It was the story of last year, the big non-profit that could. Now the Manhattan Theatre Club is being honored with the 2000 Jujamcyn Theaters Award. The ceremony for the 17th annual prize will take place at Tavern on the Green on Jan. 22.

Given to "a resident theater that has made an outstanding contribution to the development of creative talent for the theater," the award has gone to such organizations as The Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, Long Wharf Theatre, the Mark Taper Forum, Second Stage, the Guthrie Theater, the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Market Theatre in South Africa, and City Center Encores!

Jujamcyn Theaters' president spoke highly of MTC's artistic director Lynne Meadow and executive producer Barry Grove in a released statement and noted "As they prepare to move into their new home at the Biltmore Theatre on Broadway we want to welcome them as colleagues who are new to the street, but old, old friends." With shows like Love! Valour! Compassion!, Proof , The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife and the upcoming A Class Act, MTC is no stranger to the Great White Way.

The $50,000 award is presented every year by the Jujamcyn Theaters, proprietors of five Broadway houses: the Walter Kerr (home to MTC's Proof), the Eugene O'Neill (Full Monty), the St. James (the prospective home to The Producers), the Martin Beck (Kiss Me, Kate) and the Virginia (soon to be castle for Brian Stokes Mitchell in MTC's King Hedley II).

For more information on the MTC, visit their URL at www.manhattantheatreclub.com. — by Ernio Hernandez