The Lucille Lortel 2016 Award nominations

Tom Millward
Tom Millward


The League of Off-Broadway Theatres & Producers have announced the nominations for the 31st Annual Lucille Lortel Awards for outstanding achievement Off-Broadway.

The winners of the 2016 Lucille Lortel Awards will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on 1 May 2016 at NYU Skirball Center.

The most nominated off-Broadway play this year was Stephen Karam's The Humans, which successfully transferred to Broadway's Helen Hayes Theatre on 23 January 2016 and officially opened on 18 February, with six nominations. However, it did not receive a nod for Outstanding Play. The most nominated off-Broadway musical is César Alvarez's Futurity which received five nods.

The following special awards will also be 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
The 2016 nominations by category are:

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

    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

    The 2016 Lucille Lortel Awards voting committee is 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 includes 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

Originally published on

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