Winners of this year's Lucille Lortel Awards, recognizing the best of Off-Broadway, were named in a ceremony at NYU Skirball May 5, with (pray) from Ars Nova and National Black Theatre leading with three wins including Outstanding Musical. Outstanding Play was awarded to Signature Theatre's The Comeuppance.
Playwrights Horizons and MCC Theater's Wet Brain went into the evening the most nominated production of the season, but only won two of the eight categories in which it was nominated. The production took Outstanding Scenic Design for Kate Noll, and Projection Design for Nick Hussong.
Written, directed, and choreographed by nicHi douglas, (pray) played a run at Ars Nova at Greenwich House last year. The musical, a choreopoem dedicated to the complex relationship between Black womxn and their spirituality, features music by S T A R R Busby and JJJJJerome Ellis. Along with Outstanding Musical, the production won for its direction (douglas) and ensemble (Ariel Kayla Blackwood, S T A R R Busby, Ashley De La Rosa, Tina Fabrique, Satori Folkes-Stone, Amara Granderson, Taylor Symone Jackson, Ziiomi Louise Law, Aigner Mizzelle, Gayle Turner, Darnell White, and D. Woods).
Outstanding Play winner The Comeuppance also won for Amith Chandrashaker's lighting design. The work, which made its world premiere at Signature last year, is currently making its U.K. debut via Almeida Theatre in London.
The evening also saw several non-competitive honors handed out, including a Lifetime Achievement Award for actor-director Ruben Santiago-Hudson, a Playwrights' Sidewalk Award for Dominique Morisseau, and an Outstanding Body of Work Award for Off-Broadway nonprofit theatre Ars Nova.
Produced by the Off-Broadway League and Lucille Lortel Theatre with additional support provided by TDF, this year's ceremony is again directed by Michael Heitzman, helming the evening for the 13th consecutive year. Heitzman is joined by co-director Terry Berliner.
The awards are produced by The Off-Broadway League's Lortel Awards Producing and Administration Committee, comprising Jeremy Adams, Alana Canty-Samuel, Tisa Chang, Carol Fishman, George Forbes, Kenneth Naanep, Ralph Peña, Catherine Russell, Michael Sag, Jonathan Whitton, and Casey York, along with chair Jeffrey Shubart.
The evening was also a benefit for The Entertainment Community Fund. Fans are encouraged to make their own donations via LortelAwards.org.
See the full list of winners below:
Outstanding Play
WINNER - The Comeuppance, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Plays for the Plague Year, by Suzan-Lori Parks
Primary Trust, by Eboni Booth
Stereophonic, by David Adjmi
Wet Brain, by John J. Caswell, Jr.
READ: How the Company Cast Recording Documentary Inspired Stereophonic
Outstanding Musical
WINNER - (pray), by nicHi douglas, with music by S T A R R Busby and JJJJJerome Ellis
Buena Vista Social Club, book by Marco Ramirez, music by Buena Vista Social Club
Dead Outlaw, by David Yazbek, music and lyrics by Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, book by Itamar Moses
Hell's Kitchen, music and lyrics by Alicia Keys, book by Kristoffer Diaz
Teeth, book and music by Anna K. Jacobs, book and lyrics by Michael R. Jackson
Outstanding Revival
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Play Hooky Productions, Seaview, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Jayne Baron Sherman, Stella La Rue, Roth-Manella Productions, Sony Music Masterworks, Jillian Robbins, David Binder, Folk Productions, Antonio Marion, Daniel Schwartz, Wessex Grove, Stephanie Choate, Hillary Wyatt
I Can Get It for You Wholesale, Classic Stage Company
Philadelphia, Here I Come!, Irish Repertory Theatre Company
Sunset Baby, Signature Theatre Company
WINNER - Translations, Irish Repertory Theatre Company
READ: Alicia Keys Has Been Working on Her Musical Hell's Kitchen For a Decade
Outstanding Solo Show
WINNER - All the Devils Are Here - How Shakespeare Invented the Villain, written and performed by Patrick Page
I Love You So Much I Could Die, written and performed by Mona Pirnot
Make Me Gorgeous!, written by Donnie with additional material by Wade McCollum, performed by McCollum
Sorry for Your Loss, written and performed by Michael Cruz Kayne
Triple Threat, written and performed by James T. Lane
Outstanding Director
Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic
David Cromer, Dead Outlaw
WINNER - nicHi douglas, (pray)
Eric Ting, The Comeuppance
Dustin Wills, Wet Brain
Outstanding Choreographer
Camille A. Brown, Hell's Kitchen
Graciela Daniele and Alex Sanchez, The Gardens of Anuncia
WINNER - Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, Buena Vista Social Club
nicHi douglas, (pray)
Raja Feather Kelly, Teeth
READ: Hell is Empty: Patrick Page on Villains and Vices
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play
Christopher Abbott, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea
WINNER - Gabby Beans, Jonah
William Jackson Harper, Primary Trust
Nicole Ari Parker, The Refuge Plays
Josh Radnor, The Ally
A.J. Shively, Philadelphia, Here I Come!
