The Lucille Lortel Awards, created by the Off-Broadway League in 1985, and presented annually to recognize Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway, will return to a live in-person celebration on Sunday, May 1, 2022, at 7:00 pm, at NYU Skirball, an 800-seat theater located in the heart of Greenwich Village on the New York University campus. This year’s special honorees will be acclaimed stage and screen star Deirdre O’Connell, who will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang, who will be inducted onto the famed Playwrights’ Sidewalk in front of the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
O’Connell received the 2020 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show for her performance in Dana H. at the Vineyard Theatre, then reprised the role on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre in Fall 2021. She has also received an OBIE for Sustained Excellence in Performance and a Lilly Award for Distinguished Service to Playwrights. Hwang is a 2020 Lucille Lortel Award nominee for Outstanding Musical for his show Soft Power, which premiered at the Public Theater. He won the 1988 Tony Award for Best Play for M. Butterfly, most recently revived on Broadway in 2017, and is a three-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Hwang sits on the board of the American Theatre Wing, where he has served as Chair, and on the Council of the Dramatists Guild.
It has also been announced that the awards for acting are longer being defined by gender. The actor and actress categories for both musicals and plays are now Outstanding Lead Performer and Outstanding Supporting Performer. In addition, the newly created category of Outstanding Ensemble will be presented for the first time. Awards may be given in the categories of Play, Musical, Solo Show, Revival, Alternative Theatrical Experience, Director, Choreographer, Lead Performer in a Play and Musical, Featured Performer in a Play and Musical, Ensemble, Scenic, Costume, Lighting, Sound, and Projection Design. Key dates for the 2021-22 awards season are as follows: March 31 – Season Cut-off for Eligibility; April 6 – Nominations Meeting; April 7 – Nominations Announcement live at noon via Playbill.
The Lucille Lortel Awards are produced by the Off-Broadway League and Lucille Lortel Theatre, with additional support provided by TDF, a non-profit service organization founded in 1968, and widely known for its TKTS Discount Ticket Booths, to sustain live theater by engaging a diverse audience and eliminating barriers to attendance.
37th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards will be presented in-person on Sunday, May 1, 2022, at 7:00 pm, at NYU Skirball, 566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square, NYC. For tickets, go online beginning on April 7. All New York University guidelines regarding COVID-19 protocol at the time of the event will be enforced.
