No Play to Receive Pulitzer Prize for Drama This Year

The Pulitzer Prize committee has decided not to give out its prestigious Drama award this year.

The decision was announced at Columbia University at 3 PM today. Neither Adam Rapp's Red Light Winter, Rolin Jones' The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow, nor Christoper Durang's Miss Witherspoon was chosen to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

The last time the Pulitzer Prize for Drama did not go out to a play was during the 1996-1997 season. Since then, Paula Vogel's How I Learned to Drive, Margaret Edson's Wit, Donald Marguiles' Dinner with Friends, David Auburn's Proof, Suzan-Lori Parks' Topdog/Underdog, Nilo Cruz' Anna in the Tropics, Doug Wright's I Am My Own Wife, and John Patrick Shanley's Doubt have received the honor.

Red Light Winter, currently running at the Barrow Street Theatre, is an erotically charged drama concerning a triangle between two men and a prostitute they meet in New Amsterdam. The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow concerns an agoraphobic heroine who engineers a robotic alter ego. Miss Witherspoon is a comedy about a deceased woman who, watched by her Hindu spirit guide, has adventures with reincarnation and the afterlife.

Established in 1917 in honor of journalist/publisher Joseph Pulitzer, the Pulitzer Prize honors high achievement in 21 journalism and arts categories, including History, Fiction, Poetry and Music; the Drama category was founded in 1918. The 2006 Awards have also marked the first time that the Pulitzer for Drama was considered for plays that opened between March 2nd and December 31st (rather than the previous time span of March 2nd to March 1st). For 2007, the considered plays will open between the longer period of January 1st through December 31st.

Visit www.pulitzer.org for more information.