Breaking News: Lortel Award Nominations Announced; THE HUMANS and FUTURITY Lead

By: Mar. 30, 2016
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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

James Houghton

Playwrights' Sidewalk Inductee

Suzan-Lori Parks



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