Photo credit: The Hot Wing King (Photo by Monique Carboni)

Katori Hall’s ‘The Hot Wing King’ wins 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama

The award was presented via a livestream on June 11.

Sophie Thomas
Sophie Thomas

Even though theatres were shut for the past twelve months, the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama was still presented. Katori Hall won her first Pulitzer for The Hot Wing King, staged at Pershing Square Signature Center in early 2020.

Set at the annual Hot Wing festival in Memphis, Tennessee, The Hot Wing King follows Cordell and Dwayne are cooking up a storm in order to win the crown. But firing up the frying pan eventually becomes a recipe for disaster when Dwayne takes in his nephew.

In a four star review for New York Theatre Guide, The Hot Wing King is "a classic buddy comedy with friends and lovers involved in bouts of physical tomfoolery and good-natured ribbing. It is also a honey-glazed drama seasoned with uncertainty and dipped in guilt."

Katori Hall wins her first Pulitzer for The Hot Wing King, with previous plays including The Mountaintop and Our Lady of Kibeho. She also wrote the book for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, reopening at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on October 8.

The Hot Wing King was directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, who will soon direct the Broadway premiere of Thoughts of a Colored Man at the Golden Theatre.

Finalists for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama were Circle Jerk by Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley and Stew by Zara Howard.

Photo credit: The Hot Wing King (Photo by Monique Carboni)

 

Originally published on

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