By Sandi Durell and Melissa Griegel . . .
On June 14, the Drama Desk Awards were hosted by Renee Elise Goldsberry at Sardi’s and a who’s who of presenters (Charles Busch, Kerry Butler, Liz Callaway, Lileana Blain-Cruz, Max von Essen, Santino Fontana,Jessica Hecht, Brittney Johnson, Leslie Kritzer, Derek McLane, Heidi Schreck, Talia Suskauer and Sanaz Toosi) honored the many recipients of the 66th Annual Drama Desk Awards. Casts of Little Shop of Horrors, Harmony and The Broadway Boys performed.
Drama Desk considers shows that opened on and Off Broadway as well as off-off Broadway between July 2, 2021 and May 1,2022 as eligible, all voted upon by theater critics, journalists, editors and publishers covering theater. The nominating committee includes Martha Wade Steketee, Peter Filichia, Kenji Fujishima, Michael Porter II, Anyanna Prescod, Zachary Stewart, and Diep Tran.
Matt Doyle
Photos are by Melissa Griegel and video interviews and edits by Sandi Durell
(Lead Photo: Matt Doyle – Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Company)
The full list of nominees and winners :
Outstanding Play
Cullud Wattah, by Erika Dickerson-Despenza, The Public Theater
English, by Sanaz Toossi, Atlantic Theater Company
**Prayer for the French Republic, by Joshua Harmon, Manhattan Theatre Club
Sanctuary City, by Martyna Majok, New York Theatre Workshop
Selling Kabul, by Sylvia Khoury, Playwrights Horizons
The Chinese Lady, by Lloyd Suh, The Public Theater
Outstanding Musical
Harmony, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene
Intimate Apparel, Lincoln Center Theater
**Kimberly Akimbo, Atlantic Theater Company
Six
The Hang, HERE Arts CenterOutstanding Revival of a Play
for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf
**How I Learned to Drive, Manhattan Theatre Club
Lackawanna Blues, Manhattan Theatre Club
Skeleton Crew, Manhattan Theatre Club
Trouble in Mind, Roundabout Theatre Company
Twilight: Lost Angeles, 1992, Signature Theatre
Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Assassins, Classic Stage Company
Baby, Out of the Box Theatrics
Caroline, or Change, Roundabout Theatre Company
**Company
Outstanding Actor in a Play
Brandon J. Dirden, Skeleton Crew, Manhattan Theatre Club
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Take Me Out, Second Stage Theater
Jacob Ming-Trent, Merry Wives, The Public Theater (Free Shakespeare in the Park)
**Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Lackawanna Blues, Manhattan Theatre Club
John Douglas Thompson, The Merchant of Venice, Theatre for a New Audience
Outstanding Actress in a Play
Tala Ashe, English, Atlantic Theater Company
Ruth Negga, Macbeth
Andrea Patterson, Cullud Wattah, The Public Theater
**Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew, Manhattan Theatre Club
Shannon Tyo, The Chinese Lady, The Public Theater
Michelle Wilson, Confederates, Signature Theatre
Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Billy Crystal, Mr. Saturday Night
Myles Frost, MJ
Rob McClure, Mrs. Doubtfire
**Jaquel Spivey, A Strange Loop
Chip Zien, Harmony, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene
Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Kearstin Piper Brown, Intimate Apparel, Lincoln Center Theater
Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo, Atlantic Theater Company
Sharon D. Clarke, Caroline, or Change, Roundabout Theatre Company
Jeanna de Waal, Diana
**Joaquina Kalukango, Paradise Square
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Joshua Boone, Skeleton Crew, Manhattan Theatre Club
