Andre De Shields, Lear DeBessonet, Drama Book Shop & Darin Oduyoye to be Honored at 89th Annual Drama League Awards

The Drama League has announce the 2023 Special Recognition Honorees of The 89th Annual Drama League Awards, recognized for their unique and outstanding contributions to the theater industry.

Tony Award winner Andre De Shields (Hadestown) will receive the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award, for his outstanding work on stage as part of the musical theater community.

The Drama Book Shop (Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeffrey Seller, and James L. Nederlander) will be honored with the Contribution to the Theater Award, for its unwavering commitment to furthering the art of the American theater, through the stewardship of a vital, century-long creative home for artists to thrive.

Encores! Artistic Director and Public Works founder Lear deBessonet (Into The Woods) will be honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing, for her incredible contributions to the field of directing.

The annual Gratitude Award will be presented to J.P. Morgan Asset & Wealth Management CCO Darin Oduyoye, in recognition of his leadership and commitment to the theater industry, through the support of many productions as part of the J.P. Morgan Next List and his work on the board of Beyond the Stage Door, a comprehensive educational program dedicated to guiding students from diverse backgrounds into theater management careers.

These awards will be presented at the historic annual luncheon ceremony at The Ziegfeld Ballroom (141 W 54th St, NYC) on Friday, May 19, 2023 at 12:00PM. The event will be hosted by Emmy Award winner Frank DiLella (NY1 "On Stage"; PBS Great Performances "Reopening: The Broadway Revival"). The 2023 Awards Committee includes: Bonnie Comley, Awards Chair; Townsend Teague, Committee Chair; Donna Daniels; Jonathan Demar; Irene Gandy; Sarah Hutton; Kenneth Hyne; Una Jackman; Mary Jain; Paula Kaminsky Davis; Fred Siegel; and Kumiko Yoshii.

Nominations for the 2022-23 Broadway and Off-Broadway season will be announced on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 11:00am, at Lincoln Center's New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (111 Amsterdam Avenue at 64th Street). Keeping in the tradition of honoring the outstanding accomplishments of the theatrical community, as they have since 1935, Drama League Awards will be bestowed in the following categories:

• Distinguished Performance Award

• Outstanding Production of a Play

• Outstanding Production of a Musical

• Outstanding Revival of a Play

• Outstanding Revival of a Musical

• Outstanding Direction of a Play

• Outstanding Direction of a Musical

• Founders Award for Excellence in Directing

• Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater

• Contribution to the Theater Award

• The Gratitude Award

Broadway and Off-Broadway productions will need to have been in previews between April 21, 2022 - April 23, 2023, to be eligible for this season's Drama League Awards.

First presented in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are a core service to the theater community of The Drama League, an arts organization that has provided vital support to the field and its artists for over a century. The organization's mission provides the nation's only full-time, lifelong creative home for stage directors and the audiences that enjoy their work around the world. Last year's dynamic 2022 Awards Ceremony brought out the industry's best and brightest with Hugh Jackman, Patti LuPone, Billy Crystal, and more dazzling the audience of more than 400 people. It also saw the introduction of new awards for Outstanding Direction of a Play (recipient Kate Whoriskey for Clyde's) and Outstanding Direction of a Musical (recipient Marianne Elliott for Company), which honor the mission of The Drama League. For a complete list of productions and performers that have won Drama League Awards in the event's history, as well as all past honorees, click here.

Drama League members have voting privileges in the competitive award categories. Drama League memberships are open to industry professionals, artists, and audience members. They are tax-deductible and support The Drama League's programs that provide vital career support for directors; members enjoy access to exclusive members-only events, house seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, and more. Members must be in good standing by April 15, 2023 in order to vote on this year's awards. To become a voting member, visit dramaleague.org/membership or call (212) 244-9494, ext. 101.

The Drama League is grateful for support from its generous donors and current Drama League Awards Sponsors. More information on sponsoring the event can be found at dramaleague.org/awards.

