Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

The Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play was an annual award given to the best featured actress in a non-musical play on Broadway or Off-Broadway, as determined by Outer Critics Circle. The award was established in 1997 as "Best Featured Actress in a Musical," before formally changing to "Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play" in 1999.

The award was retired in 2022 and replaced by Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play and Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Play in gender-neutral performance categories.

Allison Janney and Laurie Metcalf are the only performers to win the award twice (both from two nominations), while Jan Maxwell has the most nominations with four. Close behind are Kristine Nielsen, Jayne Houdyshell and Judith Light with three nominations.

Awards winners

Key

1990s

Year	Actor	Work	Role
1997
	Deborah Findlay	*Stanley*	Hilda Spencer

	Allison Janney	*Present Laughter*	Liz

Celia Weston	*The Last Night of Ballyhoo*	Aunt Reba
Jan Maxwell	A Doll’s House	Kristine Linde
1998
	Allison Janney	*A View from the Bridge*	Beatrice
	Patricia Clarkson	The Maiden’s Prayer	Libby
	Linda Lavin	The Diary of Anne Frank	Mrs. Van Daan
	Julyana Soelistyo	Golden Child	Eng Ahn
1999
	Claire Bloom	*Electra*	Clytemnestra
	Samantha Bond	Amy’s View	Amy
	Kristine Nielsen	Betty’s Summer Vacation	Mrs. Siezmagraff
	Mandy Siegfried	The Mineola Twins	Kenny / Ben

2000s

Year	Actor	Work	Role
2000
	Frances Conroy	*The Ride Down Mt. Morgan*	Theo
	Jennifer Ehle	The Real Thing	Annie
	Cindy Katz	Amadeus	Constanze Weber
	Lizbeth MacKay	The Price	Esther Franz
2001
	Cady Huffman	*The Producers*	Ulla Bloom
	Kathleen Freeman	The Full Monty	Jeannette Burmeister
	Kate Levering	42nd Street	Peggy Sawyer
2002
	Katie Finneran	*Noises Off*	Brooke Ashton
	Julie Hagerty	Morning's at Seven	Myrtle Brown
	Elizabeth Franz	Morning's at Seven	Aaronetta Gibbs
	Dana Ivey	Major Barbara	Lady Britomart Undershaft
2003
	Linda Emond	*Life (x) 3*	Inez
	J. Smith-Cameron	Tartuffe	Dorine
	Kathryn Meisle	Tartuffe	Elmire
	Marian Seldes	Dinner at Eight	Carlotta Vance
	Emily Skinner	Dinner at Eight	Kitty Packard
2004
	Audra McDonald	*A Raisin in the Sun*	Ruth Younger
	Jan Maxwell	Sixteen Wounded	Sonya
	Margo Martindale	Cat on a Hot Tin Roof	Big Mama
	Jayne Houdyshell	Well	Various
	Julie Halston	Twentieth Century	Ida Webb
2005
	Amy Ryan	*A Streetcar Named Desire*	Stella Kowalski
	Carla Gugino	After the Fall	Maggie
	Heather Goldenhersh	Doubt, A Parable	Sister James
	Adriane Lenox	Doubt, A Parable	Mrs. Muller
	Ashlie Atkinson	Fat Pig	Helen
2006
	Frances de la Tour	*The History Boys*	Mrs. Lintott
	Hallie Foote	The Trip to Bountiful	Jessie Mae Watts
	Lynn Redgrave	The Constant Wife	Mrs. Culver
	Jan Maxwell	Entertaining Mr. Sloane	Kath
2007
	Martha Plimpton	*The Coast of Utopia*	Varenka / Natasha Tuchkov
	Jill Clayburgh	The Clean House	Virginia
	Lily Rabe	Heartbreak House	Ellie Dunn
	Robin Bartlett	Prelude to a Kiss	Mrs. Boyle
2008
	Jessica Collins	*Les Liaisons Dangereuses*	Madame de Tourvel

