Awards

Selected Awards & Citations 1971 – 2014

The Edgar Award for Excellence in Theater, from the Irondale Theater Company, 2011

The Ibero Americano Festival De Teatro Award for Excellence in Theater, 2012

The Acker Award for Avant-garde Excellence, 2013

The NYU Community Fund award for Community Service in the Arts, 2014

In 2009, Theater for the New City received the prestigious John H. Finley Award of the City College Alumni Association for many years of service to New York City and the nation.  The award was given on November 4, 2009 at a well-attended ceremony at the Hilton Hotel where Crystal Field, TNC’s Executive Artistic Director, appeared on the dais with Finley Award recipient and Academy Award winning actor F. Murray Abraham.

In 2010, the world premiere production of “The Divine Sister”, written by and starring Charles Busch, was performed before sellout audiences at Theater for the New City.

In 2010, Theater for the New City also produced the premiere of “Havana Journal: 2004”, a co-production with the Hispanic company INTAR, written by Eduardo Machado and with Crystal Field, TNC’s Executive Artistic Director, performing the lead role of Ruth, a Columbia Universiity Professor who travels in 2004 to Havana which has much changed from the revolution in the 1950s.  The play achieved critical success including a four column review by The New York Times.

In 2010, the first production of “Divine Sister”, written by and starring Charles Busch, was performed before sellout audiences at Theater for the New City.  In 2010, Theater for the New City also produced “Havana Journal: 2004”, a coproduction with the Hispanic company Intar, written by Eduardo Machado and with Crystal Field, TNC’s Executive Artistic Director, performing the lead role of Ruth, a Columbia Universiity Professor who travels in 2004 to Havana which has much changed from the revolution in the 1950s.  The play achieved critical success including a four column review by The New York Times.

THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY was voted
“BEST THEATER COMPANY”
in the 2003 New York Press Best of Manhattan Readers Poll

(Issue of September 24, 2003)

-Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Sam Shepard’s BURIED CHILD (photo right), premiered & commissioned by TNC.
-1987 Annual Manhattan Borough President’s Awardfor Public Service and Artistic Excellence in Theater, the Honorable David N. Dinkins, Mayor.
-Special OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence.
-Special OBIE Citation for STOP THE WAR: A FESTIVAL FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
-Open Book Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors.

TNC commissioned play HIROSHIMA by Ron Destro (photo right) won the 1998 Kennedy Center Award for Best New Play. HIROSHIMA featured original music by Yoko Ono.

TNC has won over 42 VILLAGE VOICE OBIE AWARDS for excellence in every theatrical discipline. Awards include:

3 to Maria Irene Fornes for:
-CONDUCT OF LIFE (Outstanding New Play1985, photo left),
-DANUBE (Distinguished Playwrighting 1981), &
-MUD (Distinguished Playwrighting 1983), all three TNC Commissions.
-Direction & Playwrighting to Richard Foreman for VIRTUAL MOBILITY.
-Distinguished Playwrighting to Sam Shepard for BURIED CHILD, a TNC commission.
-Distinguished Playwrighting to Roslyn Drexler for:
-TRANSIENTS WELCOME &
-WRITERS OPERA, both TNC Commissions.
-Musical Score to Philip Glass for THE LOST ONES.
-Performance to Crystal Field in DAY OLD BREADby Arthur Sainer.
-Design to Ruth Malaczech and Julie Archer for VANISHING PICTURES.

TNC VILLAGER AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THEATER include:

-Playwrighting to Miguel Piñero for MIDNIGHT MOON AT THE GREASY SPOON.
-Production to the Spiderwoman Theater for THE PAUSE THAT REFRESHES.
-Outstanding Performance to Shami Chaikin in BAG LADY, by Jean-Claude van Itallie, a TNC Commission.
-Outstanding Ensemble to Bloolips for LUST IN SPACE.
-Outstanding Political Theater (Special Award) to Bread and Puppet Theater.
-Outstanding Street Theater (Special Award) to TNC’s Annual Summer Street Theater.

TNC has won 5 ASCAP AWARDS including 3 Awards to Mark Hardwick (later composer of Pump Boys and Dinettes) for THE RESTAURANT, KEEP TRUCKIN’ (photo left) & SELF.
The TNC Commissioned play, M. THE MANDELA SAGA (photo right), won 2 AUDELCO AWARDS – for Distinguished Playwrighting to Laurence Holder and for Best Lead Actress to Marjorie Johnson.