1981 Drama Desk Awards
Winners and nominees from the Drama Desk Awards.
1981 Drama Desk Awards
Note: Award winners appear on a red background.
| Category | Nominee | Show |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Martin Vidnovic | Brigadoon |
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Kevin Kline | The Pirates of Penzance |
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | George Rose | The Pirates of Penzance |
| Outstanding Actor in a Play | Ian McKellen | Amadeus |
| Outstanding Actor in a Play | Tim Curry | Amadeus |
| Outstanding Actor in a Play | Milo O'Shea | Mass Appeal |
| Outstanding Actor in a Play | John Heard | The Chekhov Sketchbook |
| Outstanding Actor in a Play | Derek Jacobi | The Suicide |
| Outstanding Actor in a Play | Remak Ramsay | The Winslow Boy |
| Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Chita Rivera | Bring Back Birdie |
| Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Lena Horne | Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music |
| Outstanding Actress in a Play | Amanda Plummer | A Taste of Honey |
| Outstanding Actress in a Play | Mary Beth Hurt | Crimes of the Heart |
| Outstanding Actress in a Play | Joan Copeland | The American Clock |
| Outstanding Actress in a Play | Elizabeth Taylor | The Little Foxes |
| Outstanding Actress in a Play | Eva Le Gallienne | To Grandmother's House We Go |
| Outstanding Choreography | Gower Champion | 42nd Street |
| Outstanding Choreography | Graciela Daniele | The Pirates of Penzance |
| Outstanding Costume Design | Theoni V. Aldredge | 42nd Street |
| Outstanding Costume Design | John Bury | Amadeus |
| Outstanding Costume Design | Patricia Zipprodt | Fools |
| Outstanding Costume Design | Theoni V. Aldredge | Onward Victoria |
| Outstanding Costume Design | Patricia McGourty | The Pirates of Penzance |
| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Arthur Faria | Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music |
| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Wilford Leach | The Pirates of Penzance |
| Outstanding Director of a Play | Peter Hall | Amadeus |
| Outstanding Director of a Play | Melvin Bernhardt | Crimes of the Heart |
| Outstanding Director of a Play | Geraldine Fitzgerald | Mass Appeal |
| Outstanding Director of a Play | Douglas Seale | The Winslow Boy |
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Lee Roy Reams | 42nd Street |
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Michael Davis | Broadway Follies |
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Paxton Whitehead | Camelot |
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Gregg Burge | Sophisticated Ladies |
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Tony Azito | The Pirates of Penzance |
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Jeff Daniels | 5th of July |
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Nicholas Kepros | Amadeus |
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | John Shea | American Days |
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Brian Backer | The Floating Light Bulb |
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Roderick Cook | The Man Who Came to Dinner |
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Ralph Clanton | The Winslow Boy |
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Debbie Shapiro | Perfectly Frank |
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Marilyn Cooper | Woman of the Year |
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Jennifer Yvette Holliday | Your Arms Too Short to Box With God |
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Swoosie Kurtz | 5th of July |
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Fran Brill | Knuckle |
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Jean Smart | Last Summer at Bluefish Cove |
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Zoe Wanamaker | Piaf |
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Jessica Tandy | Rose |
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Carrie Nye | The Man Who Came to Dinner |
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Thomas Skelton | Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music |
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Dennis Parichy | 5th of July |
| Outstanding Lighting Design | John Bury | Amadeus |
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Jules Fisher, Robby Monk | Frankenstein |
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Jennifer Tipton | Lunch Hour |
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Pat Collins | Peguin Touquet |
| Outstanding Musical | 42nd Street | |
| Outstanding Musical | Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music | |
| Outstanding Musical | The Pirates of Penzance | |
| Outstanding Play | Lanford Wilson | 5th of July |
| Outstanding Play | Peter Shaffer | Amadeus |
| Outstanding Play | Beth Henley | Crimes of the Heart |
| Outstanding Play | Bill C. Davis | Mass Appeal |
| Outstanding Set Design | John Lee Beatty | 5th of July |
| Outstanding Set Design | John Bury | Amadeus |
| Outstanding Set Design | Douglas Schmidt | Frankenstein |
| Outstanding Set Design | Wilford Leach, Bob Shaw | The Pirates of Penzance |
| Unique Theatrical Experience | Aaah Oui Genty! | |
| Unique Theatrical Experience | Paul Dooley | Amazin' Casey Stengel |
| Unique Theatrical Experience | Blackstone | |
| Unique Theatrical Experience | Jean Cocteau Repertory Company | Pericles |
| Unique Theatrical Experience | InterArt Theatre | Request Concert |
| Unique Theatrical Experience | Joseph Chaikin | Texts |
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