2012 Drama Desk Awards Set for June 3rd at Town Hall

The 57th Annual Drama Desk Awards will take place on Sunday, June 3, 2012 at 8:00 PM at The Town Hall in Manhattan, it was announced today by Gretchen Shugart, CEO of TheaterMania.com, which will present the awards ceremony with Robert R. Blume and David S. Stone in association with Renee McCurry.

The Drama Desk was founded in 1949 to explore key issues in the theater and to bring together critics and writers in an organization to support the ongoing development of theater in New York. The organization began presenting its awards in 1955, and it is the only critics' organization to honor achievement in the theater with competition between Broadway, Off Broadway and Off- Off Broadway productions in the same categories.

The 2011-2012 Drama Desk Nominating Committee is composed of: Barbara Siegel, Chairperson (TalkinBroadway.com, TheaterMania.com); Suzanna Bowling (Times Square Chronicles); Lawrence Harbison (Smith and Kraus, Inc.); Mark Peikert (New York Press, Chelsea Clinton News); Richard Ridge (Broadway Beat TV) and Frank Verlizzo (Fraver Design).

The 2011-2012 Board of Directors of the Drama Desk is composed of: Isa Goldberg (Broadway Channel; Greater Philadelphia Newspaper Group; and Contributing Writer, Financial Times), President; Leslie (Hoban) Blake (Contributing Writer, TheaterMania.com; and Recurring Guest Critic, Two on the Aisle, MNN), Vice President; Charles Wright (A&E Television Networks, Essayist & Editorial Board member; Best Plays Theater Yearbook (published annually by Limelight Editions), Treasurer & 2nd Vice President; Richard Ridge (Broadway Beat TV), Secretary; Arlene Epstein (Theater critic, arts columnist, South Shore Record/Herald Community Newspapers; Liherald.com); Elysa Gardner (Theater critic, USA Today); Randy Gener (Broadway Editor, New York Theatre Wire; US Editor, Critical Stages; and Contributing Writer, American Theatre Magazine); John Istel (Free Lance Arts Editor and Writer; Contributing Editor, Best Plays); David Kaufman (Free Lance; Author); past Drama Desk president William Wolf (wolfentertainmentquide,com); and Lauren Yarger (MasterWorks Productions, Inc.; Reflections In The Light; CT Arts Connection; BroadwayWorld.com ).