Lin-Manuel Miranda and More Honor John Logan With the 19th Annual Monte Cristo Award

John Logan Is Honored at the 19th Annual Monte Cristo Awards

Playwright John Logan was honored with the highly esteemed Monte Cristo Award at a ceremony in Times Square’s Edison Ballroom on Monday night. The 19th annual award was hosted by the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, and its executive director, Preston Whiteway, presented Logan with the bronze trophy, which features playwright Eugene O’Neill as a child.

Dressed in a black Ralph Lauren blazer detailed with white varsity stripes, Whiteway explained simply why Logan was deserving of the award: “John is the mastermind of American theater.”

Mastermind is more than fitting as Logan has quite the portfolio. The writer has successfully navigated the film world, with movies like Skyfall and Gladiator under his belt; his career in theater includes Red and Peter and Alice. Supported by his long list of successful productions, Logan earned a Tony Award in 2010 for Red and three Oscar nominations, for Hugo, The Aviator, and Gladiator.

“The O’Neill award is special because it’s about something I care about: Emerging talent in theatre,” Whiteway continued.

The O’Neill Theatre is best known as one of the only theaters in America to openly foster young talent. It is, according to actor Forrest McClendon, “A Hogwarts for young playwrights where wizards help other wizards sing in their own key.”

In a plaid navy and black suit, last year’s recipient, Lin-Manuel Miranda, reminisced on his experience at the O’Neill. “There’s a night where you go see the interns’s work, you see what they’ve been writing. It’s in that moment you realize that you are witnessing and fostering the future of theater.”

Guests enjoyed a three-course dinner, paired with performances from several actors and actresses, including Kate Baldwin who commanded center stage and dazzled in a sequined Alice and Olivia midi-dress. During the latter half of the night, Aaron Tveit, with a golden head of hair waving in the spotlight, treated guests to a sneak peek of Logan’s upcoming musical Moulin Rouge (in which Tveit plays Christian). A compilation of Logan’s work was then projected; various clips including scenes from Alien: Covenant and Any Given Sunday, which truly exemplify his talent.

In a lilac polka-dotted tie, Logan began his speech by paying homage to his humble beginnings. He described how he started as “a broke playwright in Chicago but was supported by directors who believed in me.” He then went on to ensure the audience that he tries to refrain from any sort of self-referential writing but that there is one line in his play,Red that sums up his career. “We had nothing to lose, but a vision to gain.”

The evening garnered a hefty $600,000 donation to the O’Neill Theatre’s students.