Tony Kushner, the author of Angels in America, will be the recipient of the first Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award, a $200,000 cash prize awarded by the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust to “an American playwright whose body of work has made significant contributions to the American theater.” Question: why? What’s the point of giving a six-figure prize whose purpose is to support “the growth and development of outstanding playwrights…and encourage them to remain in their chosen field” to a man who has already knocked down a Pulitzer, an Emmy, and two Tonys?
Yep, it’s “Sightings” time, and in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal you’ll find me in high dudgeon over what the Steinberg Trust hath wrought–but not because I don’t care for Tony Kushner’s plays, just as he doesn’t care for my reviews. I have better reasons, and you can find out what they are by picking up a copy of tomorrow’s Journal and turning to my column.
UPDATE: Read the whole thing here.
Terry Teachout on the arts in New York City
