New Dramatists to Honor Harvey Fierstein at Spring Luncheon

New Dramatists will honor four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein with a Lifetime Achievement Award at its 59th annual spring luncheon on May 15 at the Marriott Marquis's Broadway Ballroom. Arthur Laurents is serving as chair of the fund-raising luncheon, and Faith Prince, who co-stars with Fierstein in the forthcoming Broadway musical A Catered Affair, will offer a tribute to the honoree. A national leader in playwright support and advocacy, New Dramatists has remained a pioneer in the field of new play development since its inception in 1949.

Fierstein wrote the book and co-stars in A Catered Affair, adapted from a teleplay by Paddy Chayefsky, who was one of the original resident playwrights of New Dramatists in 1949. Fierstein made his professional debut at La Mama in Andy Warhol's only play, Pork. Following 60 off-off-Broadway appearances, including several plays he authored, his Torch Song Trilogy opened in 1980, ultimately making it to Broadway in 1982, winning him two Tony Awards. Fierstein, who won his third Tony for the book of La Cage aux Folles, also wrote Safe Sex, Spookhouse and Legs Diamond. He received his fourth Tony for his performance as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray and went on to play Tevye in the Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof. He was recently inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.

Fierstein's film appearances include Independence Day, Mrs. Doubtfire and Bullets Over Broadway; television credits include Sesame Street, Murder She Wrote and Cheers, for which we received an Emmy nomination. He has provided voices for The Simpsons, Family Guy and the HBO special The Sissy Duckling Humanitas Award as author and narrated the Oscar-winning The Times of Harvey Milk.

Each year, New Dramatists salutes an individual who has made an outstanding artistic contribution to the American theater. Past luncheon honorees have included Edward Albee, Chita Rivera, Meryl Streep, Angela Lansbury, Julie Andrews, Glenn Close, Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Miller, Neil Simon, Jerry Herman, Terrence McNally, Barbara Cook, John Kander & Fred Ebb, August Wilson, George C. Wolfe and Gwen Verdon.