Ahead of kicking off its seventh season September 15, the United Solo Festival has announced the nominees for its 2016 Special Award. The winner will be announced at the closing ceremony of the festival in New York on November 20.

The nominees are Mike Birbiglia, Kathleen Chalfant, Staceyann Chin, Anne Hathaway, Dael Orlandersmith, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

Birbiglia was recognized for his autobiographical show Thank God For Jokes; Chalfant for her portrayal of Rose Kennedy in Laurence Leamer’s Rose; Chin for her acclaimed run of MotherStruck!,
directed by Cynthia Nixon; Hathaway for her performance in George Brant’s Grounded at the Public Theater; Orlandersmith for her haunting performance in Forever; Rubin-Vega for her transformation into an underground recluse in Aaron Mark’s Empanada Loca; and Ferguson for his Broadway run of Fully Committed.

Past Special Award recipients include Anna Deavere Smith (2010), Patti LuPone (2011), John Leguizamo (2012), Fiona Shaw (2013), Billy Crystal (2014) and James Lecesne (2015).

The world’s largest solo theatre festival will kick off September 15 and run through November 20 at Theatre Row, presenting over 120 shows from around the U.S. and the globe.

Tickets can be purchased at the Theatre Row Box Office, located at 410 West 42nd Street or over the phone at (212) 239-6200 and online at Telecharge.com. A full schedule can be found at UnitedSolo.org.