	Laurie Metcalf	*November*	Clarice Bernstein
	Siân Phillips	Les Liaisons Dangereuses	Mme. de Rosemonde
Jayne Houdyshell	The New Century	Barbara Ellen Diggs
2009
	Angela Lansbury	*Blithe Spirit*	Madame Arcati
	Kristine Nielsen	Why Torture Is Wrong, And The People Who Love Them	Luella
	Condola Rashad	Ruined	Sophie
	Andrea Martin	Exit the King	Juliette
	Susan Louise O'Connor	Blithe Spirit	Edith

2010s

Year	Actor	Work	Role
2010
	Jan Maxwell	*Lend Me a Tenor*	Maria
	Marin Ireland	A Lie of the Mind	Beth
	Alicia Silverstone	Time Stands Still	Mandy Bloom
	Hallie Foote	The Orphans' Home Cycle	Mr. Robedaux / Asa Vaughn / Mrs. Vaughn / Lola Reeves / Mrs. Mary Vaughn
	Rosemary Harris	The Royal Family	Fannie Cavandish
2011
	Elizabeth Rodriguez	*The Motherfucker with the Hat*	Veronica
	Linda Lavin	Other Desert Cities	Silda Grauman
	Renée Elise Goldsberry	Good People	Kate
	Alison Pill	The House of Blue Leaves	Corrinna Stroller
	Estelle Parsons	Good People	Dottie
2012
	Spencer Kayden	*Don't Dress for Dinner*	Suzette
	Daphne Rubin-Vega	A Streetcar Named Desire	Stella Kowalski
	Angela Lansbury	The Best Man	Sue-Ellen Gamadge
	Joanna Gleason	Sons of the Prophet	Gloria
	Judith Light	Other Desert Cities	Silda Grauman
2013
	Kristine Nielsen	*Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike*	Sonia
	Judith Light	The Assembled Parties	Faye
	Cady Huffman	The Nance	Sylvie
	Judith Ivey	The Heiress	Aunt Lavinia Penniman
	Vanessa Williams	The Trip to Bountiful	Jessie Mae Watts
2014
	Mare Winningham	*Casa Valentina*	Rita

	Andrea Martin	*Act One*	Various
	Anika Noni Rose	A Raisin in the Sun	Beneatha Younger
	Sophie Okonedo	A Raisin in the Sun	Ruth Younger
Barbara Barrie	I Remember Mama	Katrin Hanson
2015
	Annaleigh Ashford	*You Can't Take It With You*	Essie Carmichael
	Lydia Leonard	Wolf Hall	Anne Boleyn
	Patricia Clarkson	The Elephant Man	Mrs. Kendal
	Francesca Faridany	The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time	Siobhan
	Julie Halston	You Can't Take It With You	Gay Wellington
2016
	Judith Light	*Thérèse Raquin*	Madame Raquin

	Pascale Armand	*Eclipsed*	Bessie
	Myra Lucretia Taylor	Familiar	Anne
	Saycon Sengbloh	Eclipsed	Helena
Zainab Jah	Maima	Eclipsed
2017
	Cynthia Nixon	*The Little Foxes*	Birdie Hubbard
	Nana Mensah	Man from Nebraska	Tamyra
	Jayne Houdyshell	A Doll's House, Part 2	Anne Marie
	Katrina Lenk	Indecent	Menke
	Johanna Day	Sweat	Tracey
2018
	Laurie Metcalf	*Three Tall Women*	B
	Jamie Brewer	Amy and the Orphans	Amy
	Denise Gough	Angels in America	Harper Pitt
	Harriet Harris	The Low Road	Mrs. Trumpet / Belinda / Mrs. Low
	Mary Testa	The Government Inspector	Anna Andreyevna
2019
	Celia Keenan-Bolger	*To Kill a Mockingbird*	Scout Finch
	Stephanie Berry	Sugar in Our Wounds	Aunt Mama
	Harriett D. Foy	The House That Will Not Stand	Makeda
	Fionnula Flanagan	The Ferryman	Aunt Maggie Far Away
	Joan Allen	The Waverly Gallery	Ellen Fine