Chuck Cooper, Trouble in Mind, Roundabout Theatre Company
Daniel K. Isaac, The Chinese Lady, The Public Theater
Billy Eugene Jones, On Sugarland, New York Theatre Workshop
**Ron Cephas Jones, Clyde’s, Second Stage Theater.
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
**Francis Benhamou, Prayer for the French Republic, Manhattan Theatre Club
Stephanie Berry, On Sugarland, New York Theatre Workshop
Sonnie Brown, what you are now, Ensemble Studio Theatre
Page Leong, Out of Time, NAATCO and The Public Theater
Kenita R. Miller, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf
Kara Young, Clyde’s, Second Stage Theater
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Justin Austin, Intimate Apparel, Lincoln Center Theater
Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo, Atlantic Theater Company
**Matt Doyle, Company
Jared Grimes, Funny Girl
Tavon Olds-Sample, MJ
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Judy Kuhn, Assassins, Classic Stage Company
Tamika Lawrence, Black No More, The New Group
**Patti LuPone, Company
Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo, Atlantic Theater Company
Jennifer Simard, Company
Outstanding Director of a Play
Knud Adams, English, Atlantic Theater Company
Saheem Ali, Merry Wives, The Public Theater (Free Shakespeare in the Park)
**Rebecca Frecknall, Sanctuary City, New York Theatre Workshop
Taibi Magar, Twilight: Lost Angeles, 1992, Signature Theatre
Whitney White, On Sugarland, New York Theatre Workshop
Outstanding Director of a Musical
John Doyle, Assassins, Classic Stage Company
**Marianne Elliott, Company
Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, Six
Bartlett Sher, Intimate Apparel, Lincoln Center Theater
Jessica Stone, Kimberly Akimbo, Atlantic Theater Company
Outstanding Choreography
Ayodele Casel (tap choreography), Funny Girl
Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, Six
**Bill T. Jones, Garrett Coleman, and Jason Oremus (Irish + Hammerstep), Gelan Lambert and Chloe Davis (associates), Paradise Square
Liam Steel, Company
Christopher Wheeldon, Michael Balderrama (associate), Rich + Tone Taleuega (Michael Jackson movement), MJ
Outstanding Music
**Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, Six
Jason Howland, Paradise Square
Matt Ray, The Hang, HERE Arts Center
Carrie Rodriguez, ¡Americano!
Jeanine Tesori, Kimberly Akimbo, Atlantic Theater Company
Outstanding Lyrics
Amanda Green, Mr. Saturday Night
Taylor Mac, The Hang, HERE Arts Center
**Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, Six
David Lindsay-Abaire, Kimberly Akimbo, Atlantic Theater Company
Lynn Nottage, Intimate Apparel, Lincoln Center Theater
Shaina Taub, Suffs, The Public Theater
Outstanding Book of a Musical
Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, and Babaloo Mandel, Mr. Saturday Night
Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, Six
Lynn Nottage, Intimate Apparel, Lincoln Center Theater
**Bruce Sussman, Harmony, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene
Outstanding Orchestrations
Tom Curran, Six
Greg Jarrett, Assassins, Classic Stage Company
Mark Hartman and Yasuhiko Fukuoka, The Streets of New York, Irish Repertory Theatre
**Jason Michael Webb and David Holcenberg, MJ
Outstanding Music in a Play
Te’La and Kamauu, Thoughts of a Colored Man
**Bill Sims Jr., Lackawanna Blues, Manhattan Theatre Club
Michael Thurber and Farai Malianga (drum compositions), Merry Wives, The Public Theater (Free Shakespeare in the Park)
Outstanding Scenic Design for a Play
Beowulf Boritt, Merry Wives, The Public Theater (Free Shakespeare in the Park)
Wilson Chin, Pass Over
Marsha Ginsberg, English, Atlantic Theater Company
**Takeshi Kata, Clyde’s, Second Stage Theater
Junghyun Georgia Lee, Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord, New York Theatre Workshop
Outstanding Scenic Design for a Musical
Emma Bailey, Six
**Beowulf Boritt, Flying Over Sunset, Lincoln Center Theater
Bunny Christie, Company
David Zinn, Kimberly Akimbo, Atlantic Theater Company
Outstanding Costume Design for a Play
Linda Cho, The Chinese Lady, The Public Theater
Gregory Gale, Fairycakes
Tilly Grimes, The Alchemist, Red Bull Theater
Qween Jean, On Sugarland, New York Theatre Workshop
**Jennifer Moeller, Clyde’s, Second Stage Theater
Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical
Machine Dazzle, The Hang, HERE Arts Center
Susan Hilferty, Funny Girl
Santo Loquasto, The Music Man
**Gabriella Slade, Six
Catherine Zuber, Intimate Apparel, Lincoln Center Theater
Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play (tie)
**Christopher Akerlind, Clyde’s, Second Stage Theater
Reza Behjat, English, Atlantic Theater Company
Isabella Byrd, Sanctuary City, New York Theatre Workshop
**Amith Chandrashaker, Prayer for the French Republic, Manhattan Theatre Club
Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, Cullud Wattah, The Public Theater
Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical (tie)
Natasha Katz, Diana
**Natasha Katz, MJ
**Bradley King, Flying Over Sunset, Lincoln Center Theater
Jennifer Tipton, Intimate Apparel, Lincoln Center Theater
Outstanding Projection Design
**59 Productions, Flying Over Sunset, Lincoln Center Theater
David Bengali, Twilight: Lost Angeles, 1992, Signature Theatre
Stefania Bulbarella and Alex Basco Koch, Space Dogs, MCC Theater
Shawn Duan, The Chinese Lady, The Public Theater
Sven Ortel, Thoughts of a Colored Man
Outstanding Sound Design for a Play
Tyler Kieffer, Seven Deadly Sins, Tectonic Theater Project & Madison Wells Live
Hidenori Nakajo and Ryan Rumery, Autumn Royal, Irish Repertory Theatre
**Ben and Max Ringham, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Jamie Lloyd Company at Brooklyn Academy of Music
