The New York Drama Critics' Circle is made up of 22 drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines and wire services based in the New York City metropolitan area.
The organization was founded in 1935 at the Algonquin Hotel by a group that included Brooks Atkinson, Walter Winchell, and Robert Benchley. Adam Feldman of Time Out New York has been President of the organization since 2005; Elisabeth Vincentelli of the New York Post is currently Vice President, and Joe Dziemianowicz of the New York Daily News serves as Treasurer.
The New York Drama Critics' Circle meets twice a year. At the end of each theater season, it votes on the annual New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards, the second oldest theater award in the United States (after the Pulitzer Prize). The main award is for Best Play. If the winner of that award is American, the Circle then votes on whether to give an award for Best Foreign Play as well; if the Best Play winner is of foreign origin, the Circle may give out an award for Best American Play. The awards are later presented in a small ceremony. Since 1945, the Circle has also given out awards for Best Musical. Special Citations may also be awarded for actors, companies or work of special merit. The award for Best Play includes a cash prize of $2,500, and a cash award of $1,000 is given to the playwright who receives the award for Best American or Foreign Play. The awards for 2016 were announced on May 5, 2016.
Although Brooks Atkinson of the New York Times was the first President of the NYDCC, Times critics are no longer permitted to be members of the Drama Critics' Circle. In 1989, the newspaper's executive editor decreed that their critics could no longer participate in any awards. Times critics served as nonvoting members of the Drama Critics' Circle until 1997, when the newspaper reversed its policy and allowed its critics to resume voting for the awards. In 2003, however, permission was again revoked, based on a new Times policy and the Times critics were forced to withdraw from the Circle.
1970: The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds - Paul Zindel1971: The House of Blue Leaves – John Guare1973: The Hot l Baltimore – Lanford Wilson1974: Short Eyes - Miguel Piñero1975: The Taking of Miss Janie - Ed Bullins1976: Streamers - David Rabe1977: American Buffalo – David Mamet1981: Crimes of the Heart – Beth Henley1982: A Soldier's Play - Charles Fuller1984: Glengarry Glen Ross - David Mamet1992: Two Trains Running – August Wilson1995: Love! Valour! Compassion! – Terrence McNally1998: Pride's Crossing – Tina Howe2001: Proof – David Auburn2007: Radio Golf – August Wilson2014: All the Way – Robert SchenkkanSpecial awards and citations
1952: Don Juan in Hell - George Bernard Shaw1963: Beyond the Fringe – Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller and Dudley Moore1964: The Trojan Women – Euripides1966: Mark Twain Tonight - Hal Holbrook1971: Sticks and Bones by David Rabe and Old Times by Harold Pinter1980: Peter Brook's Le Centre International de Créations Théâtricales at La Mama1981: Lena Horne for Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music and New York Shakespeare Festival's The Pirates of Penzance1983: Young Playwrights Festival1984: Samuel Beckett for the body of his work1986: The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe – Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner1989: Largely New York – Bill Irwin1992: Eileen Atkins – A Room of One's Own1994: Anna Deavere Smith – Twilight: Los Angeles, 19921994: Signature Theatre Company's Horton Foote season1997: Chicago revival — Encores!1998: Cabaret – Roundabout Theatre Company1999: David Hare2002: Elaine Stritch – Elaine Stritch at Liberty2004: Barbara Cook2006: John Doyle, Sarah Travis – Sweeney Todd and Christine Ebersole – Grey Gardens2007: Journey's End - Broadway revival2009: Angela Lansbury; Matthew Warchus and the cast of The Norman Conquests; Gerard Alessandrini for Forbidden Broadway2010: Lincoln Center Festival; Viola Davis; Annie Baker2011: The Normal Heart; Mark Rylance for La Bête and Jerusalem; and the direction, design and puppetry of War Horse2012: Signature Theatre Company; Mike Nichols2013: Soho Rep; New York City Center's Encores!; John Lee Beatty2014: The Shakespeare's Globe productions of Twelfth Night and Richard III; Richard Nelson and the company of the Apple Family Plays2015: Ars Nova and Bob Crowley2016: Oskar Eustis; Lois Smith; Ivo van Hove and Jan Versweyveld