Broadway theaters will dim their lights tonight to honor late British playwright and Nobel laureate Harold Pinter, famous for his brooding portrayals of domestic life and barbed politics.

Pinter, who won the Nobel prize for literature in 2005, died on Christmas eve at the age of 78.

"Harold Pinter has been called one of the most influential and imitated playwrights of his generation," said Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of The Broadway League. "We are so grateful for his genius and distinct contributions to modern theater."

Theaters in the famed area of New York City will dim their lights for one minute at 7 p.m.

Pinter's plays, including "The Caretaker" and "The Homecoming," were regarded as among the finest of the last half century and enjoyed a recent renaissance as modern audiences tapped into his dark studies of the menace and chaos within everyday life.

"The Homecoming," which won the Tony Award for best play in 1967, returned to Broadway late last year, picking up three Tony Award nominations in 2008 and winning a Drama Desk award for outstanding ensemble performance.