Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play

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Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play
Awarded forOutstanding Lead Actress in a Play
LocationUnited States
Presented byThe Off-Broadway League [1] [2]
StatusRetired
Currently held by Emily Davis for Is This a Room(2020)
Website lortelaward.com

The Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play was an award presented annually at the Lucille Lortel Awards to honor an actress for excellence in a leading role in an Off-Broadway production. The categories were split into Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical in 2014. [3] The acting categories were made gender-neutral in 2021. [4]

Contents

Eileen Atkins, Cherry Jones, Mary-Louise Parker and Tonya Pinkins have won the award twice each (with Pinkins' wins including one for a combined musical/play category in 2004. Quincy Tyler Bernstine and Jayne Houdyshell hold the record for most nominations, with four each; Houdyshell has received the most nominations without a win. [5]

Several musical performers won or received nominations in this category before the musica/play categories split, including:

Award winners

Key
  and bold indicates the winner.

1990s

YearActressPlayRoleRef.
1992 Eileen Atkins A Room of One’s Own Virginia Woolf [6]
1993 Anna Deavere Smith Fires in the Mirror All
1994 Myra Carter Three Tall Women A
1995 Linda Lavin (Tie)Death Defying ActsDorothy/Carol
Eileen Atkins (Tie)Vita & Virginia Virginia Woolf
1996 Uta Hagen Mrs. KleinMrs. Klein
1997 Mary-Louise Parker How I Learned to Drive Li'l Bit
1998 Cherry Jones Pride’s Crossing Mabel Tidings/Bigelow
1999 Kathleen Chalfant Wit Vivian Bearing, Ph.D.

2000s

YearActressPlayRoleRef.
2000 Eileen Heckart The Waverly Gallery Gladys Green [7]
2001 Mary-Louise Parker Proof Catherine [8]
Eileen Atkins The Unexpected Man The Woman
Janie Dee Comic Potential Jacie Triplethree
Mary Beth Fisher Boy Gets Girl Theresa Bedell
Marian Seldes The Play About the Baby Woman
2002 Linda Emond Homebody/Kabul The Homebody [9]
Ruby Dee Saint Lucy’s EyesN/A
Martha Plimpton Hobson’s Choice Maggie Hobson
Phylicia Rashad BluePeggy Clark
Elaine Stritch Elaine Stritch At Liberty N/A
2003 Tovah Feldshuh Golda's Balcony Golda Meir [10]
S. Epatha Merkerson Fucking A Hester Smith
Kate Mulgrew Tea at FiveKatharine Hepburn
Pamela Payton-Wright Fifth of July Sally Friedman
Parker Posey Gwen Landis
2004 [11] Tonya Pinkins Caroline, or Change Caroline Thibodeaux [12]
Lisa Emery IronFay
Jayne Houdyshell Well Ensemble
Swoosie Kurtz Frozen Nancy
Zilah MendozaLiving OutAna Hernandez
2005 Cherry Jones Doubt Sister Aloysius [13]
Ashlie Atkinson Fat Pig Helen
Viola Davis Intimate Apparel Esther
Judy Kaye Souvenir Florence Foster Jenkins
Elizabeth Marvel Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler
2006 Lois Smith The Trip to Bountiful Carrie Watts [14]
Jennifer Jason Leigh Abigail's Party Beverly
S. Epatha Merkerson Birdie BlueBirdie
Julie White The Little Dog Laughed Diane
Dianne Wiest Third Laurie Jameson
2007 Gloria Reuben Stuff Happens Condoleezza Rice [15]
Rebecca BrooksherDying CityKelly
Jill Clayburgh The Busy World Is HushedHannah
Patricia Heaton The Scene Stella
Laila Robins Sore ThroatsJudy
2008 Elizabeth Franz The Piano TeacherMrs. K [16]
Lisa Gay Hamilton Ohio State Murders Suzanne Alexander
Jayne Houdyshell The ReceptionistBeverly Wilkins
Alison Pill Blackbird Una
Lynn Redgrave Grace Grace
2009Saidah Arrika Ekulona Ruined Mama Nadi [17]
Ellen Burstyn The Little Flower of East OrangeTherese Marie
Carmen M. HerlihycrookedMaribel
Kellie OverbeyThe Savannah DisputationMelissa
Annie Parisse Becky Shaw Becky