Mikaal Sulaiman, Sanctuary City, New York Theatre Workshop
Lee Kinney, Selling Kabul, Playwrights Horizons
Outstanding Sound Design for a Musical
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Company
Paul Gatehouse, Six
Kai Harada, Kimberly Akimbo, Atlantic Theater Company
**Gareth Owen, MJ.
Outstanding Wig and Hair
Matthew B. Armentrout, Paradise Square
**David Brian Brown, Mrs. Doubtfire
Paul Huntley, Diana
Charles G. LaPointe, MJ
Outstanding Solo Performance
Alex Edelman, Just for Us, The Cherry Lane Theatre
Arturo Luís Soria, Ni Mi Madre, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
**Kristina Wong, Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord, New York Theatre Workshop
Unique Theatrical Experience
**Seven Deadly Sins, Tectonic Theater Project & Madison Wells Live
Outstanding Adaptation
**Merry Wives, by Jocelyn Bioh, The Public Theater (Free Shakespeare in the Park)
The Alchemist, by Jeffrey Hatcher, Red Bull Theater
Outstanding Puppet Design
Amanda Villalobos, Wolf Play, Soho Rep.
**James Ortiz, The Skin of Our Teeth, Lincoln Center Theater
Rockefeller Productions, Winnie the Pooh, The Hundred Acre Theatre at Theatre Row
Harold S. Prince Lifetime Achievement Award
In four decades as playwright, novelist, actor, and director, Alice Childress (1912-1994) challenged racism with engrossing stories and memorable characters. When a New York producer demanded revisions to soften the impact of Trouble in Mind, after an initial run Off Broadway and prior to its Broadway debut, Childress withdrew the script. Sixty-five years later, the Drama Desk celebrates the long-delayed Broadway premiere of this timeless masterpiece and salutes Childress as a towering figure in contemporary theater history.
Ensemble Award
In Six, Adrianna Hicks, Andrea Macasaet, Brittney Mack, Abby Mueller, Samantha Pauly, and Anna Uzele bring to musical life the women who married England’s King Henry VIII. The fanciful result is a buoyant dramatization of their individually purposeful and collectively empowering journeys.
The Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award
This season, as a woman hiding her brother from the Taliban in Sylvia Khoury‘s Selling Kabul and an English instructor straddling two very different cultures in Sanaz Toossi‘s English, Marjan Neshat embodied disparate characters so fully that it was hard to recognize the single actor in the two roles. Whether in drama or comedy, Neshat mines the playwright’s text for a vast panoply of emotions that yield vivid, intricate portrayals of the parts she undertakes.
Additional Special Awards
Dede Ayite seems to have costumed half the actors of this theater season with her designs for Merry Wives, Seven Deadly Sins, The Last of the Love Letters, Chicken and Biscuits, Slave Play, Nollywood Dreams, American Buffalo, and How I learned to Drive. Whether dressing working-class Marylanders of the 1960s, amateur criminals of the 1970s, or West African immigrants in today’s Harlem, Ayite has a knack for conveying characters’ means, values, and aspirations before the actors utter a word.
Adam Rigg enhanced storytelling through wildly varying scenic designs this season including: a house in wood, shadow, and reflective glass that draws the audience into the Flint, Michigan water crisis in Cullud Wattah; a community cul-de-sac where trauma and history are celebrated in On Sugarland; and the falling walls, flower-covered hillsides, and functional seaside fun ride of The Skin of Our Teeth.
With the category-defying Oratorio for Living Things, Heather Christian aims to encompass all human existence in a single inventive and startlingly beautiful work. In times of pandemic, war, and social upheaval, Christian’s work (directed by Lee Sunday Evans and brought to life by a superb cast and creative team) is an awe-inspiring reminder that, even in the darkest times, there will always be artistic peaks to scale.
