The Drama Desk organization announced today that the 65th Annual Drama Desk Awards, which celebrate outstanding theater on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway, will adopt a revised season end date of March 11, and move forward with the release of nominations on April 21, and online announcement of awards on May 31. (Dates remain subject to change as events unfold in New York. Additional details on the awards announcement will be released in the weeks ahead.) “New York theater is caught in a moment of exceptional uncertainty. In the face of this, the mission of the Drama Desk – recognizing the thousands of artists and craftspeople who make up our community – has never been more urgent. We are committed to honoring the outstanding work of this season as best we can, with safety the highest priority,” Charles Wright and David Barbour, Drama Desk Co-Presidents, said.
The news follows similar announcements from other major ceremonies that constitute the spring theatre awards season. The Lucille Lortel Awards will continue to highlight Off-Broadway theatre with nominations announced April 14 and winners revealed digitally May 3. The Obie Awards have been postponed, with a virtual event happening later in the year; in the meantime, the American Theatre League, a co-organizer of the Off-Broadway celebration, will establish a fund for artists impacted by canceled productions. The Drama League has “re-envisioned” its 2020 ceremony as the Gratitude Awards fundraiser.