2010s

YearActressPlayRoleRef.
2010 Judith Ivey The Glass Menagerie Amanda Wingfield [18]
Nina Arianda Venus in Fur Vanda
Jayne Houdyshell Coraline Coraline
Cristin Milioti StunningLily Schwecky
Sherie Rene Scott Everyday Rapture Sherie Rene Scott
2011 Laurie Metcalf The Other Place Juliana [19]
Tracee Chimo BacheloretteRegan
Edie Falco This Wide NightLorraine
Elizabeth Marvel The Little Foxes Regina Giddens
Michele Pawk A Small FireEmily Bridges
2012 Sanaa Lathan By the Way, Meet Vera Stark Vera Stark [20]
Cristin Milioti Once Girl
Carey Mulligan Through a Glass DarklyKarin
Molly Ranson Carrie Carrie
Mary Testa Queen of the Mist Annie Edson Taylor
2013Roslyn Ruff The Piano Lesson Berniece [21] [22]
Quincy Tyler Bernstine NevaMasha
America Ferrera BethanyCrystal
Vanessa Redgrave The RevisionistMaria
Sharon Washington Wild With HappyAdelaide/Aunt Glo
2014 Tracee Chimo Bad Jews Daphna [23] [24] [25]
Diane Davis The Model ApartmentDebby
Carolyn McCormick The Open HouseMother
Laurie Metcalf Domesticated Judy
Andrus NicholsBedlam's Hamlet and Saint JoanActor #2/Gertrude/Ophelia/Joan/Others
2015 Tonya Pinkins Rasheeda SpeakingJaclyn [26] [27]
Quincy Tyler Bernstine Grand ConcourseShelly
Anna Gunn Sex With StrangersOlivia
Jan Maxwell The City of ConversationHester Ferris
S. Epatha Merkerson While I Yet LiveMaxine
2016 Phylicia Rashad Head of PassesShelah [28] [29]
Ito Aghayere Familiar Nyasha
Georgia Engel John Mertis Katherine Graven
Jayne Houdyshell The Humans Deirdre
Chinasa OgbuaguSojournersAbasiama
2017 Jennifer Ehle Oslo Mona [30] [31]
Johanna Day Sweat Tracey
Jennifer KidwellUnderground Railroad GameTeacher Caroline
Kecia Lewis Marie and Rosetta Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Maryann Plunkett Women of a Certain AgeMary
2018 Carrie Coon Mary Jane Mary Jane [32] [33]
Quincy Tyler Bernstine The AmateursHollis
MaameYaa Boafo School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls PlayPaulina Sarpong
Cristin Milioti After the BlastAnna
Karen Pittman Pipeline Nya
2019 Quincy Tyler Bernstine Marys SeacoleMary [34] [35]
AkoGod Said ThisMasako
Marin Ireland Blue RidgeAlison
Zainab Jah Boesman and Lena Lena
Charlayne Woodard DaddyZora

2020s

YearActressPlayCharacterRef.
2020Emily DavisIs This a Room Reality Winner [36] [37]
Liza Colón-Zayas Halfway Bitches Go Straight to HeavenSarge
April MatthisToni Stone Toni Stone
Zoë Winters Heroes of the Fourth Turning Teresa
Kara Young All the Natalie PortmansKeyonna

