Dec. 11--Chicago Tribune theater critic Chris Jones is a co-winner of the 2015 George Jean Nathan Award, Cornell University announced Friday. The award, founded in 1958, is the nation's most prestigious for drama criticism. Chosen yearly by the heads of the English departments of Cornell, Princeton and Yale universities, it honors scholarly and journalistic dramatic criticism.
The committee noted Jones' distinctive review of American Theater Company's "The Project(s)," the docudrama directed by the late PJ Paparelli. In the review, Jones debated the complexities of the politics and policies that shaped the lives of those affected by Chicago's public housing. "The Project(s)" was named the best Chicago show of the year by Jones on Friday.
New York Post theater columnist Michael Riedel commented that the award was "well deserved" and that Jones remains a "first-rate drama critic in an era where critics are fearing for their livelihoods."
"I've always been impressed by his industry insights, depth of knowledge and his honesty," said New York Times theater critic and previous Nathan Award recipient Charles Isherwood.
Jones has worked at the Tribune for 14 years, previously working as a touring theater critic for Variety. He currently teaches criticism at DePaul University and heads the Eugene O'Neill Criticism Institute in Connecticut.
Jones shares this year's award, worth $10,000, with Princeton professor Brian Eugenio Herrera for his 2015 book "Latin Numbers: Playing Latino in Twentieth-Century U.S. Popular Performance." Past winners include Michael Feingold, John Lahr, Frank Rich, Elliot Norton, Jack Kroll, Robert Brustein, Alisa Solomon, Hilton Als and Walter Kerr.
