The League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers instituted the Lucille Lortel Awards to recognize excellence in the Off-Broadway arena and to honor Lucille Lortel's devotion to Off-Broadway. Awarded annually since 1986, the Lortel Awards are produced by the League in association with the Lucille Lortel Foundation. Additional support is provided by Theatre Development Fund.

Recent recipients of Lortel Awards include: Tony Kushner, Edward Albee, Jane Alexander, Alan Bates, Uta Hagen, Ed Harris, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Eileen Heckart, Cherry Jones, Nathan Lane, John Leguizamo, Julianna Margulies, Arthur Miller, Mary Louise Parker, Jason Robards, Mark Ruffalo, Anna Devere Smith, Susan Stroman and Eli Wallach.

The Lucille Lortel Awards nominating/voting committee includes representatives of the Off-Broadway League, the Lortel Foundation, Actors' Equity Association, Society of Stage Directors & Choreographers, journalists, educators, and other artistic contributors to Off-Broadway.

LORTEL AWARDS ELIGIBILITY

Rules of Eligibility for Nomination:

  • Legitimate Theatrical Off-Broadway Productions, which must officially register an opening date with the League, in a season that runs from April 1st to March 31st
  • Production must have a minimum run of 21 performances in an eligible Off-Broadway theatre, inclusive of previews, and nominating committee must be invited to at least 8 performances, and offered a pair of complimentary tickets.
  • Production must be presented in an eligible Off-Broadway theatre, with seating between 100 and 499.
  • Production must be:
  • 1) A League Member in good standing -OR-
    2) A Registered Participant for the Lortel Awards; Operating under a lower-level AEA agreement, a LORT agreement or outside the jurisdiction of AEA.
  • Productions that are not League members must contribute a registration fee equal to the dues that would otherwise be applicable to their category of membership. This registration does not entitle the production to any benefits of the League.
  • The foregoing notwithstanding, any production may be nominated for eligibility by a majority of the Nominating Committee with the approval of the Administration Committee. The Lortel Awards Administration Committee determines rules, and questions of eligibility, and is comprised of the entire Board of Directors of the League with rules subject to approval by The Lucille Lortel Foundation.

The Nominating & Voting Committee ideally will be comprised of 16 people, who must see all eligible productions, by invitation:

2  AEA Representatives chosen by AEA
2  SSDC Representatives chosen by SSDC
2  Critics/Journalists chosen by the Lucille Lortel Foundation
3  Lortel Foundation Representatives chosen by the Lucille Lortel Foundation
3  League Board of Directors Members chosen by the League BOD
2-6  Theatre Professionals including, but not limited to, writers and designers chosen by League Board of Directors.
2  Representatives of Local Academia, of which one will be chosen by League Board of Directors, and the other chosen by the Lucille Lortel Foundation.

The Categories (any of which may be eliminated in a given season at the determination of the Nominating/Voting Committee):

· Outstanding Play
· Outstanding Musical
· Outstanding Revival
· Outstanding Direction
· Outstanding Choreography/Musical Staging/Movement
· Lead Actor*
· Lead Actress*
· Featured Actor*
· Featured Actress*
· Outstanding Scenic Design
· Outstanding Costume Design
· Outstanding Lighting Design
· Outstanding Sound Design
· Unique Theatrical Experience
· Body of Work (awarded to an Institution)
· Lifetime Achievement Award
· Edith Oliver Award for Sustained Excellence (awarded to an Individual)
*Submissions in these categories to be determined by the show's producer, or by the Administration Committee, if the producer declines to make the determination.

Lucille Lortel Awards Registration Form

Lucille Lortel Awards

Lucille Lortel Foundation