About The Drama League

The Drama League advances the American theater by providing lifelong artistic resources for directors and a platform for dialogue with audiences. Founded in 1916, we are one of the longest-running arts service organizations in the country. We enable directors to make the most powerful, impactful work possible across multiple mediums reaching ever-wider audiences, and build sustainable careers. Uplifting directors of all economic classes, races, abilities, genders, and identities is a cornerstone of this mission. We provide support to directors throughout their artistic life, and our work in education offers both continued learning to professionals and introduces the skills of directing to young people. Underpinning our work is the support of our members, a community of ardent theater fans and industry professionals whose commitment to advancing the art form helps develop the careers of the talented directors we champion. More information about The Drama League's programs, alumni, and the Awards history can be found at www.dramaleague.org.

About The Drama Book Shop

Founded in 1917 by The Drama League, the Drama Book Shop became an independent book store in 1923 and since that time has been deemed a quintessential New York City cultural institution. Over the past 106 years, the Drama Book Shop has secured its reputation as the city's best source for theatrical works, with over 8,000 plays regularly in stock. In 2011, the Drama Book Shop received a Tony Award® Honor for Excellence in the Theatre. Given since 1990, this award is bestowed upon individuals, organizations, and institutions that have demonstrated profound achievement in the theatre but are ineligible in any of the established Tony categories. The Drama Book Shop opened in its current home on West 39th Street in 2020 under new ownership. Long time friends and patrons of the bookstore Thomas Kail and Lin-Manuel Miranda, along with Jeffrey Seller and James L. Nederlander, purchased the store from Rozanne Seelen, whose late husband Arthur Seelen had bought the store in 1958. Kail and Miranada first developed In the Heights below the shop, in its 60-seat Arthur Seelen Theatre, which would go on to win several Tony Awards® in 2008.

The new location, designed by "Hamilton" scenic designer David Korins and his team, pays homage to twentieth century European cafes and reading rooms, and features a full service cafe serving coffee, teas, and light snacks. The Drama Book Shop is a community space for everyone enthused by the Arts-students, fans, theatre professionals, and award-winning artists alike. Since 1917, the Drama Book Shop has been a mainstay of New York's theatre scene, and with the support of the thousands of patrons that have passed through the shop's doors, will continue to be for the next 100 years to come.

About Andre De Shields

In a career spanning fifty-five years, André De Shields, at age 77, has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, activist, educator and philanthropist. As Actor Mr. De Shields' mission is to fill intimate spaces with enormous beauty. He defines intimate spaces as the hearts of humanity. As Activist he endeavors to restore majesty, elegance and literacy. To the Black Thespian tool box. His legendary career has resulted in a treasure trove of accolades, among them Doctor of Fine Arts honoris causa from his Alma Mater, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he has founded The André De Shields Fund. His other marks of esteem include having been the triple crown winner of the 2019 awards season, garnering Tony, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Grammy Awards for his universally acclaimed role as Hermes, messenger to the gods, in Hadestown. Mr. De Shields transitioned from 2022 into 2023 with a paranormal portrayal as Ben Loman in the searing production of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, starring Wendell "The Lion" Pierce. Perennially known for his idiosyncratic, show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway productions-TheWiz, Aint Misbehavin (Emmy Award), Play On! And The Full Monty-Mr. De Shields has achieved the status of "Broadway Deity." www.andredeshields.com

