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American dramatic criticism award
The George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism is administered by the Cornell University Department of English and presented to the writer of "the best piece of drama criticism during the theatrical year (July 1 to June 30), whether it is an article, an essay, treatise or book."[1]
The prize was established by the prominent drama critic, George Jean Nathan, who instructed in his will that the net income of half of his estate be awarded to the recipient of the award. Today, the award amounts to about $10,000. Winners are selected annually by a committee composed of the heads of the English departments at Cornell University, Princeton University, and Yale University.[1]
Award
Following his death in April 1958, George Jean Nathan bequeathed the net income of half of his estate to fund an award for the best piece of criticism in a theatrical year (July to June).[1][2] The first two prizes—for the 1958-1958 year and the 1959-1960 year—were awarded in June 1961.[3] Per Nathan's bequest, the award is decided by a committee of the English department chairs of Yale University, Princeton University, and Cornell University.[4]
The award has become the most prestigious award specifically designated for theatre criticism.[2][5] In addition to the monetary prize, the recipient receives a statuette,[6] previously a silver medallion.[7] The committee receives submissions each September. Four men—Robert Brustein, John Lahr, Michael Goldman, and Michael Feingold—have received the award twice.[1]
Recipients
Recipients of the George Jean Nathan Award are as follows:
1950s
| Year |
Name(s) |
Institution |
Rationale |
Ref. |
| 1958-1959 |
Harold Clurman |
Various |
"for his book of reviews and essays, Lies Like Truth: Theatre Reviews and Essays" |
[1] |
| 1959-1960 |
C.L. Barber |
Amherst College |
for the book Shakespeare's Festive Comedy: A Study of Dramatic Form and Its Relation to Social Custom |
1970s
| Year |
Name(s) |
Institution |
Rationale |
Ref. |
| 1970-1971 |
Richard Gilman |
Yale Drama School |
"for Common and Uncommon Masks: Writings on Theatre 1961-1970" |
[1] |
| 1971-1972 |
Jay Carr |
The Detroit News |
"for his daily reviews in the Detroit News" |
| 1972-1973 |
Stanley Kauffmann |
The New Republic |
for his critical reviews of the New York Shakespeare Festival production of Much Ado About Nothing, Arthur Miller’s The Creation of the World and Other Business, David Storey’s The Changing Room, and Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, and his article 'The Sunshine Boys'" |
| 1973-1974 |
Albert Bermel |
The New Leader |
for "his reviews of the recent productions of Shakespeare’s Richard II and Macbeth, Christopher Hampton’s Total Eclipse, and Leonard Bernstein’s Candide." |
| 1974-1975 |
No award |
| 1975-1976 |
Michael Goldman |
Princeton University |
"for The Actor’s Freedom: Toward a Theory of Drama." |
| 1976-1977 |
Bernard Knox |
Center for Hellenic Studies |
"for his review of Andrei Serban’s production of Agamemnon at Lincoln Center, published in the New York Review of Books" |
| 1977-1978 |
Mel Gussow |
The New York Times |
"for his essay 'A Rich Crop of Writing Talent Brings New Life to the American Theater' and for his reporting of modern and classical drama in New York and, frequently, out of town, for the New York Times." |
| 1978-1979 |
Jack Kroll |
Newsweek |
for nine reviews "independent and courageous enough to insist upon the strengths of a play that ha[d] been ignored or panned by other reviewers" |
| 1979-1980 |
Sean Mitchell |
Dallas Times Herald |
"for reviews written for the Dallas Times Herald" |
1980s
| Year |
Name(s) |
Institution |
Rationale |
Ref. |
| 1980-1981 |
Carolyn Clay |
Boston Phoenix |
for running "the same risks Nathan ran—the risks of being witty, natural, and clear-headed about a subject they love, the risks of debunking intellectual pretentiousness and abstraction, the risks of remaining true to the practices of theatre people, and insisting that the stage itself deserves the most serious intellectual regard." |
[1] |
| Sylviane Gold |
Various |
| 1981-1982 |
Julius Novick |
The Village Voice |
for "the consistently high quality of Julius Novick’s frequent reviews in the Village Voice." |