2020s

Year	Actor	Work	Role
2020 (Hon.)	Liza Colón-Zayas	Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven	Sarge
	Montego Glover	All the Natalie Portmans	Ovetta
	Marsha Mason	Little Gem	Kay
	Krysta Rodriguez	Seared	Emily
	Lois Smith	The Inheritance	Margaret
	Jennifer Van Dyck	The Confession of Lily Dare	Lily Dare
2021	No award given due to COVID-19 pandemic.
2022
	Uzo Aduba	*Clyde's*	Clyde
	Chanté Adams	Skeleton Crew	Shanita
	Nancy Robinette	Prayer for the French Republic	Irma Salomon
	Francis Benhamou	Prayer for the French Republic	Elodie Benhamnou
	Phylicia Rashad	Skeleton Crew	Faye

Multiple wins

2 wins

Allison Janney
Laurie Metcalf

Multiple nominations

4 nominations

Jan Maxwell

3 nominations

Kristine Nielsen
Jayne Houdyshell
Judith Light

2 nominations

Allison Janney
Patricia Clarkson
Linda Lavin
Cady Huffman
Julie Halston
Hallie Foote
Laurie Metcalf
Angela Lansbury
Andrea Martin

42nd Street (musical)A Doll's House, Part 2A Doll’s HouseA Lie of the MindA Raisin in the SunA Streetcar Named DesireA View from the BridgeAct One (play)Adriane LenoxAfter the Fall (play)Alicia SilverstoneAlison PillAllison JanneyAmadeus (play)Amy and the OrphansAmy RyanAndrea MartinAngela LansburyAngels in AmericaAnika Noni RoseAnnaleigh AshfordAshlie AtkinsonAudra McDonaldBarbara BarrieBlithe Spirit (play)Broadway theatreCady HuffmanCarla GuginoCasa ValentinaCat on a Hot Tin RoofCelia Keenan-BolgerCelia WestonChanté AdamsClaire BloomClyde'sClyde's (play)Condola RashadCOVID-19 pandemicCynthia NixonDana IveyDaphne Rubin-VegaDeborah FindlayDenise GoughDinner at Eight (play)Don't Dress for DinnerDoubt (play)Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a PlayEclipsed (play)Electra (Sophocles play)Elizabeth FranzElizabeth RodriguezEmily Skinner (actress, born 1970)Entertaining Mr. SloaneEstelle ParsonsExit the KingFamiliar (play)Fat PigFionnula FlanaganFrances ConroyFrances de la TourFrancesca FaridanyFrancis BenhamouGolden Child (play)Good People (play)Halfway Bitches Go Straight to HeavenHallie FooteHarriet Sansom HarrisHeartbreak HouseHeather GoldenhershI Remember Mama (play)Indecent (play)J. Smith-CameronJamie BrewerJan MaxwellJayne HoudyshellJennifer EhleJessica CollinsJill ClayburghJoan AllenJoanna GleasonJohanna DayJudith IveyJudith LightJulie HagertyJulie HalstonJulyana SoelistyoKate LeveringKathleen FreemanKathryn MeisleKatie FinneranKatrina LenkKristine NielsenKrysta RodriguezLaurie MetcalfLend Me a TenorLes Liaisons Dangereuses (play)Lily RabeLinda EmondLinda LavinLittle GemLiza Colón-ZayasLizbeth MacKayLois SmithLucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a PlayLydia LeonardLynn RedgraveMajor Barbara (play)Man from NebraskaMare WinninghamMargo MartindaleMarian SeldesMarin IrelandMarsha MasonMartha PlimptonMary TestaMontego GloverMorning's at SevenMusical playMyra Lucretia TaylorNana MensahNew York CityNoises OffNovember (play)Off-BroadwayOther Desert CitiesOuter Critics CircleOuter Critics Circle AwardOuter Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway PlayOuter Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway PlayPascale ArmandPatricia ClarksonPhylicia RashadPrayer for the French RepublicPrelude to a Kiss (play)Present LaughterRenée Elise GoldsberryRobin BartlettRosemary HarrisRuined (play)Samantha BondSaycon SengblohSearedSiân PhillipsSkeleton Crew (play)Sons of the ProphetSophie OkonedoSpencer KaydenStanley (play)Susan Louise O'ConnorSweat (play)TartuffeThe Assembled PartiesThe Best Man (play)The Clean HouseThe Coast of UtopiaThe Constant WifeThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (play)The Diary of Anne Frank (play)The Elephant Man (play)The Ferryman (play)The Full Monty (musical)The Government Inspector (play)The Heiress (1947 play)The History BoysThe House of Blue LeavesThe Inheritance (play)The Last Night of BallyhooThe Little FoxesThe Low Road (play)The Mineola TwinsThe Motherfucker with the HatThe NanceThe Orphans' Home CycleThe Price (play)The Producers (musical)The Real Thing (play)The Ride Down Mt. MorganThe Royal Family (play)The Trip to BountifulThe Trip to Bountiful (play)The Waverly GalleryThérèse Raquin (play)Three Tall WomenTime Stands Still (play)To Kill a Mockingbird (play)Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a PlayTwentieth Century (play)Uzo AdubaVanessa WilliamsVanya and Sonia and Masha and SpikeWell (play)Wolf Hall (play)You Can't Take It with You (play)Zainab Jah

