Kimberly Akimbo, Assassins, Prayer for the French Republic and The Chinese Lady were among the Off Broadway productions receiving multiple nominations for this year’s Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off Broadway, announced today.
Among the innovations in this year’s 37th Annual Lortel Awards are the first non-gendered performance categories, and the first-ever Lortel for Outstanding Ensemble. In the new Ensemble category, the inaugural nominees are the casts of English, Oratorio For Living Things, and Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992.
Kimberly Akimbo and Oratorio For Living Things scored the most nominations, with six each, while Black No More and On Sugarland received five. Assassins, Prayer for the French Republic and The Chinese Lady each have four nominations.
The awards will be handed out on Sunday, May 1, at NYU Skirball in Manhattan. The Lucille Lortel Awards are produced by the Off-Broadway League and Lucille Lortel Theatre, with additional support provided by TDF. As previously announced, special honorees this year include Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Deirdre O’Connell and Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee, David Henry Hwang.
The complete list of nominations follows.
2022 LUCILLE LORTEL AWARDS NOMINATIONS
Outstanding Play
Coal Country
Produced by Audible and The Public Theater Written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen
English
Produced by Atlantic Theater Company and Roundabout Theatre Company Written by Sanaz Toossi
Letters of Suresh
Produced by Second Stage Theater Written by Rajiv Joseph
On Sugarland
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop Written by Aleshea Harris
Prayer for the French Republic
Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club Written by Joshua Harmon
Outstanding Musical
Black No More
Produced by The New Group
Book by John Ridley, Lyrics by Tariq Trotter, Music by Tariq Trotter, Anthony Tidd, James Poyser, and Daryl Waters
Intimate Apparel
Produced by Lincoln Center Theater
Music by Ricky Ian Gordon, Libretto by Lynn Nottage
Kimberly Akimbo
Produced by Atlantic Theater Company
Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, Music by Jeanine Tesori, Based on the Play by David Lindsay-Abaire
Oratorio For Living Things
Produced by Ars Nova
By Heather Christian
Outstanding Revival
Assassins
Produced by Classic Stage Company
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by John Weidman, From an Idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr.
The Chinese Lady
Produced by Ma-Yi Theater Company, presented by The Public Theater, a Barrington Stage Company and Ma- Yi Theater Company production
Written by Lloyd Suh
Twilight: Lost Angeles, 1992
Produced by Signature Theatre
Written by Anna Deavere Smith
Outstanding Solo Show
Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop
Written and Performed by Kristina Wong
Little Girl Blue
Produced by Rashad V. Chambers, Willette & Manny Klausner, E. Clayton Cornelious/Joshua Morgan, Victoria Bondoc, McCabe Productions LLC, Live & In Color
Written by Laiona Michelle, Additional Materials by Devanand Janki, Music and Lyrics by Various Composers
Performed by Laiona Michelle
Outstanding Director
David Cromer – Prayer for the French Republic
John Doyle – Assassins
Lee Sunday Evans – Oratorio For Living Things
Taibi Magar – Twilight: Lost Angeles, 1992
Whitney White – On Sugarland
Outstanding Choreographer
Bill T. Jones – Black No More
Raja Feather Kelly – On Sugarland
Danny Mefford – Kimberly Akimbo
Josh Prince – Trevor: A New Musical
Randy Skinner – Cheek to Cheek: Irving Berlin in Hollywood
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play
Stephanie Berry – On Sugarland
W. Tré Davis – Tambo & Bones
Elizabeth Marvel – Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Shannon Tyo – The Chinese Lady
Mary Wiseman – At the Wedding
Outstanding Featured Performer in a Play
Abena – Nollywood Dreams
Betsy Aidem – Prayer for the French Republic
Francis Benhamou – Prayer for the French Republic
Jacob Ming-Trent – The Alchemist
Thom Sesma – Letters of Suresh
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical
Kearstin Piper Brown – Intimate Apparel
Victoria Clark – Kimberly Akimbo
Justin Cooley – Kimberly Akimbo
Tamika Lawrence – Black No More
Ahmad Maksoud – The Visitor
Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical
Steven Boyer – Kimberly Akimbo
Bonnie Milligan – Kimberly Akimbo
Ethan Slater – Assassins
Will Swenson – Assassins
Lillias White – Black No More
Outstanding Ensemble
English
Oratorio For Living Things
Twilight: Lost Angeles, 1992
Outstanding Scenic Design
Wilson Chin – Space Dogs
Marsha Ginsberg – English
Adam Rigg – cullud wattah
Adam Rigg – On Sugarland
David Rockwell, Christopher and Justin Swader – Seven Deadly Sins
Outstanding Costume Design
Ari Fulton – Confederates Gregory Gale – Fairycakes
Dominique Fawn Hill – Tambo & Bones
Márion Talán de la Rosa – Oratorio For Living Things
Catherine Zuber – Intimate Apparel
Outstanding Lighting Design
Isabella Byrd – Sanctuary City
Lap Chi Chu – Morning Sun
Jeff Croiter – Black No More
Stacey Derosier – sandblasted
Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew – Oratorio For Living Things
Outstanding Sound Design
Mikhail Fiksel – Tambo & Bones
Nick Kourtides – Oratorio For Living Things
Fabian Obispo – The Chinese Lady
Mikaal Sulaiman – Sanctuary City
Darron L West – Twilight: Lost Angeles, 1992
Outstanding Projection Design
David Bengali and Hana S. Kim – The Visitor
Shawn Duan – Letters of Suresh
Shawn Duan – The Chinese Lady
Yee Eun Nam – Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Caite Hevner – Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord
HONORARY AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement Award
Deirdre O’Connell
Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee
David Henry Hwang