The Drama Leauge announced the nominations for the 2022 Drama League Awards on Monday morning. Deneé Benton and André DeShields announced the nominees at this morning’s official event at The New York Library for the Performing Arts. The Drama League honors both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions in their annual celebration. Winners will be announced at the 88th Annual Drama League Awards, which will be held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on Friday, May 20.
While the League doles out four production prizes, what makes them unique is their “Distinguished Performance” award. Up to fifty performers are nominated for the honor each year in a category that combines roles of all genders and sizes. An actor can only win this prize once in their career, and once they have prevailed they can not be nominated again. This year, forty three performers contend in the category.
This year, the Drama League Awards will feature the debut of two new categories: Outstanding Direction of a Play and Outstanding Direction of a Musical. “The important mission of The Drama League is to provide a life-long creative home and support for directors,” says artistic director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks. Lifting up directors’ vital contributions to the creative process is a long-held dream of ours, and we’re thrilled to partner with our 400+ alumni directors in celebrating their talent for audiences worldwide.”
Anyone looking towards this list of nominees for potential Tony Awards tea leaves should consider some important distinctions. “Skeleton Crew” was deemed a revival with this group, since the 2016 Off-Broadway run was already considered for their new play category. Additionally, The Broadway revival of “Macbeth” and the Off-Broadway production of “The Vagrant Trilogy” were not able to meet the cut off dates for eligibility and will therefore be considered for next season’s awards.
The full list of nominations is below:
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
“Clyde’s”
Written by Lynn Nottage
Directed by Kate Whoriskey
“Confederates”
Written by Dominique Morisseau
Directed by Stori Ayers
“Dana H.”
Written by Lucas Hnath; Adapted from Interviews with Dana Higginbotham; Interviews Conducted by Steve Cosson
Directed by Les Waters
“English”
Written by Sanaz Toossi
Directed by Knud Adams
“Hangmen”
Written by Martin McDonagh
Directed by Matthew Dunster
“The Lehman Trilogy”
Written by Stefano Massini; Adapted by Ben Power
Directed by Sam Mendes
“Merry Wives”
Written By William Shakespeare
Adapted by Jocelyn Bioh
“The Minutes”
Written by Tracy Letts
Directed by Anna D. Shapiro
“POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive”
Written by Selina Fillinger
Directed by Susan Stroman
“Prayer for the French Republic”
Written by Joshua Harmon
Directed by David Cromer
“Selling Kabul”
Written by Sylvia Khoury
Directed by Tyne Rafaeli
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
“American Buffalo”
Written by David Mamet
Directed by Neil Pepe
“Cyrano De Bergerac”
Written by Edmond Rostand
In a new version by Martin Crimp
Directed by Jamie Lloyd
“for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”
Written by Ntozake Shange
Directed by Camille A. Brown
“How I Learned to Drive”
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
Written by Paula Vogel
Directed by Mark Brokaw
“Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
Written by Eugene O’Neill
Directed by Robert O’Hara
“Skeleton Crew”
Written by Dominique Morisseau
Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson
“The Skin of Our Teeth”
Written by Thornton Wilder, Additional material by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz
“Take Me Out”
Written by Richard Greenberg
Directed by Scott Ellis
“Trouble in Mind”
Written by Alice Childress
Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
“David Byrne’s American Utopia”
Music by David Byrne
“The Hang”
Book & Lyrics by Taylor Mac
Music by Matt Ray
Directed by Niegel Smith
“Kimberly Akimbo”
Book & Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Directed by Jessica Stone
“MJ: The Musical”
Book by Lynn Nottage
Directed by Christopher Wheeldon
“Mr. Saturday Night”
Book by Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel
Music by Jason Robert Brown; Lyrics by Amanda Green
Directed by John Rando
“Mrs. Doubtfire”
Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell
Music by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick; Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick
Directed by Jerry Zaks
“Oratorio For Living Things”
Composed and created by Heather Christian
Directed by Lee Sunday Evans
“SIX”
Book, Music, Lyrics by Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss
Directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage
“A Strange Loop”
Book, Music, Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson
Directed by Stephen Brackett
“SUFFS”
Book, Music, Lyrics by Shaina Taub
Directed by Leigh Silverman
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
“Assassins”
Book by John Weidman
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Directed by John Doyle
“Company”
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George Furth
Directed by Marianne Elliott
“Caroline, or Change”
Book & Lyrics by Tony Kushner
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Directed by Michael Longhurst
“Funny Girl”
Music by Jule Styne
Lyrics by Bob Merrill
Book by Isobel Lennart
Revised Book by Harvey Fierstein
Directed by Michael Mayer
“The Music Man”
Book, Music & Lyrics by Meredith Willson
Story by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey
Directed by Jerry Zaks
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Knud Adams, “English”
Atlantic Theater Company and Roundabout Theatre Company
Saheem Ali, “Merry Wives”
The Public Theater / New York Shakespeare Festival=
Stori Ayers, “Confederates”
Signature Theatre
Camille A. Brown, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”
Booth Theatre
Matthew Dunster, “Hangmen”
John Golden Theatre
Jamie Lloyd, Cyrano de Bergerac”
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Sam Mendes, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Nederlander Theatre
Tyne Rafaeli, “Selling Kabul”
Playwrights Horizons
Taylor Reynolds, “Tambo & Bones”
Playwrights Horizons
Les Waters, “Dana H.”
