Playwright Lynn Nottage Wins Pulitzer Prize

Obie Award-winning playwright Lynn Nottage can add another prestigious award to her repertoire. “Ruined,” Nottage’s haunting tale set in a small mining town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, just won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for drama on April 20. A luncheon will be scheduled later where Nottage will accept a medal as her award.

“I’m incredibly excited,” said Nottage. “Especially for the women who told their stories and never expected that a light would be shed on their particular plight in the Congo.”

Nottage hopes her win will inspire young, dynamic Black playwrights to “write boldly, passionately and continue to tell their stories that they want to tell and the stories that need to be heard.” Nottage is only the second African-American woman to win this prize. Suzan-Lori Parks won in 2001 for her play “Topdog/Underdog.” The Pulitzer Prize in Drama also awards $10,000 to the winning playwright.

“Ruined” is currently appearing at the Manhattan Theatre Club and is a coproduction with Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, where it made its world premiere late last year.—WLW