The 2016 recipients are Deaf West Theatre, represented on Broadway earlier this season with the revival of Spring Awakening, which will receive the Unique Contribution to the Theater Award; Tony, Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winner Sheldon Harnick, currently represented on Broadway with the revivals of Fiddler on the Roof and She Loves Me, who will receive the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award; and Olivier Award winner Ivo van Hove, who directed this season's Broadway productions of A View from the Bridge and The Crucible, who will receive The Founders Award for Excellence in Directing.
“Although we are technically the ones bestowing these honors, it feels like they are actually honoring us,” remarked executive director Gabriel Shanks. “Sheldon Harnick is a theatrical legend whose impact on our art form is indelible. Deaf West Theatre has enriched the cultural lives of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals for over two decades, and we are excited to recognize their innumerable contributions to the American theater. And we are thrilled to honor innovative director Ivo van Hove for his excellent work across the globe, including this season’s productions of A View From the Bridge and The Crucible on Broadway, Antigone at BAM, and Lazarus at New York Theatre Workshop.”
These Special Recognition Honors are in addition to the five competitive categories. The 2016 Drama League Nominees for Outstanding Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical and the Distinguished Performance Award will be announced April 20 at 11 AM at Sardi’s.
The 82nd Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon includes a nominees cocktail reception, luncheon and awards presentation and will be held at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in the Broadway Ballroom beginning at 11:30 AM.
For more information about the Drama League Awards, call (212) 244-9494 or visit www.dramaleague.org.
*
First awarded in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America. The Drama League Awards recognize distinguished productions, performances, and exemplary career achievements. The first Drama League Award was presented to Katharine Cornell in 1935; since then, the Distinguished Performance Award has been accorded to a roster of theatre legends such as Chita Rivera, Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Liam Neeson, Hugh Jackman, Patti LuPone, Glenn Close, Liev Schreiber, Sir John Gielgud, Harvey Fierstein, Cherry Jones, Alec Guinness, James Earl Jones, Helen Hayes, Jeremy Irons, Mary-Louise Parker, Sir Ian McKellen, Bernadette Peters, and Christopher Plummer.
