New York Drama Critics' Circle Unearths Long-Lost Award Plaque

The New York Drama Critics' Circle has unearthed the plaque that originally accompanied its annual award for Best American Play, and will return to awarding the plaque this year.

The story behind the discovery and the reinstitution of the prize was announced today in The New Yorker—in a “Talk of the Town” feature written by Michael Schulman.  

The plaque, which was only used five times between 1936 and 1941, was specially designed for the Circle by the artist and architect Henry Varnum Poor.  In May of this year it will be presented, for the first time since 1941, to the recipient of the organization's Best Play Award.

The New York Drama Critics' Circle comprises 21 drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines, wire services and websites based in the New York metropolitan area. The New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, which has been awarded every year since 1936 to the best new play of the season (with optional awards for foreign or American plays, musicals and special achievements), is the nation's second-oldest playwriting award, after the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Adam Feldman, theater critic and editor for Time Out New York, has served as president of the NYDCC since 2005. Joe Dziemianowicz serves as vice president; Zachary Stewart is treasurer.

In addition to Feldman, Dziemianowicz and Stewart, the members of the New York Drama Critics' Circle are David Barbour, David Cote, Vinson Cunningham, Greg Evans, David Finkle, Elysa Gardner, Robert Hofler, Sara Holdren, Charles Isherwood, Chris Jones, Soraya Nadia McDonald, Jackson McHenry, Johnny Oleksinski, Frank Scheck, Helen Shaw, David Sheward, Elisabeth Vincentelli and Matt Windman. Emeritus members include Melissa Rose Bernardo, Christopher Kelly, Brian Scott Lipton, David Rooney, Michael Sommers, Marilyn Stasio, Steven Suskin and Linda Winer.

For more information on the New York Drama Critics' Circle, please visit www.dramacritics.org.