe Akins1936Idiot s Delight Robert E Sherwood1937You Can t Take It with You Moss Hart George S Kaufman1938Our Town Thornton Wilder1939Abe Lincoln in Illinois Robert E Sherwood1940s Edit Year Production Author1940The Time of Your Life William Saroyan1941There Shall Be No Night Robert E Sherwood1942no award 1943The Skin of Our Teeth Thornton Wilder1944no award 6 1945Harvey Mary Coyle Chase1946State of the Union Russel Crouse Howard Lindsay1947no award 1948A Streetcar Named Desire Tennessee Williams1949Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller1950s Edit Year Production Author1950South Pacific Richard Rodgers Oscar Hammerstein II Joshua Logan1951no award 1952The Shrike Joseph Kramm1953Picnic William Inge1954The Teahouse of the August Moon John Patrick1955Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Tennessee Williams1956The Diary of Anne Frank Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich1957Long Day s Journey into Night Eugene O Neill1958Look Homeward Angel Ketti Frings1959J B Archibald MacLeish1960s Edit Year Production Author1960Fiorello Jerome Weidman George Abbott Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick1961All the Way Home Tad Mosel1962How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Frank Loesser and Abe Burrows1963no award 7 1964no award 1965The Subject Was Roses Frank D Gilroy1966no award 1967A Delicate Balance Edward Albee1968no award 1969The Great White Hope Howard Sackler1970s Edit Year Production Author1970No Place to Be Somebody Charles Gordone1971The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds Paul Zindel1972no award 1973That Championship Season Jason Miller1974no award 1975Seascape Edward Albee1976A Chorus Line Michael Bennett Nicholas Dante and James Kirkwood Jr Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban1977The Shadow Box Michael Cristofer1978The Gin Game Donald L Coburn1979Buried Child Sam Shepard1980s Edit Year Production Author1980Talley s Folly Lanford Wilson1981Crimes of the Heart Beth Henley1982A Soldier s Play Charles Fuller1983 night Mother Marsha NormanTrue West Sam Shepard1984Glengarry Glen Ross David MametFool for Love Sam ShepardPainting Churches Tina Howe1985Sunday in the Park with George James Lapine and Stephen SondheimThe Dining Room A R GurneyThe Gospel at Colonus Lee Breuer Bob Telson1986no award 1987Fences August WilsonBroadway Bound Neil SimonA Walk in the Woods Lee Blessing1988Driving Miss Daisy Alfred UhryBoy s Life Howard KorderTalk Radio Eric Bogosian1989The Heidi Chronicles Wendy WassersteinJoe Turner s Come and Gone August WilsonM Butterfly David Henry Hwang1990s Edit Year Production Author1990The Piano Lesson August WilsonAnd What of the Night Maria Irene FornesLove Letters A R Gurney1991Lost in Yonkers Neil SimonPrelude to a Kiss Craig LucasSix Degrees of Separation John Guare1992The Kentucky Cycle Robert SchenkkanConversations with My Father Herb GardnerMiss Evers Boys David FeldshuhTwo Trains Running August WilsonSight Unseen Donald Margulies1993Angels in America Millennium Approaches Tony KushnerThe Destiny of Me Larry KramerFires in the Mirror Anna Deavere Smith1994Three Tall Women Edward AlbeeKeely and Du Jane MartinA Perfect Ganesh Terrence McNally1995The Young Man from Atlanta Horton FooteThe Cryptogram David MametSeven Guitars August Wilson1996Rent Jonathan LarsonA Fair Country Jon Robin BaitzOld Wicked Songs Jon Marans1997no award Collected Stories Donald MarguliesThe Last Night of Ballyhoo Alfred UhryPride s Crossing Tina Howe1998How I Learned to Drive Paula VogelFreedomland Amy FreedThree Days of Rain Richard Greenberg1999Wit Margaret EdsonRunning Man Cornelius Eady and Diedre MurraySide Man Warren Leight2000s Edit Year Production Author2000Dinner with Friends Donald MarguliesIn the Blood Suzan Lori ParksKing Hedley II August Wilson2001Proof David AuburnThe Play About the Baby Edward AlbeeThe Waverly Gallery Kenneth Lonergan2002Topdog Underdog Suzan Lori ParksThe Glory of Living Rebecca GilmanYellowman Dael Orlandersmith2003Anna in the Tropics Nilo CruzThe Goat or Who Is Sylvia Edward AlbeeTake