“Neil Simon, one of America’s most successful playwrights, has been chosen as this year’s recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the Kennedy Center announced yesterday. For the past half-century, Simon has been prolific and often produced. Everyone of a certain age probably can name numerous Simon works, as his plays — including The Odd Couple, Barefoot in the Park and The Sunshine Boys — have translated into film and television and into the national consciousness.”