Paco Tolson, The Knight of the Burning Pestle
Outstanding Featured Performer in a Play
Arnie Burton, Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors
WINNER - Eli Gelb, Stereophonic
Carmen M. Herlihy, The Apiary
Florencia Lozano, Wet Brain
Julio Monge, Wet Brain
Bubba Weiler, Swing State
Frank Wood, Toros
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical
WINNER - Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club
Jeb Brown, Dead Outlaw
Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw
Santino Fontana, I Can Get It for You Wholesale
Priscilla Lopez, The Gardens of Anuncia
Alyse Alan Louis, Teeth
Maleah Joi Moon, Hell’s Kitchen
READ: To William Jackson Harper, Acting On Stage Is 'Awful,' But He Finds Value In the Process
Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical
Shoshana Bean, Hell's Kitchen
Rodrick Covington, Rock & Roll Man
WINNER - Kecia Lewis, Hell’s Kitchen
Jessica Molaskey, The Connector
Steven Pasquale, Teeth
Mel Semé, Buena Vista Social Club
Thom Sesma, Dead Outlaw
Outstanding Ensemble
WINNER - (pray) - Ariel Kayla Blackwood, S T A R R Busby, Ashely De La Rosa, Tina Fabrique, Satori Folkes-Stone, Amara Granderson, Taylor Symone Jackson, Ziiomi Louise Law, Aigner Mizzelle, Gayle Turner, Darnell White, D. Woods
The Comeuppance - Brittany Bradford, Caleb Eberhardt, Susannah Flood, Bobby Moreno, Shannon Tyo
Flex - Brittany Bellizeare, Christiana Clark, Eboni Edwards, Renita Lewis, Erica Matthews, Ciara Monique, Tamera Tomakili
Outstanding Scenic Design
Jason Ardizzone-West, shadow/land
Arnulfo Maldonado, Buena Vista Social Club
Arnulfo Maldonado, Dead Outlaw
WINNER - Kate Noll, Wet Brain
David Zinn, Stereophonic
READ: 'It's Gonna Be Hard': Gabby Beans and Rachel Bonds on the Beautiful Challenge of Jonah
Outstanding Costume Design
Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club
Enver Chakartash, Stereophonic
Linda Cho, The Half-God of Rainfall
DeShon Elem, (pray)
WINNER - Lux Haac, Manahatta
Outstanding Lighting Design
WINNER - Amith Chandrashaker, The Comeuppance
Jiyoun Chang, Stereophonic
Jen Schriever, Spain
Cha See, Wet Brain
John Torres, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea
Outstanding Sound Design
Tei Blow & John Gasper, Wet Brain
Jonathan Deans, Buena Vista Social Club
Palmer Hefferan, The Comeuppance
WINNER - Ryan Rumery, Stereophonic
Mikaal Sulaiman, (pray)
READ: Dead Outlaw Composer David Yazbek Uses a Dead Body for a Lesson in Living
Outstanding Projection Design
59 Productions, Corruption
WINNER - Nick Hussong, Wet Brain
Jared Mezzocchi, Poor Yella Rednecks
Jared Mezzocchi, Russian Troll Farm
Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, The Connector
Honorary Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award: Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee: Dominique Morisseau
Outstanding Body of Work: Ars Nova
Awards by Show:
(pray) - 3
Buena Vista Social Club - 2
The Comeuppance - 2
Stereophonic - 2
Wet Brain - 2
All the Devils Are Here - How Shakespeare Invented the Villain - 1
Hell's Kitchen - 1
Jonah - 1
Manahatta - 1
Translations - 1
This year's Lortels considered Off-Broadway productions that opened between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024. The awards are voted on by representatives of the theatrical unions, the Off-Broadway League, theatre journalists, academics, and other Off-Broadway professionals.
Visit LortelAwards.org.
