Breaking News: Lortel Award Nominations Announced; THE HUMANS and FUTURITY Lead
By: Robert Diamond Mar. 30, 2016
The Off-Broadway League today announced nominations in 18 categories for the 31st Annual Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway. The Lortel Awards will be presented on Sunday, May 1, 2016 at NYU Skirball Center beginning at 7:00 PM EST. This year's event will once again benefit The Actors Fund.
Roundabout Theatre Company's The Humans leads this year's nominations with a total of 6, including acting nominations for Reed Birney and Jayne Houdyshell. FUTURITY, Guards at the Taj and John all tied with 5 nominations. Actress Leslie Kritzer earned two nominations for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for her performances in Gigantic and The Robber Bridegroom. This year's Voting Committee chose to present the award for Outstanding Alternative Theatrical Experience to Signature Theatre's Angel Reapers, as well as a special award to Peter Nigrini in recognition of his projection design for Grounded at The Public Theater.
As previously announced, Signature Theatre's Founding Artistic Director James Houghton will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks will be inducted onto the famed Playwrights' Sidewalk in front of the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
A breakfast reception honoring the nominees will take place on Wednesday, April 20, at Playwrights Horizons (416 West 42nd Street, New York).
The Off-Broadway League's Lortel Awards Producing & Administration Committee (Terry Byrne, Denise Cooper, Margaret Cotter, Carol Fishman, George Forbes, Michael Page, Catherine Russell, Lindsey Sag, and Seth Shepsle) produces the Lortel Awards Ceremony. Acclaimed writer/director Michael Heitzman returns to direct the Lortel Awards for the seventh consecutive year. The Lucille Lortel Awards are produced by special arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Foundation. Additional support is provided by Theatre Development Fund.
Representatives of the Off-Broadway League, Actors' Equity Association, Stage Directors & Choreographers Society, the Lucille Lortel Foundation, in addition to theatre journalists and academics and other Off-Broadway professionals, serve on the Voting Committee.
Members of the general public are welcome to view the 7:00 PM ceremony. Public tickets are $75.00 and will be available starting Thursday, March 31, 2016, via phone at 212.998.4941, online at www.nyuskirball.org and in person at the Skirball Center's Shagan Box Office (556 LaGuardia) from Tuesday - Saturday from 12 - 6 PM, and two hours before showtime.
2016 LUCILLE LORTEL AWARDS NOMINATIONS
Outstanding Play
The Christians
Produced by Playwrights Horizons and Center Theatre Group
Written by Lucas Hnath
Eclipsed
Produced by The Public Theater
Written by Danai Gurira
Gloria
Produced by Vineyard Theatre
Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Guards at the Taj
Produced by Atlantic Theater Company
Written by Rajiv Joseph
John
Produced by Signature Theatre
Written by Annie Baker
Outstanding Musical
FUTURITY
Produced by Soho Rep. and Ars Nova in association with Carole Shorenstein Hays
Music by César Alvarez with The Lisps, Lyrics and Book by César Alvarez
Iowa
Produced by Playwrights Horizons
Written by Jenny Schwartz, Music by Todd Almond, Lyrics by Todd Almond and Jenny Schwartz
Southern Comfort
Produced by The Public Theater
Book and Lyrics by Dan Collins, Music by Julianne Wick Davis, Based on the Film by Kate Davis, Conceived for the Stage by Robert DuSold and Thomas Caruso
Tappin' Thru Life
Produced by Leonard Soloway, Bud Martin, Riki Kane Larimer, Jeff Wolk, Phyllis and Buddy Aerenson, Darren P. DeVerna/Jeremiah J. Harris and the Shubert Organization
Written by Maurice Hines
The Wildness: Sky-Pony's Rock Fairy Tale
Produced by Ars Nova in collaboration with The Play Company
Text by Kyle Jarrow & Lauren Worsham, Songs by Kyle Jarrow
Outstanding Revival
'Tis Pity She's a Whore
Produced by Red Bull Theater
Written by John Ford
Cloud Nine
Produced by Atlantic Theater Company