Backlinks (29)

2008 Outer Critics Circle Awards2009 Outer Critics Circle Awards2010 Outer Critics Circle Awards2011 Outer Critics Circle Awards2012 Outer Critics Circle Awards2013 Outer Critics Circle Awards2014 Outer Critics Circle Awards2015 Outer Critics Circle Awards2016 Outer Critics Circle Awards2017 Outer Critics Circle Awards2018 Outer Critics Circle Awards2019 Outer Critics Circle Awards2020 Outer Critics Circle Awards2022 Outer Critics Circle AwardsAmy and the OrphansAngels in AmericaFrances ConroyHalfway Bitches Go Straight to HeavenJamie BrewerLinda EmondList of awards and nominations received by Laurie MetcalfList of awards and nominations received by Mare WinninghamLiza Colón-ZayasMarin IrelandOuter Critics Circle AwardsSeared (play)Skeleton Crew (play)Susan Louise O'ConnorThe Inheritance (play)

External links (58)

http://www.outercriticscircle.org/

https://outercritics.org/awards/1996-1997/

https://outercritics.org/awards/1997-1998/

https://outercritics.org/awards/1998-1999/

https://outercritics.org/awards/1999-2000/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2000-2001/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2001-2002/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2002-2003/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2003-2004/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2004-2005/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2005-2006/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2006-2007/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2007-2008/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2008-2009/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2009-2010/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2010-2011/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2011-2012/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2012-2013/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2013-2014/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2014-2015/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2015-2016/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2016-2017/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2017-2018/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2018-2019/

https://outercritics.org/awards/2021-2022/

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Subject Facts

QID: Q136379924

Label: Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

Description: American theatre award for Broadway actors

Wikidata Archive Data

Wikidata type ID: Q618779

Captured: August 8, 2026 4:26 PM

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Main Menu

Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

Awards winners

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Multiple wins

Multiple nominations

See also

Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

Awards winners

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Multiple wins

Multiple nominations

See also

See Also

Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award

Chita Rivera Award for Outstanding Male Dancer in an Off-Broadway Show

Chita Rivera Award for Outstanding Male Dancer in a Broadway Show

Chita Rivera Award for Outstanding Female Dancer in an Off-Broadway Show

Chita Rivera Award for Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway Show