The New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award Winners Announced

The New York Drama Critics’ Circle today announced the winners at the organizations 82nd annual meeting.  The Circle is comprised of 22 drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines, wire services and websites based in New York City. The awards have been awarded every year since 1936 to the best new play of the season, making it the nation’s second-oldest theater award, after the Pulitzer Prize for drama.

Oslo was named best play of the 2016-17 season, with The Band’s Visit being named best musical. The award for best play carries a cash prize of $2,500. The prize is made possible by a grant from the Lucille Lortel Foundation.

Oslo, is written by J.T. Rogers and directed by Bartlett Sher. The play had its world premiere at Lincoln Center Theater’s Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater on July 11, 2016. It currently plays at Lincoln Center Theater’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, where it had its Broadway premiere on April 13, 2017.

The Band’s Visit, book by Itamar Moses, music and lyrics by David Yazbek, is directed by David Cromer. The musical had its world premiere at the Atlantic Theatre Company, on December 8, 2016 and closed on January 8, 2017.

Special citations were voted to Taylor Mac for A 24-Decade History of Popular Music; Ruben Santiago-Hudson and the cast of Jitney; and Paula Vogel (Indecent) for career achievement as a playwright and mentor.

The awards will be presented at a private cocktail reception on Thursday, May 18.

Adam Feldman, theater critic for Time Out New York, has served as president of the NYDCC since 2005. Elisabeth Vincentelli serves as vice president; Joe Dziemianowicz is treasurer.  In addition to Feldman, Vincentelli, and Dziemianowicz, the members of the New York Drama Critics’ Circle are: Hilton Als, Melissa Rose Bernardo, David Cote, Michael Feingold, Robert Feldberg, Elysa Gardner, Jeremy Gerard, Jesse Green, Christopher Kelly, David Rooney, Frank Scheck, David Sheward, John Simon, Marilyn Stasio, Zachary Stewart, Terry Teachout, Matt Windman, Linda Winer and Richard Zoglin. Emeritus members include David Finkle, Brian Scott Lipton, Jesse Oxfeld, Michael Sommers and Steven Suskin.

For more information on the New York Drama Critics’ Circle, please visit www.dramacritics.org.