Me Out Richard Greenberg2004I Am My Own Wife Doug WrightMan from Nebraska Tracy LettsOmnium Gatherum Theresa Rebeck and Alexandra Gersten Vassilaros2005Doubt A Parable John Patrick ShanleyThe Clean House Sarah RuhlThom Pain based on nothing Will Eno2006no award Miss Witherspoon Christopher DurangThe Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow Rolin JonesRed Light Winter Adam Rapp2007Rabbit Hole David Lindsay AbaireBulrusher Eisa DavisOrpheus X Rinde EckertElliot a Soldier s Fugue Quiara Alegria Hudes2008August Osage County Tracy LettsDying City Christopher ShinnYellow Face David Henry Hwang2009Ruined Lynn NottageBecky Shaw Gina GionfriddoIn the Heights Lin Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegria Hudes2010s Edit Year Production Author2010Next to Normal Tom Kitt and Brian YorkeyBengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo Rajiv JosephThe Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity Kristoffer DiazIn the Next Room or The Vibrator Play Sarah Ruhl2011Clybourne Park Bruce NorrisDetroit Lisa D AmourA Free Man of Color John Guare2012Water by the Spoonful Quiara Alegria HudesOther Desert Cities Jon Robin BaitzSons of the Prophet Stephen Karam2013Disgraced Ayad AkhtarRapture Blister Burn Gina Gionfriddo4000 Miles Amy Herzog2014The Flick Annie BakerThe Curious Case of the Watson Intelligence Madeleine GeorgeFun Home Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron2015Between Riverside and Crazy Stephen Adly GuirgisMarjorie Prime Jordan HarrisonFather Comes Home From the Wars Parts 1 2 3 Suzan Lori Parks2016Hamilton Lin Manuel MirandaThe Humans Stephen KaramGloria Branden Jacobs Jenkins2017Sweat Lynn NottageA 24 Decade History of Popular Music Taylor MacThe Wolves Sarah DeLappe2018Cost of Living Martyna MajokEverybody Branden Jacobs JenkinsThe Minutes Tracy Letts2019Fairview Jackie Sibblies DruryDance Nation Clare BarronWhat the Constitution Means to Me Heidi Schreck2020s Edit Year Production Author2020A Strange Loop Michael R JacksonHeroes of the Fourth Turning Will ArberySoft Power David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori2021The Hot Wing King 8 Katori HallCircle Jerk Michael Breslin and Patrick FoleyStew Zora Howard2022Fat Ham 9 James IjamesKristina Wong Sweatshop Overlord Kristina WongSelling Kabul Sylvia KhouryMusicals EditTen musicals have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama roughly one per decade from the 1930s to the 2020s They are George and Ira Gershwin s Of Thee I Sing 1932 Rodgers and Hammerstein s South Pacific 1950 Bock amp Harnick s Fiorello 1960 Frank Loesser s How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying 1962 Marvin Hamlisch Edward Kleban James Kirkwood Jr and Nicholas Dante s A Chorus Line 1976 Stephen Sondheim s and James Lapine s Sunday in the Park with George 1985 Jonathan Larson s Rent 1996 Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt s Next to Normal 2010 Lin Manuel Miranda s Hamilton 2016 and Michael R Jackson s A Strange Loop 2020 Though it did not win for Drama Oklahoma was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize in 1944 Of note South Pacific won the 1950 Pulitzer for Drama but its source material James Michener s Tales of the South Pacific also won the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Sunday in the Park with George and Next to Normal are the only musicals that won the Pulitzer Prize and did not also win the Tony Award for Best Musical the latter won the authors Tonys for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations 10 Of Thee I Sing opened before the Tony Awards existed The award goes to the playwright although production of the play is also taken into account In the case of a musical being awarded the prize the composer lyricist and book writer are generally the recipients An exception to this was the first Pulitzer ever awarded to a musical when Of Thee I Sing won in 1932 book authors George S Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind as well as lyricist Ira Gershwin were cited as the winners while composer George