Multiple wins

2 wins

Multiple nominations

4 nominations
3 nominations
2 nominations

See also

References

  1. ↑ The League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers
  2. ↑ The Off-Broadway League
  3. ↑ Actoing Categories Split into Musicals and Plays
  4. ↑ "Lucille Lortel Awards Will Switch to Gender-Neutral Categories for Performers". Playbill.
  5. ↑ Previous Nominees and Recipients
  6. ↑ "1986–2000 Recipients". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  7. ↑ "1986–2000 Recipients". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  8. ↑ "2001 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  9. ↑ "2002 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  10. ↑ "2003 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  11. ↑ Awarded as "Best Actress" for both play and musical performance
  12. ↑ "Caroline, or Change, I Am My Own Wife, Bug Among 2004 Lucille Lortel Winners". Playbill. 4 May 2004. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  13. ↑ "2005 Lucille Lortel Award winners announced". New York Theatre Guide. 2 May 2005. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  14. ↑ "2006 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  15. ↑ Gans, Andrew (7 May 2007). "Spring Awakening, In the Heights and Stuff Happens Win Lucille Lortel Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  16. ↑ "Lucille Lortel Winners Announced". Variety. 5 May 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  17. ↑ "Ruined, Fela!, Our Town and Inishmaan Top Lucille Lortel Awards". Broadway.com. 4 May 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  18. ↑ "2010 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  19. ↑ Jones, Kenneth (2 May 2011). "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Chad Deity, Angels, Christian Borle, Laurie Metcalf Are Lortel Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  20. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (6 May 2012). "Once, Sons of the Prophet, Sanaa Lathan, Sam Gold Among 2012 Lortel Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  21. ↑ "Dogfight, The Whale and The Piano Lesson Are Lortel Award Winners". Playbill. May 5, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  22. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (5 May 2013). "Dogfight, The Whale and The Piano Lesson Are Lortel Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  23. ↑ "2014 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  24. ↑ Gans, Andrew (5 May 2014). "Fun Home, Here Lies Love, Buyer & Cellar Win Lortel Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  25. ↑ Gans, Andrew (5 May 2014). "Fun Home, Here Lies Love, Buyer & Cellar Win Lortel Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  26. ↑ "'Hamilton,' Tonya Pinkins Honored at 30th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards". Backstage. May 11, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  27. ↑ Moreau, Jordan (10 May 2015). "Lucille Lortel Awards 2015 (FULL LIST): 'Hamilton' Sweeps". Variety. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  28. ↑ "FUTURITY, Guards at the Taj and Robber Bridegroom Earn Top Lucille Lortel Awards". Playbill. May 1, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  29. ↑ Moreau, Jordan (1 May 2016). "Lucille Lortel Awards 2016 (FULL LIST): 'Guards at the Taj,' 'The Robber Bridegroom' Score Big". Variety. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  30. ↑ "'Oslo,' 'The Band's Visit' Lead 2017 Lortel Award Recipients". American Theater. May 8, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  31. ↑ McPhee, Ryan (8 May 2017). "Ben Platt, Taran Killam, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and More at the 2017 Lucille Lortel Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  32. ↑ "2018 Lucille Lortel Award Winners". Broadway World. May 6, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  33. ↑ McPhee, Ryan (6 May 2018). "KPOP, Cost of Living, School Girls Among 2018 Lucille Lortel Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  34. ↑ "2019 Lucille Lortel Award Winners". Broadway World. May 5, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  35. ↑ Peikert, Mark (5 May 2019). "Carmen Jones Leads 2019 Lortel Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  36. ↑ "2020 : Lucille Lortel Awards". lortelaward.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  37. ↑ Clement, Olivia (3 May 2020). "Octet and Heroes of the Fourth Turning Lead 2020 Lucille Lortel Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  38. ↑ Previous Nominees and Recipients
  39. ↑ Including one win for combined musical/play category.
  40. ↑ Previous Nominees and Recipients
  41. ↑ Including one nomination for combined musical/play category.
  42. ↑ Including one win for combined musical/play category.
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