Jeanine Tesori, Annie Baker Win Dramatists Guild of America Honors; A.R. Gurney to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

The Dramatists Guild of America has announced the recipients of their annual awards, which will be presented at an awards ceremony hosted by David Henry Hwang on Monday, February 23, 2015, at The Harvard Club in New York.

This year's awards go to Annie Baker, recipient of the Hull-Warriner Award for her play, The Flick; Jeanine Tesori, recipient of the Frederick Loewe Award for Dramatic Composition for her score to Fun Home; Charles Fuller, recipient of the Flora Roberts Award; Chisa Hutchinson, recipient of the Lanford Wilson Award; and A.R. Gurney, recipient of the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Dramatists Legal Defense Fund will also present their second DLDF Defender Award to Howard Sherman, a staunch advocate for free expression who writes extensively about intellectual and creative freedom. He was named one of the "Top 40 Free Speech Defenders of 2014" by the National Coalition Against Censorship.

The Frederick Loewe Award, given by the Frederick Loewe Foundation and presented annually by the Dramatists Guild Council to a composer recognizes achievement in a theatrical score presented in New York during the previous theatrical season. Past winners include Amanda Green & Trey Anastasio, Alan Menken, Michael John LaChiusa, Robert Lopez, Trey Parker & Matt Stone, John Kander, Tom Kitt, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Scott Frankel.

The Flora Roberts Award, administered by the Dramatists Guild Fund, is presented to a dramatist in recognition of distinguished work in the theater and to encourage the continuation of that work. Previous recipients include Arthur Kopit, Philip Kan Gotanda, Christopher Durang, Michael Weller, Polly Pen, Craig Lucas, Ed Bullins, Adrienne Kennedy and Tina Howe.

The Lanford Wilson Award was established by the estate of Lanford Wilson and is presented by the Dramatists Guild Council to a dramatist based primarily on their work as an early career playwright. Past recipients are Francine Volpe and Michael Lew.

The Hull-Warriner Award is the only award given by dramatists to dramatists; it is presented annually by the Dramatists Guild Council to an author or team of authors in recognition of their play dealing with controversial subjects involving the fields of political, religious, or social mores of the times. Previous winners include Christopher Durang, Stephen Karam, Lynn Nottage, David Ives, Tracy Letts, Steven Sater & Duncan Sheik, Marsha Norman and Dael Orlandersmith.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented by the Dramatists Guild Council in recognition of lifetime achievement in theatrical writing. Previous recipients include John Guare, Micki Grant, Paula Vogel, Terrence McNally, Sheldon Harnick & Jerry Bock, Lanford Wilson, Joseph Stein, Horton Foote, August Wilson, Stephen Sondheim, Edward Albee and Arthur Miller.

The evening will begin with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres at 7pm. A limited number of tickets will be available to the general public for $100 at http://dgawardsnight.brownpapertickets.com.

Photo by Walter McBride