Gershwin s contribution was overlooked by the committee The reason given was that the Pulitzer Prize for Drama is a dramatic award and not a musical one However by 1950 the Pulitzer committee included composer Richard Rodgers as a recipient when South Pacific won the award in recognition of music as an integral and important part of the theatrical experience 11 Additionally since 1983 when the identity of finalists was first disclosed five musicals have been finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama They are Lee Breuer and Bob Telson s The Gospel at Colonus 1985 Lin Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegria Hudes In the Heights 2009 Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron s Fun Home 2014 Taylor Mac s A 24 Decade History of Popular Music 2017 and David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori s Soft Power 2020 2 All listed dates are Prize years Generally the musical in question opened in New York during either the preceding calendar year or the preceding Broadway season Multiple wins and nominations EditThe following individuals received two or more Pulitzer Prizes for Drama Wins Playwright Nominations4 Eugene O Neill 43 Edward Albee 5Robert E Sherwood 32 August Wilson 6George S Kaufman 2Lynn NottageThornton WilderTennessee Williams The following individuals received two or more nominations Nominations Playwright6 August Wilson5 Edward Albee4 Eugene O Neill3 Quiara Alegria HudesDavid Henry HwangTracy LettsDonald MarguliesSuzan Lori ParksRobert E SherwoodSam Shepard2 Jon Robin BaitzGina GionfriddoJohn GuareA R GurneyRichard GreenbergTina HoweBranden Jacobs JenkinsStephen KaramGeorge S KaufmanDavid MametLin Manuel MirandaLynn NottageSarah RuhlNeil SimonJeanine TesoriAlfred UhryThornton WilderTennessee Williams Lynn Nottage is the only female playwright to win the prize twice She and August Wilson are the only playwrights of color to accomplish this feat Jon Robin Baitz Gina Gionfriddo John Guare A R Gurney Richard Greenberg Tina Howe Branden Jacobs Jenkins Stephen Karam Sarah Ruhl and Jeanine Tesori have each been named finalists twice without winning David Henry Hwang is the only person to have been named a finalist thrice without winning Lin Manuel Miranda and Jeanine Tesori are the only people to be named as a finalist twice for writing and composing a musical with Miranda winning in 2016 References Edit a b 1917 Winners The Pulitzer Prizes Retrieved 2013 12 20 a b c Drama The Pulitzer Prizes pulitzer org Retrieved 2013 12 20 Pulitzer Prize Broadway Scene Opening night on Broadway a critical quotebook of the golden era of the musical theatre Oklahoma 1943 to Fiddler on the roof 1964 Steven Suskin New York Schirmer Books 1990 ISBN 0 02 872625 1 OCLC 21671593 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint others link Fischer Heinz Dietrich amp Erika J Fischer The Pulitzer Prize Archive A History and Anthology of Award Winning Materials in Journalism Letters and Arts Munchen K G Saur 2008 ISBN 3 598 30170 7 ISBN 9783598301704 p 246 Although no Drama award was given in 1944 that year Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were presented with a Special Award and Citation for the landmark musical Oklahoma The Pulitzer committee recommended Edward Albee s Who s Afraid of Virginia Woolf but the Pulitzer board who have sole discretion in awarding the prize rejected the recommendation due to the play s perceived vulgarity and no award was given instead Klein Alvin Albee s Tiny Alice The Whole Enchilada The New York Times May 24 1998 CT11 THE HOT WING KING Wins the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama Broadway World 2022 Pulitzer Prizes Next to Normal at the Internet Broadway Database Flinn Denny Martin Musical A Grand Tour Schirmer first edition April 17 1997 pages 230 31 ISBN 0 02 864610 XExternal links Edit Theatre portal Media related to Pulitzer Prize for Drama winners at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pulitzer Prize for Drama amp oldid 1131943036, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
