2021 Lucille Lortel Awards to be Presented as Virtual Celebration Honoring Off-Broadway Theatre This May

In an unprecedented year without live theatre to recognize, The Off-Broadway League and the Lucille Lortel Theatre will present the 2021 Lucille Lortel Awards as a celebration of all the people who create Off-Broadway excellence. The pre-taped special will honor the writers, actors, directors, choreographers, designers, musicians, stagehands, producers, theatre staff, and the audiences who all contribute to the incomparable magic of Off-Broadway theatre. Featuring testimonials from members of the community, as well as fun facts, video footage from past awards shows, the Lucille Lortel Vault, and more, the program will premiere Sunday, May 2, at 7:00PM on www.lortelawards.org and will, as always, be a benefit for The Actors Fund.

The 36th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards will feature an appearance by Bebe Neuwirth, Vice Chair, Board of Trustees, The Actors Fund, as well as Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Tracee Chimo Pallero, Edmund Donovan, Scott Elliott, Will Eno, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Bill Irwin, Francis Jue, Judy Kuhn, Grace McLean, Annette O'Toole, Larry Owens, Tonya Pinkins, Daryl Roth, Kristen Schaal, Jeremy Shamos, Susan Stroman, Jason Tam, and more; a brand-new performance choreographed by actor and dancer Reed Luplau; comedy sketches by the improv group The Foundation; a monologue by Phillip Taratula as Pam Goldberg; a musical performance by Crystal Monee Hall, Allen René Louis, and Michael McElroy; and an original song by Bobby Daye in memory of Off-Broadway community members who lost their lives this past year.

With the closure of theatres across the city in 2020 due to the COVID crisis, as well as restrictions and shutdowns making it impossible to produce new theatre, the Lortel Awards acknowledged the importance of celebrating the excellence of work from the 2019 - 2020 season without delay and were one of the first awards ceremonies to pivot to fully virtual for the 35th Annual Awards on May 3, 2020.

Casey York, President of the Off-Broadway League said, "After an incredibly trying year, we have chosen to use our platform to raise critical funding for The Actors Fund while showcasing what makes Off-Broadway unique. The Covid-19 pandemic shuttered our venues for over a year and decimated the livelihoods of most of our artists and cultural workers, with a disproportionate impact on the BIPOC in our community. We are now starting to emerge from this prolonged shutdown of live theatrical performances, and we are not just going back to normal 'Before Times'. We're laying the groundwork for a more equitable future, and we invite you to join us on May 2nd for an invigorating tribute to the entire community- not just the public-facing artists who are typically eligible for awards."

"The Lucille Lortel Awards are an Off-Broadway tradition, and we hope that by continuing that tradition, even when theatres have been closed for more than a year, we can offer the theatre community and fans a sense of continuity" added George Forbes, Executive Director of the Lucille Lortel Theatre. "With the challenges of the past year and the challenges to come, we pause for a moment to remember we are still a community and remind everyone of the tremendous work done Off-Broadway."

For more information visit: https://www.lortelaward.com/about