Congratulations and praise is rolling in for Chris Jones, the Tribune drama critic who just won the George Jean Nathan Award for drama criticism. The announcement of Jones’s award hails his “panoramic understanding of contemporary playwriting and directing, and adds that his “knowledge of Chicago theater history is especially deep.” Critic Michael Riedel of the New York Post offered a salute reflecting the times we live in.
One of the reasons a lot of first-rate Tribune writers took buyouts a few weeks ago is that the paper hadn’t given raises in five years. I asked Jones if he’d be getting one now. “I’ve been well supported by the Tribune,” he replied, his way of not saying yes but acknowledging he’s high-maintenance. “I have the ability to cover shows around the world—particularly on Broadway,” he said. “I’ve been given the resources I need—I wouldn’t stay otherwise. It’s not free to go to New York. While I stay in cheap little crappy hotels wherever I can, it’s still—” Where do you stay in New York? I asked. “The Hampton Inn usually.”