Lyceum Theatre
Kate Whoriskey, “Clyde’s”
Second Stage Theatre
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
John Doyle, “Assassins”
Classic Stage Company
Marianne Elliott, “Company”
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
Lee Sunday Evans, Oratorio For Living Things”
Ars Nova
Michael Mayer, “Funny Girl”
August Wilson Theatre
Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, “SIX”
Brooks Atkinson Theatre
Leigh Silverman, “Suffs”
The Public Theater
Niegel Smith, “The Hang”
HERE Arts Center
Christopher Wheeldon, “MJ: The Musical”
Neil Simon Theatre
Jerry Zaks, “The Music Man”
Winter Garden Theatre
NOMINEES FOR THE DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD
Uzo Aduba, “Clyde’s”
Simon Russell Beale, ‘The Lehman Trilogy”
Shoshana Bean, “Mr. Saturday Night”
Gabby Beans, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
Victoria Clark, “Kimberly Akimbo”
Sharon D. Clarke, “Caroline, or Change”
Billy Crystal, “Mr. Saturday Night”
Matt Doyle, “Company”
Rachel Dratch, “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive”
Edie Falco, “Morning Sun”
Tyler Fauntleroy, “Tambo & Bones”
Beanie Feldstein, “Funny Girl”
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, “Take Me Out”
Sutton Foster, “The Music Man”
Myles Frost, “MJ: The Musical”
Adrianna Hicks, “SIX”
Marin Ireland, “Morning Sun”
Nikki M. James, “SUFFS”
Ron Cephas Jones, “Clyde’s”
Joaquina Kalukango, “Paradise Square”
LaChanze, “Trouble in Mind”
L Morgan Lee, “A Strange Loop”
Jane Lynch, “Funny Girl”
Taylor Mac, “The Hang”
Brittney Mack, SIX”
Ebony Marshall-Oliver, “7 Minutes”
Elizabeth Marvel, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
James McAvoy, “Cyrano de Bergerac”
Rob McClure, “Mrs. Doubtfire”
Kenita R. Miller, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”
Bonnie Milligan, “Kimberly Akimbo”
David Morse, “How I Learned to Drive”
Deirdre O’Connell, “Dana H.”
Sarah Jessica Parker, “Plaza Suite”
Phylicia Rashad, “Skeleton Crew”
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, “Lackawanna Blues”
Arturo Luis Soria, “Ni Mi Madre”
Jaquel Spivey, “A Strange Loop”
Cecily Strong, “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe”
Will Swenson, “Assassins”
Julie White, “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive”
Jesse Williams, “Take Me Out”
Michelle Wilson, “Confederates”
The Drama League also wishes to acknowledge the previous recipients of the Distinguished Performance Award who appeared in Broadway or Off-Broadway productions this season. As the Award can only be won once in a performer’s lifetime, they are ineligible to be nominated; however, their exemplary work is recognized and applauded:
Hugh Jackman, “The Music Man”
Patti LuPone, “Company”
Mary-Louise Parker, “How I Learned To Drive”
SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS (previously announced)
Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre – Hugh Jackman
Founders Award for Excellence in Directing – Lileana Blain-Cruz
Contribution to the Theater – Billy Crystal
The Gratitude Award – Willette Murphy Klausner
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