Pulitzer Prizes ignore theater again

Pulitzer Prizes ignore theater again

This year’s Pulitzer Prize for Criticism has gone to Sebastian Smee of the Boston Globe for his art criticism. Finalists (i.e. runners-up) were food critic Jonathan Gold of the LA Weekly and architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff (for the umpteenth time) of the N.Y. Times. The criticism award was initiated in 1970, and the only time it has gone to a theater critic was 33 years ago, to Walter Kerr of the N.Y. Times. Over all, the Pulitzer has recognized quality criticism of books (7 times), music (7), architecture (6), television (4), film (3), dance, the visual arts, fashion, food, photography and even automobiles. There was also a year (1992) when no criticism award was given. Since 1980, two finalists have also been announced, and just four theatre critics have been so distinguished: Richard Christiansen of the Chicago Tribune (1986), Frank Rich of the N.Y. Times (1987), David Richards of the Washington Post (1989) and Michael Feingold of the Village Voice (both 1992 and 2010 — without Michael, theater would have been completely blanked for 22 years). Our view of all this is hardly distinterested, but still, it’s a dismal record.