Theater News

David Henry Hwang to Receive 2012 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award

David Henry Hwang
(© Tristan Fuge)
David Henry Hwang
(© Tristan Fuge)

Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang has been named as the recipient of this year’s Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award, which will be presented to him at the 5th Annual Steinberg Playwright “Mimi” Awards, held Monday, October 29.

Hwang won the Tony and other honors for M. Butterfly, with additional plays including Yellow Face, FOB, and his most recent Broadway effort, Chinglish. He wrote the books for the musical revisal of Flower Drum Song and for Disney’s Tarzan. This season, he is also being honored by Signature Theatre Company as its Residency One playwright, with works to be presented including Golden Child, The Dance and the Railroad, and the world premiere of Kung Fu.

The honor comes with a cash award of $200,000 along with “The Mimi,” a statuette designed by Tony Award-nominated scenic designer and architect David Rockwell.

The Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Awards take place biennially, to honor and encourage the artistic excellence and achievement of an American playwright whose body of work has made significant contributions to the American theater.