Lynn Nottage
November 2, 1964
Education Brown University (AB)
Yale University (MFA)
American playwright Trailblazer, Pioneer
Lynn Nottage is an accomplished American playwright renowned for her exploration of the working-class experience, particularly within the Black community. Her significant achievements include winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice – first in 2009 for “Ruined” and then in 2017 for “Sweat.” Notably, Nottage holds the distinction of being the sole woman to have clinched the Pulitzer Prize for Drama on two occasions.
Acknowledged for her exceptional contributions, Nottage has been honored with a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and earned a spot in Time magazine’s 2019 list of the 100 Most Influential People. In addition to her illustrious career, she currently serves as an associate professor of playwriting at Columbia University and holds the position of artist-in-residence at the Park Avenue Armory.
As a co-founder of Market Road Films, she actively engages in the production of various projects. Among their recent works are The Notorious Mr. Bout, directed by Tony Gerber and Maxim Pozdorovkin, which premiered at Sundance in 2014; First to Fall, directed by Rachel Beth Anderson, premiered at IDFA in 2013; and Remote Control, which received the New Currents Award at Busan in 2013.
Throughout her career, she has crafted original projects for prominent platforms such as HBO, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Showtime, This is That, and Harpo Productions. In the realm of film and television, she made significant contributions as a producer and writer for the inaugural season of She’s Gotta Have It, showcasing her diverse talents and commitment to creative storytelling.
Nottage played a pivotal role in conceptualizing and bringing to life “This is Reading,” an immersive transmedia project that delves into the narrative of Reading, Pennsylvania, the backdrop of her acclaimed play Sweat. Launched as a site-specific multimedia installation, the project unfolded at the Franklin Street Railroad Station in Downtown Reading in May 2017, revitalizing the long-vacant space. Merging live performance and visual media, This Is Reading intricately intertwined the diverse stories of individuals facing the struggles, obstacles, and triumphs in and around Reading, crafting a unified narrative of the city’s journey. Collaboratively developed with Market Road Films, the Labyrinth Theater Company, and Project&, the project showcased Nottage’s commitment to innovative storytelling.
Conceived by Nottage, This Is Reading was co-created by an accomplished team of artists, featuring filmmaker Tony Gerber, director Kate Whoriskey, and choreographer Rennie Harris. The creative ensemble comprised composer Kashaka, projection designer Jeff Sugg, set designer Deb O, costume designer Jennifer Moeller, lighting designer Amith Chandrashaker, sound designer Nick Kourtides, muralist Katie Merz, and producers Jane M. Saks, Blake Ashman-Kipervaser, Allison Bressi, and Santo D. Marabella. Together, they crafted a groundbreaking experience that brought the city’s tales to the forefront, enriching the cultural landscape.
Awards and Honors
- Pulitzer Prize for Drama (2009) for the play “Ruined”
- Pulitzer Prize for Drama (2017) for the play “Sweat”
- MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship
- Time magazine’s 2019 List of the 100 Most Influential People
- 1994 Van Lier Playwright Fellowship
- 2000 & 1994 New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship
- 2004 PEN/Laura Pels “Mid-Career Playwright” Award
- 2005 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship for Drama and Performance Art
- 2007 MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship
- 2010 Horton Foote Award
- 2010 Steinberg “Distinguished Playwright” Award
- 2012 Nelson A. Rockefeller Award For Creativity
- 2013 Madge Evans-Sidney Kingsley Award
- 2015 Nottage won the 2015–16 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize
- 2016 Doris Duke Artist Award, 2016
- 2016 Columbia University Provost Grant
- 2016 Literature Award from The Academy of Arts and Letters
- 2016 PEN/Laura Pels “Master American Dramatist” Award
- 2017 AUDELCO Award for Outstanding Achievement
- 2017 Award of Merit, American Academy of Arts and Letters to “an outstanding playwright for her body of work”
- 2017 Induction into The American Academy of Arts and Science
- 2018 Induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters
- 2019 Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member Bartlett Sher
- 2022 Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award
- 1994 National Black Theatre Festival August Wilson Playwriting Award
- 1999–2006 New Dramatists Fellowship
- Arena Stage Fellowship
- New Freedom Theatre Fellowship
- Park Avenue Armory Residency (2017–2018)
- Signature Theatre Company Residency One (2018–2019)