LUCILLE LORTEL AWARD NOMINEES AND WINNERS

The 17th annual Lucille Lortel Awards, honoring the best of the Off Broadway season, were handed out May 6 in a ceremony hosted by Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins at the Lortel Theatre. A dinner at the Bryant Park Grill followed. The ceremony was a gala benefit for The Actors' Fund of America.

The League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers created the Lortel Awards in recognition of Lucille Lortel's lifelong 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.

OUTSTANDING PLAY
The Carpetbagger's Children by Horton Foote presented by Lincoln Center Theater
The Dazzle by Richard Greenberg presented by Roundabout Theatre Company
Homebody/Kabul by Tony Kushner presented by New York Theatre Workshop
Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman presented by Second Stage Theatre
The Shape of Things by Neil Labute presented by Susan Quint Gallin, Sandy Gallin, Stuart Thompson, Ben Sprecher, USA/OSTAR Theatricals

OUTSTANDING MUSICAL OF 2002
Dragapella! by The Kinsey Sicks with original music and lyrics by Ben Schatz presented by Ben Schatz, Irwin Keller, Maurice Kelly, Chris Dilley, in association with Maria Di Dia, Executive Producer
The Last 5 Years by Jason Robert Brown presented by Arielle Tepper, Marty Bell in association with Libby Adler Mages/Mari Glick, Rose/Land Productions
tick, tick. BOOM!, book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson presented by Victoria Leacock, Robyn Goodman, and Dede Harris, Lorie Cowen Levy, Beth Smith
Urinetown, music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann, book and lyrics by Greg Kotis presented by The Araca Group and Dodger Theatricals, in association with TheaterDreams Inc. and Lauren Mitchell

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF 2002
Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley presented by Second Stage Theatre
Cymbelineby William Shakespeare presented by Theatre for a New Audience
Hobson's Choice by Harold Brighouse presented by Atlantic Theatre Company
Pirates of Penzance by W.S. Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan, adapted by Michael Scheman and Steven Gross presented by On Deck Entertainment, Brett Singer & Diane Krausz

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF 2002
John Rando for Urinetown
Bartlett Sher for Cymbeline
Mark Wing-Davey for 36 Views
Mary Zimmerman for Metamorphoses

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER OF 2002
John Carrafa for Urinetown
Tony Parise for Pirates of Penzance
Tony Stevens for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

OUTSTANDING ACTOR OF 2002
Norbert Leo Butz in The Last 5 Years
Hunter Foster in Urinetown
Peter Frechette in The Dazzle
Reg Rogers in The Dazzle
Jeffrey Wright in Topdog/Underdog

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS OF 2002
Ruby Dee in Saint Lucy's Eyes
Linda Emond in Homebody/Kabul
Martha Plimpton in Hobson's Choice
Phylicia Rashad in Blue
Elaine Stritch in Elaine Stritch at Liberty

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR OF 2002
David Aaron Baker in Hobson's Choice
Keith Nobbs in Four
Andrew Weems in Cymbeline
Frederick Weller in The Shape of Things
Isiah Whitlock, Jr. in Four

Kathleen Widdoes

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS OF 2002
Spencer Kayden in Urinetown
Gretchen Mol in The Shape of Things
Amy Sedaris in Wonder of The World
Robin Weigert in Madame Melville
Kathleen Widdoes in Franny's Way

OUTSTANDING SCENIC DESIGN OF 2002
David Gallo for Wonder of the World
Allen Moyer for The Dazzle
Daniel Ostling for Metamorphoses
Scott Pask for Urinetown
Douglas Stein in 36 Views

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN OF 2002
Jonathan Bixby and Gregory Gale for Urinetown
Mara Blumenfeld for Metamorphoses
Susan Hilferty and Linda Ross for Franny's Way
Bob Miller and Steven Howard for Dragapella!
Elizabeth Caitlin Ward for Cymbeline

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN OF 2002
TJ Gerckens for Metamorphoses
Traci Klainer for Four
Brian MacDevitt for Urinetown
David Weiner for 36 Views

OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN OF 2002
Brett Jarvis for Brutal Imagination
Scott Lehrer for Franny's Way
Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman for Metamorphoses
Dan Moses Schreier for Homebody/Kabul

Three special awards were also presented. Elaine Stitch at Liberty received a trophy for Unique Theatrical Experience. The Edith Oliver Award for Sustained Excellence was awarded to actress Ruby Dee. And a laurel for Outstanding Body of Work went to Second Stage Theatre, which produced in the last season Crimes of the Heart and Metamorphoses. In addition, playwright Edward Albee received the Lifetime Achievement Award for "his longstanding and unique contribution to Off Broadway" and a star bearing the name of writer Romulus Linney's name will be added to the Playwrights Sidewalk that lies outside the theatre.