Octet and Heroes of the Fourth Turning

The 35th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards - And the Winners are...

Signature Theatre's Octet and Playwrights Horizons' The Fourth of the Turning win the top 2020 prizes.

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

The winners of The 35th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards were revealed during a virtual ceremony last night, hosted by New York stage alum and "Sex and the City" favorite Mario Cantone, to honor outstanding achievement off-Broadway.

The big winners of the night were the Siganture Theatre production of Octet (by Dave Malloy) and the Playwrights Horizons production of Heroes of the Fourth Turning (by Will Arbery), who took home three awards each, including 'Outstanding Musical' and 'Outstanding Play,' respectively.

As previously reported, Special Awards were also presented last night, with Tony Award-winning producer Daryl Roth inducting Anna Deavere Smith onto the famed Playwrights Sidewalk and Tony Award winner Kelli O'Hara presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to Playwrights Horizons' Artistic Director Tim Sanford.

Here's the full list of winners...


Outstanding Play

BLKS (at MCC Theater) - written by Aziza Barnes

Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven (at Atlantic Theater Company) - written by Stephen Adly Guirgis

Heroes of the Fourth Turning (at Playwrights Horizons) - written by Will Arbery - WINNER!!!

Is This A Room (at Vineyard Theatre) - conceived by Tina Satter

Mrs. Murray's Menagerie (at Ars Nova) - created by The Mad Ones and Phillip James Brannon, Brad Heberlee, Carmen M. Herlihy, January LaVoy


Outstanding Musical

A Strange Loop (at Playwrights Horizons) - Book, Music & Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson 

In The Green (at Lincoln Center Theater) - Book, Music & Lyrics by Grace McLean

Octet (at Signature Theatre) - Book, Music & Lyrics by Dave Malloy - WINNER!!!

Soft Power (at Public Theater) - Play and Lyrics by David Henry Hwang, Music and Additional Lyrics by Jeanine Tesori

The Secret Life of Bees (at Atlantic Theater Company) - Book by Lynn Nottage, Music by Duncan Sheik, and Lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, based on the novel by Sue Monk Kidd


Outstanding Revival

A Bright Room Called Day (at Public Theater) - written by Tony Kushner

Fires in the Mirror (at Signature Theatre) - written by Anna Deavere Smith

for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf (at Public Theater) - written by Ntozake Shange - WINNER!!!

Little Shop of Horrors (at Westside Theatre) - Book & Lyrics by Howard Ashman, Music by Alan Menken

Mac Beth (by Red Bull Theater) - written by William Shakespeare, adapted by Erica Schmidt


Outstanding Solo Show

Bella Bella (by Manhattan Theatre Club) - written and performed by Harvey Fierstein

Dana H. (at Vineyard Theatre) - written by Lucas Hnath and performed by Deirdre O'Connell - WINNER!!!

the way she spoke (by Audible) - written by Isaac Gomez and performed by Kate del Castillo

We're Only Alive for A Short Amount of Time (at Public Theater) - Lyrics by David Cale, Music by David Cale and Matthew Dean Marsh, performed by David Cale

Where We Stand (at WP Theater) - written and performed by Donnetta Lavinia Grays


Outstanding Director

Stephen Brackett, A Strange Loop

Tina Satter, Is This A Room

Danya Taymor, Heroes of the Fourth Turning

Annie TippeOctet - WINNER!!!

Les Waters, Dana H.


Outstanding Choreographer

Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf

Camille A. Brown, Toni Stone

Raja Feather Kelly, A Strange Loop

Sam Pinkleton, Soft Power

Travis WallThe Wrong Man - WINNER!!!


Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play

Charles Busch, The Confession of Lily Dare

Edmund DonovanGreater Clements - WINNER!!!

Raúl Esparza, Seared

Hamish Linklater, The Pain of My Belligerence

Aaron Yoo, The Headlands


Outstanding Lead Actress in a play

Liza Colón-Zayas, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven

Emily DavisIs This A Room - WINNER!!!

April Matthis, Toni Stone

Zoë Winters, Heroes of the Fourth Turning      

Kara Young, All the Natalie Portmans


Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical

Jonathan Groff, Little Shop of Horrors

Joshua HenryThe Wrong Man

Francis Jue, Soft Power

Larry OwensA Strange Loop - WINNER!!!

Conrad Ricamora, Soft Power


Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical

Eisa Davis, The Secret Life of Bees

LaChanzeThe Secret Life of Bees

Beth Malone, The Unsinkable Molly Brown

Janelle McDermoth, We're Gonna Die

Grace McLeanIn The Green - WINNER!!!


Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play

Christopher Borg, The Confession of Lily Dare

Marc Bovino, Mrs. Murray's Menagerie

Garcia, Continuity

Francis JueCambodian Rock Band - WINNER!!!

Ken Narasaki, Greater Clements


Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

Okwui Okpokwasili, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf

Estelle Parsons, A Bright Room Called Day

Michele PawkHeroes of the Fourth Turning - WINNER!!!

Stephanie Wright Thompson, Mrs. Murray's Menagerie

Alexandria Wailes, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf 


Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical

Christian BorleLittle Shop of Horrors - WINNER!!! (TIE)

Alex Gibson, Octet

Gus Halper, Sing Street

Jay Armstrong Johnson, Scotland, PA

John-Andrew MorrisonA Strange Loop - WINNER!!! (TIE)


Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

Ashley Pérez Flanagan, In The Green

Ari Groover, Little Shop of Horrors

L Morgan Lee, A Strange Loop

Ciara Renée, The Wrong Man

Kuhoo VermaOctet - WINNER!!!


Outstanding Scenic Design

You-Shin Chen and Laura JellinekMrs. Murray's Menagerie - WINNER!!!

Yu-Hsuan Chen, Our Dear Dead Drug Lord

Tim Mackabee, Seared

James Noone, London Assurance

Clint Ramos, Soft Power


Outstanding Costume Design

Dede Ayite, BLKS

Montana Levi Blanco, A Strange Loop

Oana Botez, In The Green

Toni-Leslie Jamesfor colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf - WINNER!!! (TIE)

Rachel Townsend and Jessica JahnThe Confession of Lily Dare - WINNER!!! (TIE)


Outstanding Lighting Design

Isabella ByrdHeroes of the Fourth Turning - WINNER!!!

Alan C. Edwards, Fires in the Mirror

Tyler Micoleau, Socrates

Barbara Samuels, In The Green

Jen Schriever, Power Strip


Outstanding Sound Design

Justin Ellington, Heroes of the Fourth Turning

Mikhail FikselDana H. - WINNER!!!

Lee Kinney and Sanae Yamada, Is This A Room

Hidenori Nakajo, Octet

Nicholas Pope, In The Green


Outstanding Projection Design

Stephan Mazurek, Mojada

Lisa Renkel and Possible, Emojiland the Musical

Ruey Horng SunThe Headlands - WINNER!!!

Hannah Wasileski, Anatomy of a Suicide

Hannah Wasileski, Fires in the Mirror


Awarded since 1986, The Lucille Lortel Awards are produced by the Off-Broadway League and the Lucille Lortel Theatre Foundation, with additional support provided by TDF,

(Photos by Joan Marcus)

 

Originally published on

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