The 39th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway were handed out May 5th to recipients in 16 categories, with three honorary awards also bestowed. The Awards were distributed in a ceremony at NYU Skirball hosted by stars of stage and screen: Rosalind Chao (Atlantic Theater Company’s “What Became of Us”), Jenn Colella (“SUFFS”), Michael Esper (Drama Desk Award nominee, “Appropriate”), Eden Espinosa (Tony Award nominee, “Lempicka”), Nikki M. James (Tony & Lortel Award nominee, “SUFFS”), and BD Wong (Atlantic Theater Company’s “What Became of Us”). The Lucille Lortel Awards are produced by the Off-Broadway League and Lucille Lortel Theatre, with additional support provided by TDF.
Special honorees this year included Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Ruben Santiago-Hudson, presented by Phylicia Rashad; Playwrights’ Sidewalk inductee Dominique Morisseau, presented by Kamilah Forbes; and Ars Nova, honored for their Outstanding Body of Work with a presentation by award-winning director Anne Kauffman. The complete list below. www.LortelAwards.org
NOMINEES AND RECIPIENTS OF THE 2024 LUCILLE LORTEL AWARDS
*Please note: all nominees are listed with the award recipient in BOLD.
Outstanding Play
The Comeuppance
Produced by Signature Theatre
Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Plays For The Plague Year
Produced by The Public Theater
Written by Suzan-Lori Parks
Primary Trust
Produced by Roundabout Theatre Company
Written by Eboni Booth
Stereophonic
Produced by Playwrights Horizons
Written by David Adjmi and Will Butler
Wet Brain
Produced by Playwrights Horizons and MCC Theater
Written by John J. Caswell, Jr.
Outstanding Musical
(pray)
Produced by Ars Nova and National Black Theatre
Created by nicHi douglas, with music by S T A R R Busby and JJJJJerome Ellis
Buena Vista Social Club
Produced by Atlantic Theater Company
Book by Marco Ramirez, Music by Buena Vista Social Club
Dead Outlaw
Produced by Audible Theater
Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek & Erik Della Penna, Book by Itamar Moses, Conceived by David Yazbek
Hell’s Kitchen
Produced by The Public Theater
Music and Lyrics by Alicia Keys, Book by Kristoffer Diaz
Teeth
Produced by Playwrights Horizons
Book and Music by Anna K. Jacobs, Book and Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson
Outstanding Revival
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea
Produced by 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
Written by John Patrick Shanley
I Can Get It for You Wholesale
Produced by Classic Stage Company
Book by Jerome Weidman (based on his novel), Music and Lyrics by Harold Rome, Book revisions by John Weidman
Philadelphia, Here I Come!
Produced by Irish Repertory Theatre
Written by Brian Friel
Sunset Baby
Produced by Signature Theatre
Written by Dominique Morisseau
Translations
Produced by Irish Repertory Theatre
Written by Brian Friel
Outstanding Solo Show
All The Devils Are Here – How Shakespeare Invented the Villain
Produced by Mara Isaacs, Thomas M. Neff, Willette and Manny Klausner, 42nd.Club, Daryl Roth
Written and Performed by Patrick Page
I Love You So Much I Could Die
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop
Written and Performed by Mona Pirnot
Make Me Gorgeous!
Produced by triangle productions!
Written by Donnie, Additional Material by Wade McCollum
Performed by Wade McCollum
Sorry For Your Loss
Produced by Audible
Written and Performed by Michael Cruz Kayne
Triple Threat
Produced by Brendan Gaul, Brett Henenberg, James T. Lane, and T32 Theatrical
Written and Performed by James T. Lane
Outstanding Director
Daniel Aukin – Stereophonic
David Cromer – Dead Outlaw
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
Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck – Buena Vista Social Club
nicHi douglas – (pray)
Raja Feather Kelly – Teeth
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play
Christopher Abbott – Danny and the Deep Blue Sea
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
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
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
Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical
Shoshana Bean – Hell’s Kitchen
Rodrick Covington – Rock & Roll Man
Kecia Lewis – Hell’s Kitchen
Jessica Molaskey – The Connector
Steven Pasquale – Teeth
Mel Semé – Buena Vista Social Club
Thom Sesma – Dead Outlaw
Outstanding Ensemble
(pray)
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, 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
Kate Noll – Wet Brain
David Zinn – Stereophonic
Outstanding Costume Design
Dede Ayite – Buena Vista Social Club
Enver Chakartash – Stereophonic
Linda Cho – The Half-God of Rainfall
DeShon Elem – (pray)
Lux Haac – Manahatta
Outstanding Lighting Design
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
Ryan Rumery – Stereophonic
Mikaal Sulaiman – (pray)
Outstanding Projection Design
59 Productions – Corruption
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
AWARD RECIPIENTS 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 |