2022 Outer Critic Circle Awards

The 2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards winners were announced on May 17, 2022, recognizing excellence in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions during the 2021–22 season. Nominations were announced on April 26, 2022, with The Lehman Trilogy receiving the most nominations with nine, and the most wins with six. Harmony and Kimberly Akimbo followed with eight nominations. This was the first year back after cancelling the 2021 ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Special achievement awards were given to Johanna Day, David Morse and Mary-Louise Parker for reprising their performances in How I Learned to Drive, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson for doing so in Lackawanna Blues.

The Lehman Trilogy was the biggest winner of the night, winning six awards, including Outstanding Broadway Play, followed by Kimberly Akimbo with five, including Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical. Six won three awards, including Outstanding Broadway Musical, while Prayer for the French Republic won Outstanding Off-Broadway Play.

Winners and nominees

The 2021-2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards nominations were announced on Friday, April 26, 2022, with the winners being announced on May 17, 2022, and the winners gala at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts on May 26, 2022.

Honorees

Outstanding New Broadway Play

*The Lehman Trilogy by Stefano Massini, adapted by Ben Power

  • Birthday Candles by Noah Haidle
  • Clyde's by Lynn Nottage
  • Skeleton Crew by Dominique Morisseau
  • The Minutes by Tracy Letts

Outstanding New Broadway Musical

*Six

  • MJ
  • Mr. Saturday Night
  • Mrs. Doubtfire
  • Paradise Square

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play

*Prayer for the French Republic

  • Morning Sun by Simon Stephens
  • On Sugarland by Aleshea Harris
  • Sanctuary City by Martyna Majok
  • The Chinese Lady by Lloyd Suh

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical

*Kimberly Akimbo

  • Black No More
  • Harmony
  • Intimate Apparel
  • Little Girl Blue

Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

*Take Me Out

  • for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
  • How I Learned to Drive
  • Trouble in Mind

Outstanding Revival of a Musical

*Company

  • Assassins
  • Caroline, Or Change
  • The Music Man
  • The Streets of New York

John Gassner Award

*Sanaz Toossi, English

  • Erika Dickerson-Despenza, Cullud Watah
  • Sylvia Khoury, Selling Kabul
  • Davis Harris, Tambo and Bones
  • Keenan Scott II, Thoughts of a Colored Man

Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

* Kimberly Akimbo, David Lindsay-Abaire, Atlantic Theater Company

  • Mr. Saturday Night, Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, and Babaloo Mandel
  • Mrs. Doubtfire, Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell
  • Intimate Apparel, Lynn Nottage, Lincoln Center Theater
  • Harmony, Bruce Sussman, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene

Outstanding New Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway)

* Six, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss

  • Paradise Square, Jason Howland, Nathan Tysen, and Masi Asare
  • Mrs. Doubtfire, Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick
  • Harmony, Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene
  • Kimberly Akimbo, Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire, Atlantic Theater Company

Outstanding Director of Play

* Sam Mendes, The Lehman Trilogy

  • Camille A. Brown, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf
  • Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Skeleton Crew
  • Scott Ellis, Take Me Out
  • Anna D. Shapiro, The Minutes

Outstanding Director of a Musical

* Jessica Stone, Kimberly Akimbo

  • Moisés Kaufman, Paradise Square
  • Christopher Wheeldon, MJ the Musical
  • Warren Carlyle, Harmony
  • Jerry Zaks, Mrs. Doubtfire

Outstanding Choreography

* MJ the Musical, Christopher Wheeldon, Anthony Talauega, Richmond Talauega

  • For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf, Camille A. Brown (director / choreographer)
  • Harmony, Warren Carlyle (director / choreographer)
  • The Music Man, Warren Carlyle (choreographer)
  • Paradise Square, Bill T. Jones, Alex Sanchez, Garrett Coleman, Jason Oremus

Outstanding Orchestrations

* Jason Howland, Paradise Square

  • Greg Jarrett, Assassins
  • David Holcenberg, MJ the Musical
  • Jason Michael Webb, MJ the Musical
  • John Clancy, Kimberly Akimbo
  • Doug Walter, Harmony

Outstanding Actor in a Play

* Simon Russell Beale, The Lehman Trilogy as Haim "Henry" Lehman

  • Adam Godley, The Lehman Trilogy as Mayer Lehman
  • Adrian Lester, The Lehman Trilogy as Emmanuel Lehman
  • Sam Rockwell, American Buffalo as Teach
  • Patrick J. Adams, Take Me Out as Kippy Sunderstrom

