2006 Lucille Lortel Award Nominees Announced

The New Group’s production of Mike Leigh’s play Abigail’s Party, Signature Theatre Company’s production of The Trip to Bountiful, and the Playwrights Horizons production of Grey Gardens lead the 2006 Lucille Lortel Award nominees for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway. The honors will be presented on Monday, May 1 at New World Stages in a ceremony that will begin at 7pm.

A total of 25 shows shared in more than 60 nominations. Abigail’s Party received eight nominations and The Trip to Bountiful received seven. Grey Gardens received five — although leading lady Christine Ebersole, who received some of the best reviews this season, was overlooked. The Atlantic Theatre Company’s production of Martin McDonagh’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore (which will transfer to Broadway later this month) and the New York Theatre Workshop production of the musical The Seven each received four nominations. Composer-lyricist Michael John LaChiusa’s two most recent shows, Bernarda Alba and See What I Wanna See, were both nominated for Outstanding Musical, and sound designer Darron L. West received two separate nominations in that category for the second consecutive year.

In addition to the competitive awards, special honors will be presented on May 1 to the late playwright Wendy Wasserstein (Lifetime Achievement), John Patrick Shanley (Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee), theater historian Betty Corwin (Edith Oliver Award for Sustained Excellence), and the Atlantic Theater Company (Outstanding Body of Work). A complete list of the nominees follows:

OUTSTANDING PLAY
The Lieutenant of Inishmore
The Paris Letter
Red Light Winter
The Ruby Sunrise

OUTSTANDING MUSICAL
Bernarda Alba
Grey Gardens
See What I Wanna See

The Seven

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL
Abigail’s Party
Celebration and The Room
Funnyhouse of a Negro
Mrs. Warren’s Profession
The Trip to Bountiful

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR
Billie Allen, Funnyhouse of a Negro
Scott Elliott, Abigail’s Party
Scott Ellis, The Little Dog Laughed
Wilson Milam, The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Harris Yulin, The Trip to Bountiful

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER
Michael Berresse, [title of show]
Graciela Daniele, Bernarda Alba
Bill T. Jones, The Seven

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR
Christopher Denham, Red Light Winter
Conor Donovan, Privilege
John Glover, The Paris Letter
Michael Stuhlbarg, Measure for Pleasure
David Wilmot, The Lieutenant of Inishmore

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Abigail’s Party
S. Epatha Merkerson, Birdie Blue
Lois Smith, The Trip to Bountiful
Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed
Dianne Wiest, Third

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR
Charles Durning, Third
Domhnall Gleeson, The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Darren Goldstein, Abigail’s Party
Logan Marshall-Green, Dog Sees God
David Pittu, Celebration and The Room

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS
Meghan Andrews, The Trip to Bountiful
Helena Carroll, Philadelphia, Here I Come!
Lisa Emery, Abigail’s Party
Hallie Foote, The Trip to Bountiful
Mary Louise Wilson, Grey Gardens

OUTSTANDING SCENIC DESIGN
Beowulf Boritt, The Other Side
David Korins, Swimming in the Shallows
Eugene Lee, The Ruby Sunrise
Derek McLane, Abigail’s Party
Allen Moyer, Grey Gardens

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Eric Becker, Abigail’s Party
William Ivey Long, Grey Gardens
Deborah Newhall, The Ruby Sunrise
Martin Pakledinaz, The Trip to Bountiful
Anita Yavich, The Wooden Breeks

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Aaron Black, Funnyhouse of a Negro
Jane Cox, Apparition
John McKernon, The Trip to Bountiful

Stpehen Strawbridge, Bernarda Alba
David Weiner, The Seven

OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN
Scott Killian, A Picasso
Brian Ronan, Grey Gardens
Ken Travis, Abigail’s Party
Darron L. West, Apparition
Darron L. West, The Seven