The 2016 Lucille Lortel Awards - And the Winners are...

The winners of the 31st Annual Lucille Lortel Awards for outstanding achievement Off-Broadway have been revealed at today's awards ceremony at NYU Skirball Center.

Rajiv Joseph's Guards at the Taj led the pack with a total of four wins, including Outstanding Play, whilst César Alvarez's Futurity won Outstanding Musical, The Robber Bridegroom picked up the award for Outstanding Revival, and the Anne Hathaway-led Grounded won Outstanding Solo Show.

The following special awards were also presented at this year's ceremony:

• Lifetime Achievement Award: James Houghton
  
• Outstanding Alternative Theatrical Experience: Angel Reapers by Martha Clarke and Alfred Uhry and Peter Nigrini, Projection Design, Grounded
  
• Playwrights' Sidewalk Inductee: Suzan-Lori Parks

Outstanding Play

• The Christians
  written by Lucas Hnath
• Eclipsed
  Written by Danai Gurira
• Gloria
  Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
• Guards at the Taj
  Written by Rajiv Joseph
• John
  Written by Annie Baker

Outstanding Musical

• Futurity
  Music by César Alvarez with The Lisps, Lyrics and Book by César Alvarez
• Iowa
  Book by Jenny Schwartz, Music by Todd Almond, Lyrics by Todd Almond and Jenny Schwartz
• Southern Comfort
  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
  Written by Maurice Hines
• The Wildness: Sky-Pony's Rock Fairy Tale
  Text by Kyle Jarrow & Lauren Worsham, Songs by Kyle Jarrow

Outstanding Revival

• 'Tis Pity She's a Whore
  Written by John Ford
• Cloud Nine
  Written by Caryl Churchill
• Mother Courage And Her Children
  Written by Bertolt Brecht, Translated by John Willett
• The Robber Bridegroom
  Book and Lyrics by Alfred Uhry, Music by Robert Waldman
• Women Without Men
  Written by Hazel Ellis

Outstanding Solo Show

• The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
  Written and Performed by James Lecesne
• Forever
  Created and Performed by Dael Orlandersmith
• Grounded
  Written by George Brant, Performed by Anne Hathaway
• Mike Birbiglia: Thank God For Jokes
  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

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  Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
  

  • Eisa Davis: Preludes
  • Karen Kandel: Futurity
  • Leslie Kritzer: Gigantic
  • Leslie Kritzer: The Robber Bridegroom
  • Annie McNamara: Iowa

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  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

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  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

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  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

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  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

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  The 2016 Lucille Lortel Awards voting committee was appointed by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres & Producers, the Lucille Lortel Foundation, Actors' Equity Association, the Society of Stage Directors & Choreographers, and the Lucille Lortel Foundation, and included theatre journalists, academics and other Off-Broadway professionals.

  Awarded since 1986, the Lucille Lortel Awards are produced by the League by special arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Foundation.

  - by Tom Millward