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| George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism | |
|---|---|
| Name | George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism |
| Awarded for | Excellence in dramatic criticism |
| Presenter | American Theatre Critics Association; Cornell University |
| Country | United States |
| Year | 1958 |
George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism is an annual prize recognizing outstanding achievement in theatrical criticism in the United States. Established through a bequest by George Jean Nathan, the award has been administered by institutions such as Cornell University and publicized by organizations including the American Theatre Critics Association and publications like The New York Times, The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine and The New Republic. Recipients have included critics from outlets such as The New York Review of Books, Variety (magazine), Time (magazine), The Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times.
The award was founded by the will of George Jean Nathan, a prominent figure associated with Vassar College and the editorial life of Saturday Review and Life (magazine). It was first conferred in the late 1950s and has been administered in partnership with academic and professional bodies including Cornell University, Princeton University, and the Dramatists Guild of America. Over decades the prize has intersected with broader cultural institutions such as Lincoln Center, Broadway, Off-Broadway, Yale School of Drama, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Periods of renewed attention occurred alongside critical debates involving figures from Arthur Miller to Susan Sontag and outlets from The New Republic to The Atlantic (magazine).
Eligible work typically comprises dramatic criticism published within a specified academic year in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic (magazine), The New York Review of Books, Vogue (magazine), Vanity Fair (magazine), Time (magazine), and trade publications like Variety (magazine) and Playbill. Candidates include critics affiliated with institutions such as Columbia University, New York University, Yale University, Brown University, Princeton University, and arts organizations like American Theatre Wing and Roundabout Theatre Company. Work under consideration often covers productions at venues including Broadway, Off-Broadway, The Public Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Royal Shakespeare Company, Globe Theatre, and festivals like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
A jury or committee appointed by entities such as Cornell University and representatives of the Dramatists Guild of America reviews published criticism from newspapers, magazines, and digital outlets. Panels have included scholars and critics associated with Columbia University School of the Arts, Yale School of Drama, University of California, Berkeley, Northwestern University, and professional critics from The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Washington Post. Shortlists and final selections reflect attention to writers who engage with productions at venues such as Lincoln Center, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Carnegie Hall, Apollo Theater, and international houses like Comédie-Française and Teatro alla Scala.
Winners have encompassed influential critics and public intellectuals associated with publications and institutions such as Harold Clurman (linking to his work in The Nation), Richard Gilman (The New Republic), Walter Kerr (The New York Times), Frank Rich (The New York Times), John Lahr (The New Yorker), Ben Brantley (The New York Times), Linda Winer (Newsday), Charles Isherwood (The New York Times), Terry Teachout (Wall Street Journal), Marilyn Stasio (Variety (magazine)), and Hilton Als (The New Yorker). Other recipients have ties to academic institutions such as Barnard College, University of Chicago, Cornell University, Yale University, and media like Newsweek, TIME (magazine), The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, and Chicago Tribune.
The award has shaped conversations linking critics and theatrical producers at institutions such as Broadway, The Public Theater, Lincoln Center, American Conservatory Theater, and universities including Yale School of Drama and Juilliard School. By recognizing critics appearing in outlets like The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Variety (magazine), it has influenced canon formation around playwrights such as Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, August Wilson, Tony Kushner, Caryl Churchill, Lorraine Hansberry, Susan Glaspell, and Tom Stoppard. The prize has also intersected with debates involving festivals and institutions like Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Shakespeare's Globe, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Royal Court Theatre, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
Announcements are often made by Cornell University or professional bodies such as the Dramatists Guild of America and publicized in outlets including The New York Times, Variety (magazine), The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and The New York Review of Books. The monetary component and citation have varied over time; past ceremonies have been held at venues connected to Lincoln Center, university auditoriums at Cornell University and Columbia University, and gatherings of critics from organizations like the American Theatre Critics Association and Independent Theatre Council. The award continues to be a marker of distinction among critics associated with major media such as The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Time (magazine), and The New Yorker.
Category:American theatre awards