Lisa Kron wins Kleban Award for "Fun Home"

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/16/theater/lisa-kron-daniel-zaitchik-kleban-prize-for-musical-theater.html?mwrsm=Facebook

The Kleban Award goes to emerging musical theatre writers. Don't get me wrong, Lisa Kron is one of the most talented musical theatre writers of today, and her work on Fun Home is stellar, but I wouldn't exactly call her "emerging." There are many many many actual emerging librettists who could use the award (which comes with $100,000). She's a Tony winning, Pulitzer finalist, successful writer, who could be on the judging panel for this award. 

"isn't this a bit late?"

 

Never too late to push a critics' darling. That's one activity without an expiration date.

Their rules stipulate something about being on b'way -- less then two years.  

 

Also it's for:   is unique in that it is bestowed not just for an artist's previous achievements, but for the promise of creativity to come.

Technically she's eligible because Fun Home only ran a year and a half... but I'm with everyone else here. It's annoying. She's working on new musicals with Tesori that will surely be produced. She has two Tony's and a pulitzer nomination. Though in the Kleban's defense giving it to Kron surely ups the prestige of the award for future winners. 

Pretty much every writer in the theater world is quietly miffed about her win.  Very few are publicly saying anything about it because it's politically unwise to do so.  I think one of the previous posters has it right: her Fun Home success will guarantee her productions and commissions for years and years, and these kinds of awards are meant to give a leg up to one of the many, many writers grasping for any kind of career in this difficult and tricky theater world.  Most writers are trying balance writing and it's inconsistency with working a day job and trying to eek out a living in NYC.  Lisa Kron has, thus far, had just about the best leg up and/or kind of recognition you can get in the industry.  The Tony Awards are without a doubt the highest and most widely recognized theater award. 

Look, she's certainly within the guidelines as far specific eligibility, but there are only 3-4 major awards outside the tony's that come with significant financial (possibly life changing ) cash awards.  The kind of amounts that really can kick start a career, both by recognition but also by allowing a writer to devote his/her full time to writing.  In that kind of context, it seems she may not be the most deserving candidate.

Updated On: 1/19/17 at 10:27 AM

Pretty much every writer in the theater world is quietly miffed about her win.

Uh huh.  I'm not sure how you know them all, but I'm not sure why they feel they should dictate how the award is bestowed.  Kron was eligible for the award, fit the criteria and most importantly, she was their choice to receive it.  That means she was, in fact, the most deserving candidate.  Winning a Tony does not "guarantee" anything other than your name attached to that award for that year and a little spinning statue.  The arrogance that others feel obligated to tell how the New Dramatists should draft the eligibility rules of the award and to whom should be allowed to receive it is absolutely ridiculous.  Should the New Dramatists demand the bank account balances and tax returns of all candidates to determine who deserves it the most based on economic need?  Because this stupid backlash sounds like the final determination should be based on economic need over talent or product.

I'm not a big fan of telling an organization or a foundation how they should select and choose the winner of their prize, especially in accordance with their own rules.  It's more than a bit smug, especially in a letter that focuses so much on yourself and how admirable you are.  If he thinks the rules should be different, by all means, set up your own foundation, raise the funds, compose your own rules and make your own selection.  Then listen to everyone bitch about how wrong and unfair you are because they want you to do it their way.