| 1982-1983 |
Herbert Blau |
Various |
for his books "Take Up The Bodies, a critical itinerary of his most recent work and thought, and Blooded Thought, a collection of essays on a variety of theatrical subjects" |
| 1983-1984 |
Bonnie Marranca |
The New Leader |
for her book of essays, Theatrewritings, which includes the essay "The Real Life of María Irene Fornés" |
| 1984-1985 |
Jan Kott |
Stony Brook University |
"for his book of critical essays, The Theater of Essence." |
| 1985-1986 |
Gordon Rogoff |
The Village Voice |
for his Village Voice articles, especially "Theatre Criticism: The Elusive Object, the Fading Craft" |
| 1986-1987 |
Robert Brustein |
The New Republic/Harvard University |
"for his collection of dramatic reviews and opinions, Who Needs Theatre." |
| 1987-1988 |
Scott Rosenberg |
San Francisco Examiner |
for "his September 13, 1987 review of the nine-hour epic The Mahabharata and his penetrating double review of July 3, 1988 of M. Butterfly, and Speed the Plow." |
| 1988-1989 |
Eileen Blumenthal |
Rutgers University |
"for articles on Cambodian Dance, published in the Village Voice, the New York Times, Natural History, and the Wall Street Journal" |
| 1989-1990 |
Steven Mikulan |
LA Weekly |
"for his dramatic reviews and features in the L.A. Weekly" |
2000s
| Year |
Name(s) |
Institution |
Rationale |
Ref. |
| 2000-2001 |
Laurence Senelick |
Various |
for "The Changing Room: Sex, Drag, and Theatre, [. . .]an encyclopedic study of the history of crossdressing, onstage and off |
[1] |
| 2001-2002 |
Daniel Mendelsohn |
The New York Review of Books |
for "three articles for the New York Review of Books" |
| 2002-2003 |
Hilton Als |
The New Yorker |
for "his passion for great acting, his admiration for theatrical style, and his sense of the importance of historical and cultural context in a series of witty, intelligent, and sometimes deliciously argumentative reviews for The New Yorker." |
| 2003-2004 |
Trey Graham |
Washington City Paper |
for a "review of Caryl Churchill's Far Away—a moving display of how the pressures exerted by a new and difficult theatrical work can produce a gem of a critical essay." |
| 2004-2005 |
Raymond Knapp |
University of California, Los Angeles |
"for The American Musical and the Formation of National Identity" |
| 2005-2006 |
Charles Isherwood |
The New York Times |
for "penetrating analyses of the contemporary theatre, with cogent appraisals of all production elements and careful attention to the interplay of acting, directing, design, and dramaturgy." |
| 2006-2007 |
H. Scott McMillin, Jr. |
Cornell University |
for The Musical as Drama |
| 2007-2008 |
Randy Gener |
American Theatre |
"for his essays in American Theatre" |
| 2008-2009 |
Marc Robinson |
Yale University |
"for his book The American Play 1787-2000" |
| 2009-2010 |
Charles McNulty |
Los Angeles Times |
"for his theatre reviews and essays published in the Los Angeles Times." |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism". english.cornell.edu. Cornell University English Department. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- 1 2 Angelin, Patricia (1998). "Epilogue". In Angoff, Charles (ed.). The World of George Jean Nathan: Essays, Reviews, & Commentary. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 495. ISBN 978-1-55783-313-6.
- ↑ "2 DRAMA CRITICISMS WIN NATHAN PRIZES". The New York Times. 1961-06-23. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
- ↑ Lazarus, A.L., ed. (1990). A George Jean Nathan Reader. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. p. 252. ISBN 978-0-8386-3369-4.
- ↑ Connolly, Thomas F. (2000). George Jean Nathan and the making of modern American drama criticism. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-8386-3780-7.
- ↑ Gans, Andrew (January 7, 2011). "Theatre Critic Charles McNulty Winner of George Jean Nathan Award". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
- ↑ Krebs, Albin; Jr, Robert Mcg Thomas (1981-01-16). "NOTES ON PEOPLE; Texan Wins George Jean Nathan Award". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
- ↑ "2024-25 Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism winners announced | Literatures in English". english.cornell.edu. 2026-02-19. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
