Winners of the 71st annual Outer Critics Circle Awards for on and off Broadway

The winners of the 71st annual Outer Critics Circle Awards for outstanding achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway for the 2021-22 season were announced today (Tuesday, May 17). Originally begun during the 1949–1950 season, the awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national and digital publications, and other media outlets outside of NYC. In an addition to the winners in 27 competitive categories, including the John Gassner Award (recognizing an American play, preferably by a new playwright), Special Achievement Awards and Outer Critics Circle Commendations have also been announced for this year.

Leading the 2021-22 OCC Awards are Broadway’s The Lehman Trilogy with six wins, including Outstanding New Broadway Play, followed by Kimberly Akimbo with four awards, including Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical.

The winners and special recipients for the 2021-22 Outer Critics Circle Awards are:

Outstanding New Broadway Play: The Lehman Trilogy

Outstanding New Broadway Musical: Six

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play: Prayer for the French Republic

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical: Kimberly Akimbo

Outstanding Revival of a Play: Take Me Out

Outstanding Revival of a Musical: Company

Outstanding Actor in a Play: Simon Russell Beale, The Lehman Trilogy

Outstanding Actress in a Play: LaChanze, Trouble in Mind

Outstanding Actor in a Musical: Jaquel Spivey, A Strange Loop

Outstanding Actress in a Musical: Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo

VIctoria Clark in Kimberly Akimbo. Photo by Ahron R. Foster.

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Take Me Out

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Uzo Aduba, Clyde’s

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Matt Doyle, Company

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Patti LuPone, Company

Outstanding Solo Performance: Kristina Wong, Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord

Outstanding Direction of a Play: Sam Mendes, The Lehman Trilogy

Outstanding Direction of a Musical: Jessica Stone, Kimberly Akimbo

Outstanding Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon and Rich + Tone Talauega, MJ the Musical

Outstanding Book of a Musical: David Lindsay-Abaire, Kimberly Akimbo

Outstanding New Score: Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, Six

Outstanding Orchestrations: Jason Howland, Paradise Square

Outstanding Scenic Design: Adam Rigg, The Skin of Our Teeth

Outstanding Costume Design: Gabriella Slade, Six

Abby Mueller, Samantha Pauly, Adrianna Hicks, Andrea Macasaet, Brittney Mac, and Anna Uzele in Six. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Outstanding Lighting Design: Jon Clark, The Lehman Trilogy

Outstanding Projection Design: Luke Halls, The Lehman Trilogy

Outstanding Sound Design: Nick Powell and Dominic Bilkey, The Lehman Trilogy

John Gassner Award: English by Sanaz Toossi

Special Achievement Awards: Johanna Day, David Morse, Mary-Louise Parker, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson for reprising their outstanding performances in How I Learned to Drive and Lackawanna Blues two decades later. All had been eligible in previous seasons.

Outer Critics Circle Commendations: The Standbys, Understudies, and Swings of the theatrical community who step up to perform, often on hours’ notice, to keep their shows running; and The Covid Safety Supervisors, Managers, and Compliance Officers who put themselves in harm’s way eight times a week to keep the curtains up.

Congratulations to all the winners. The award recipients will be honored in a special live event on Thursday, May 26, at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here