WATERFORD, CONN.: Eugene O’Neill Theater Center has announced that George C. Wolfe will receive the 16th Monte Cristo Award at a gala celebration on May 9 in New York City.
The Monte Cristo Award is given to prominent theatre artists whose work has had an extraordinary impact on the American theatre and whose career exemplifies O’Neill’s “pioneering spirit, unceasing artistic commitment, and excellence.”
“George stands alone as a director, author, and actor in his impressive and wide-ranging career, covering both stage and screen,” said Preston Whiteway, executive director of the O’Neill, in a statement. “It is an honor to celebrate his artistry, unique talents, and his enormous impact on our field.”
Wolfe is an award-winning stage and film director, playwright, and actor. In 1992, he made his Broadway debut writing and directing Jelly’s Last Jam, which received 11 Tony nominations and won the Drama Desk Award for outstanding book of a musical. He won a Tony Award for his direction of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America: Millennium Approaches. He created the Tony-winning Bring in da’ Noise, Bring in da’ Funk, and directed Elaine Stritch At Liberty, and The Normal Heart on Broadway. His directing credits also include The Wild Party, Caroline, or Change, Topdog/Underdog, Lucky Dog, and Mother Courage and Her Children. Wolfe was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2013. He wrote the book for and will direct Shuffle Along on Broadway, which is scheduled to open on April 28.
Founded in 1964, the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center is dedicated to the development of new works and new voices for American theatre.
