The 2016 Lucille Lortel Awards - And the Winners are...

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

The winners of the 31st Annual Lucille Lortel Awards for outstanding achievement Off-Broadway have been revealed at today's awards ceremony at NYU Skirball Center.

Rajiv Joseph's Guards at the Taj led the pack with a total of four wins, including Outstanding Play, whilst César Alvarez's Futurity won Outstanding Musical, The Robber Bridegroom picked up the award for Outstanding Revival, and the Anne Hathaway-led Grounded won Outstanding Solo Show.

The following special awards were also presented at this year's ceremony:

  • Lifetime Achievement Award: James Houghton
  • Outstanding Alternative Theatrical Experience: Angel Reapers by Martha Clarke and Alfred Uhry and Peter Nigrini, Projection Design, Grounded
  • Playwrights' Sidewalk Inductee: Suzan-Lori Parks
The 2016 winners by category are listed below: (**Winners are listed in bold font**)

Outstanding Play

  • The Christians
    written by Lucas Hnath
  • Eclipsed
    Written by Danai Gurira
  • Gloria
    Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
  • Guards at the Taj
    Written by Rajiv Joseph
  • John
    Written by Annie Baker

Outstanding Musical

  • Futurity
    Music by César Alvarez with The Lisps, Lyrics and Book by César Alvarez
  • Iowa
    Book by Jenny Schwartz, Music by Todd Almond, Lyrics by Todd Almond and Jenny Schwartz
  • Southern Comfort
    Book and Lyrics by Dan Collins, Music by Julianne Wick Davis, Based on the Film by Kate Davis, Conceived for the Stage by Robert DuSold and Thomas Caruso
  • Tappin' Thru Life
    Written by Maurice Hines
  • The Wildness: Sky-Pony's Rock Fairy Tale
    Text by Kyle Jarrow & Lauren Worsham, Songs by Kyle Jarrow

Outstanding Revival

  • 'Tis Pity She's a Whore
    Written by John Ford
  • Cloud Nine
    Written by Caryl Churchill
  • Mother Courage And Her Children
    Written by Bertolt Brecht, Translated by John Willett
  • The Robber Bridegroom
    Book and Lyrics by Alfred Uhry, Music by Robert Waldman
  • Women Without Men
    Written by Hazel Ellis

Outstanding Solo Show

  • The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
    Written and Performed by James Lecesne
  • Forever
    Created and Performed by Dael Orlandersmith
  • Grounded
    Written by George Brant, Performed by Anne Hathaway
  • Mike Birbiglia: Thank God For Jokes
    Written and Performed by Mike Birbiglia

Outstanding Director

  • Rachel Chavkin: The Royale
  • Anne Kauffman: Marjorie Prime
  • Amy Morton: Guards at the Taj
  • Liesl Tommy: Eclipsed
  • Eric Tucker: Bedlam's Sense & Sensibility

Outstanding Choreographer

  • Alexandra Beller: Bedlam's Sense & Sensibility
  • Martha Clarke: Angel Reapers
  • Maurice Hines: Tappin' Thru Life
  • Paul McGill: The Legend of Georgia McBride
  • David Neumann: Futurity

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play

  • Denis Arndt: Heisenberg
  • Reed Birney: The Humans
  • Timothée Chalamet: Prodigal Son
  • Andrew Garman: The Christians
  • Ed Harris: Buried Child

Outstanding Lead Actress in a play

  • Ito Aghayere: Familiar
  • Georgia Engel: John
  • Jayne Houdyshell: The Humans
  • Chinasa Ogbuagu: Sojourners
  • Phylicia Rashad: Head of Passes

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical

  • Gabriel Ebert: Preludes
  • Michael C. Hall: Lazarus
  • Maurice Hines: Tappin' Thru Life
  • Michael Luwoye: Invisible Thread
  • Steven Pasquale: The Robber Bridegroom

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical

  • Sophia Anne Caruso: Lazarus
  • Alison Fraser: First Daughter Suite
  • Annette O'Toole: Southern Comfort
  • Mary Testa: First Daughter Suite
  • Sammy Tunis: Futurity

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play

  • Sanjit De Silva: Dry Powder
  • Jonathan Hogan: Hold On To Me Darling
  • Matt McGrath: The Legend of Georgia McBride
  • Paul Sparks: Buried Child
  • C.J. Wilson: Hold On To Me Darling

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

  • Alana Arenas: Head of Passes
  • Lauren Klein: The Humans
  • Jeanine Serralles: Gloria
  • Lois Smith: John
  • Myra Lucretia Taylor: Familiar

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical

  • Greg Hildreth: The Robber Bridegroom
  • Jeffrey Kuhn: Southern Comfort
  • Or Matias: Preludes
  • Chris Sarandon: Preludes
  • Kevin Zak: Clinton the Musical

    Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

    • Eisa Davis: Preludes
    • Karen Kandel: Futurity
    • Leslie Kritzer: Gigantic
    • Leslie Kritzer: The Robber Bridegroom
    • Annie McNamara: Iowa

    Outstanding Scenic Design

    • Mimi Lien: John
    • Timothy R. Mackabee: Guards at the Taj
    • G.W. Mercier: Head of Passes
    • Emily Orling and Matt Saunders: Futurity
    • David Zinn: The Humans

    Outstanding Costume Design

    • Martha Hally: Women Without Men
    • Toni-Leslie James: First Daughter Suite
    • Clint Ramos: Eclipsed
    • Anita Yavich: The Legend of Georgia McBride
    • Donna Zakowska: Angel Reapers

    Outstanding Lighting Design

    • Christopher Akerlind: Grounded
    • Mark Barton: John
    • Ben Stanton: The Legend of Georgia McBride
    • Justin Townsend: The Humans
    • David Weiner: Guards at the Taj

    Outstanding Sound Design

    • Matt Hubbs: The Royale
    • Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen: Guards at the Taj
    • Fitz Patton: The Humans
    • Will Pickens: Grounded
    • Bray Poor: Buzzer

    The 2016 Lucille Lortel Awards voting committee was appointed by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres & Producers, the Lucille Lortel Foundation, Actors' Equity Association, the Society of Stage Directors & Choreographers, and the Lucille Lortel Foundation, and included theatre journalists, academics and other Off-Broadway professionals.

    Awarded since 1986, the Lucille Lortel Awards are produced by the League by special arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Foundation.

    - by Tom Millward

Outstanding PlayOutstanding Musical

Originally published on

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