Neil Simon to Receive O’Neill Center’s Monte Cristo Award

Pulitzer Prize and triple Tony Award-winning playwright Neil Simon will receive The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s annual Monte Cristo Award, which will be presented at a gala dinner in the Rainbow Room’s Pegasus Suite on Monday, April 21 at 6:30pm.

Simon has written more than 40 plays that have been produced on Broadway since 1961, including Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple, Chapter Two, Lost in Yonkers, and the acclaimed “Eugene trilogy” that consists of Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and Broadway Bound. Additionally, he crafted the libretti for such musicals as Sweet Charity, Promises, Promises, and They’re Playing Our Song. Simon also has numerous credits as a screenwriter.

The Honorary Committee for the event includes co-chairman Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane; and members Lucie Arnaz, Emanuel Azenberg, Penny Fuller, Marvin Hamlisch, Laurence Luckinbill, Dina Merrill & Ted Hartley, Ruth & Steve Hendel, Pat Daily & Tom Viertel, and Betsy & George C. White.

The evening’s program will feature presentations by Arnaz, Fuller, Hamlisch, Robert Klein, Luckinbill and others.

The Monte Cristo Award is given in recognition of distinguished careers exemplifying Eugene O’Neill’s standard of excellence and pioneering spirit. Past recipients include Jason Robards, Jr., Edward Albee, August Wilson, Zoe Caldwell, Brian Dennehy, Karl Malden, Arthur Gelb & Barbara Gelb and Wendy Wasserstein.