Written by Caryl Churchill
Mother Courage And Her Children
Produced by Classic Stage Company
Written by Bertolt Brecht, Translated by John Willett
The Robber Bridegroom
Produced by Roundabout Theatre Company in association with Daryl Roth
Book and Lyrics by Alfred Uhry, Music by Robert Waldman
Women Without Men
Produced by Mint Theater Company
Written by Hazel Ellis
Outstanding Solo Show
The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
Produced by Darren Bagert, Daryl Roth, Co-Produced by Jane Dubin, Curtis Forsythe, Michael Mayer, Diane Procter, Seaview Productions and Minerva Productions/Joshua Goodman
Written and Performed by James Lecesne
Forever
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop
Created and Performed by Dael Orlandersmith
Grounded
Produced by The Public Theater
Written by George Brant
Performed by Anne Hathaway
Mike Birbiglia: Thank God For Jokes
Produced by Mike Berkowitz, Joseph Birbiglia, Ron Delsener and Mike Lavoie
Written and Performed by Mike Birbiglia
Outstanding Director
Rachel Chavkin, The Royale
Anne Kauffman, Marjorie Prime
Amy Morton, Guards at the Taj
Liesl Tommy, Eclipsed
Eric Tucker, Bedlam's SENSE & SENSIBILITY
Outstanding Choreographer
Alexandra Beller, Bedlam's SENSE & SENSIBILITY
Martha Clarke, Angel Reapers
Maurice Hines, Tappin' Thru Life
Paul McGill, The Legend of Georgia McBride
David Neumann, FUTURITY
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play
Denis Arndt, Heisenberg
Reed Birney, The Humans
Timothée Chalamet, Prodigal Son
Andrew Garman, The Christians
Ed Harris, Buried Child
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play
Ito Aghayere, Familiar
Georgia Engel, John
Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans
Chinasa Ogbuagu, Sojourners
Phylicia Rashad, Head of Passes
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical
Gabriel Ebert, Preludes
Michael C. Hall, Lazarus
Maurice Hines, Tappin' Thru Life
Michael Luwoye, Invisible Thread
Steven Pasquale, The Robber Bridegroom
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical
Sophia Anne Caruso, Lazarus
Alison Fraser, First Daughter Suite
Annette O'Toole, Southern Comfort
Mary Testa, First Daughter Suite
Sammy Tunis, FUTURITY
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Sanjit De Silva, Dry Powder
Jonathan Hogan, Hold On To Me Darling
Matt McGrath, The Legend of Georgia McBride
Paul Sparks, Buried Child
C.J. Wilson, Hold On To Me Darling
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Alana Arenas, Head of Passes
Lauren Klein, The Humans
Jeanine Serralles, Gloria
Lois Smith, John
Myra Lucretia Taylor, Familiar
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Greg Hildreth, The Robber Bridegroom
Jeffrey Kuhn, Southern Comfort
Or Matias, Preludes
Chris Sarandon, Preludes
Kevin Zak, Clinton the Musical
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Eisa Davis, Preludes
Karen Kandel, FUTURITY
Leslie Kritzer, Gigantic
Leslie Kritzer, The Robber Bridegroom
Annie McNamara, Iowa
Outstanding Scenic Design
Mimi Lien, John
Timothy R. Mackabee, Guards at the Taj
G.W. Mercier, Head of Passes
Emily Orling and Matt Saunders, FUTURITY
David Zinn, The Humans
Outstanding Costume Design
Martha Hally, Women Without Men
Toni-Leslie James, First Daughter Suite
Clint Ramos, Eclipsed
Anita Yavich, The Legend of Georgia McBride
Donna Zakowska, Angel Reapers
Outstanding Lighting Design
Christopher Akerlind, Grounded
Mark Barton, John
Ben Stanton, The Legend of Georgia McBride
Justin Townsend, The Humans
David Weiner, Guards at the Taj
Outstanding Sound Design
Matt Hubbs, The Royale
Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen, Guards at the Taj
Fitz Patton, The Humans
Will Pickens, Grounded
Bray Poor, Buzzer
SPECIAL AWARDS
Outstanding Alternative Theatrical Experience
Angel Reapers
By Martha Clarke and Alfred Uhry
Produced by Signature Theatre
Peter Nigrini, Projection Design, Grounded
HONORARY AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement Award
Playwrights' Sidewalk Inductee
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