About Lear deBessonet

Lear deBessonet most recently directed Into the Woods on Broadway and Annie Live! for NBC starring Taraji P. Henson, Tituss Burgess and Harry Connick Jr. She serves as the Artistic Director of Encores! at New York City Center. She also directed the world premiere of the musical Hercules at The Public Theater, which was a landmark collaboration between the Public and Disney Theatrical Group. She previously served as Resident Director at The Public Theater from 2012-2020, where she founded the acclaimed Public Works program. As the founder of Public Works and Resident Director at The Public Theater, she has created a model of community engagement and participatory theater that has spread nationally and internationally. In addition to Hercules- her productions of The Tempest, The Winter's Tale, and The Odyssey featured over 200 New Yorkers from all five boroughs on stage.
Other directing credits include Good Person of Szechwan starring Taylor Mac and Lisa Kron (The Foundry Theater/The Public), Suzan-Lori Parks' Venus (Signature Theatre), Pump Boys and Dinettes (Encores! Off-Center), and Big River (Encores!). Her directing work has received an Obie Award, Lortel Award, Lilly Award, and multiple Drama Desk nominations. She is also the Co-Artistic Director of One Nation/One Project, a national arts and wellness initiative. She has also been honored with the Doris Duke Impact Award, TCG's Peter Zeisler Award, LMCC's Presidential Award for Artistic Excellence, one of Time Out New York's "25 People to Watch" and was named one of Variety's 2022 "New Power of New York." She also teaches at NYU-Tisch School of the Arts.

About Darin Oduyoye

Darin Oduyoye is Chief Communications Officer for JPMorgan Chase's Asset & Wealth Management division, and Head of Corporate Art and History, which promote two anchors of the firm's distinctive and ongoing legacy: The JPMorgan Chase Art Collection and a heritage defined by more than 1,200 predecessor institutions. Since joining J.P. Morgan in 2000, Darin has held public relations posts in the firm's U.S. asset management business, online retail brokerage and global private bank. He also served as Interim Head of Asia Marketing for the Private Bank, based in Hong Kong.
Darin's professional commitments are mirrored in his personal passions for the arts in their many forms. For J.P. Morgan's high-net-worth clients worldwide, he conceived and developed the firm's annual summer reading list, as well as, its Next List which includes exceptional experiences, from cultural exhibitions to wine, travel and must-see Broadway productions. As with the firm's Art Program, J.P. Morgan's Next List focuses on emerging ideas and finding inspiration in diverse, developing and sometimes underrepresented talent to be shared with employees, clients and the greater community.
A devoted theatergoer, Darin lives and works in New York City. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor's degree public communication and is currently a member of the university's William Preston Society. He also serves on the board of Beyond the Stage Door, a new comprehensive program designed to educate and prepare undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds for careers in general company and stage management in the theatre industry.

About Frank DiLella

Frank DiLella is the eight-time Emmy Award winning host of "On Stage" on Spectrum News NY1, the news channel's weekly half-hour theater program. DiLella's celebrity interviews, along with his in-depth reporting of the theatrical scene, have helped make him a trusted friend and confidant within the theater and entertainment communities in New York City and around the globe. Over the years, DiLella has acted as a contributing correspondent for the Tony Awards, the Olivier Awards at London's Royal Albert Hall, Playbill, MANHATTAN Magazine and Broadway Direct. He has appeared as an entertainment correspondent for "Morning Joe", BBC, The Tamron Hall Show, Andy Cohen's "Watch What Happens Live", AOL BUILD Series, Sirius XM, CBS, NBC, CTV, and Al Jazeera TV. In January of 2022, Frank executive produced and hosted the documentary - "Reopening: The Broadway Revival" for Great Performances on PBS.
DiLella has made multiple big and small screen appearances as "himself" including - Ryan Murphy's "The Prom" - opposite Meryl Streep (NETFLIX), "Smash" (NBC), "The Little Voice" (APPLE TV+), "Gossip Girl" (HBO MAX) and "The Forty-Year-Old Version" (SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL / NETFLIX).

A strong advocate of arts education, DiLella currently serves on the board of The Roger Rees Awards and is a part of the selection committee for the annual Clive Barnes Award and Foundation - which honors talented young professionals in the artistic fields of dance and theater. DiLella received a degree from Fordham University at Lincoln Center and has since returned to his alma mater as an adjunct professor teaching theater journalism.