Outstanding Actress in a Play

* LaChanze, Trouble in Mind as Wiletta Mayer

  • Betsy Aidem, Prayer for the French Republic as Marcelle Salomon Benhamou
  • Stephanie Berry, On Sugarland as Evelyn
  • Edie Falco, Morning Sun as Charley
  • Debra Messing, Birthday Candles as Ernestine Ashworth

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play

* Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Take Me Out as Mason Marzac

  • Brandon J. Dirden, Skeleton Crew as Reggie
  • Michael Oberholtzer, Take Me Out as Shane Mungitt
  • Austin Pendleton, The Minutes as Mr. Oldfield
  • Chuck Cooper, Trouble in Mind as Sheldon Forrester

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

* Uzo Aduba, Clyde's as Clyde

  • Chanté Adams, Skeleton Crew as Shanita
  • Nancy Robinette, Prayer for the French Republic as Irma Salomon
  • Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew as Faye
  • Francis Benhamou, Prayer for the French Republic as Elodie Benhamnou

Outstanding Actor in a Musical

* Jaquel Spivey, A Strange Loop as Usher

  • Rob McClure, Mrs. Doubtfire as Daniel Hillard
  • Chip Zien, Harmony as "Rabbi" Josef Roman Cycowski
  • Myles Frost, MJ the Musical as MJ
  • Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo as Seth

Outstanding Actress in a Musical

* Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo as Kimberly

  • Kearstin Piper Brown, Intimate Apparel: A New Opera as Esther
  • Sharon D. Clarke, Caroline, or Change as Caroline Thibodeaux
  • Carmen Cusack, Flying Over Sunset as Clare Boothe Luce
  • Joaquina Kalukango, Paradise Square as Nelly O'Brien

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical

* Matt Doyle, Company as Jamie

  • Quentin Earl Darrington, MJ the Musical as Joseph Jackson / Rob
  • Steven Pasquale, Assassins as John Wilkes Booth
  • A. J. Shively, Paradise Square as Owen Duignan
  • Will Swenson, Assassins as Charles Guiteau

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

* Patti LuPone, Company as Joanne

  • Shoshana Bean, Mr. Saturday Night as Susan Young
  • Jenn Colella, Suffs as Carrie Chapman Catt
  • Judy Kuhn, Assassins as Sara Jane Moore
  • Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo as Debra

Outstanding Solo Performance

* Kristina Wong, Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord

  • Arturo Luís Soria, Ni Mi Madre
  • Jenn Murray, A Girl is a Half-formed Thing as Girl
  • Alex Edelman, Just for Us

Outstanding Scenic Design

* Adam Rigg,The Skin of Our Teeth'

  • Es Devlin, The Lehman Trilogy
  • Beowulf Boritt, Flying Over Sunset
  • Scott Pask, American Buffalo
  • David Zinn, The Minutes

Outstanding Costume Design

* Gabriella Slade,Six'

  • Jane Greenwood, Plaza Suite
  • Santo Loquasto, The Music Man
  • Emilio Sosa, Trouble in Mind
  • Catherine Zuber, Mrs. Doubtfire

Outstanding Lighting Design

* Jon Clark,The Lehman Trilogy' (lighting designer)

  • Natasha Katz, MJ the Musical (lighting designer)
  • Bradley King, Flying Over Sunset (lighting designer)
  • Brian MacDevitt, The Minutes (lighting designer)
  • Jen Schriever, Lackawanna Blues (lighting designer)

Outstanding Projection Design

* Luke Halls, The Lehman Trilogy

  • Stefania Bulbarella, Space Dogs
  • Alex Basco Koch, Space Dogs
  • Benjamin Pearcy (as 59 Productions), Flying Over Sunset
  • Shawn Duan, Letters of Suresh
  • Jeff Sugg, Mr. Saturday Night

Outstanding Sound Design

* Nick Powell, Dominic Bilkey, The Lehman Trilogy

  • Ben Ringham, Max Ringham, Blindness
  • André J. Pluess, The Minutes
  • Matt Stine, Sam Kusnetz, Assassins
  • Dan Moses Schreier, Harmony

References

See Also

2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards

The 2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards announced its winners on May 17, 2022, recognizing excellence...

88th Drama League Awards

The 88th Drama League Awards were held on May 20, 2022, recognizing excellence in Broadway and...

87th Drama League Awards

The 88th Drama League Awards were held on May 21, 2021, recognizing excellence in theatre...

37th Lucille Lortel Awards

The 37th Lucille Lortel Awards were held on May 1, 2022, recognizing excellence in Off-Broadway...

2008 Outer Critics Circle Awards

The 2008 Outer Critics Circle Awards winners were announced on May 22, 2008, recognizing excellence...