The League of Off-Broadway Theatres & Producers today announced the nominees for the 18th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway. On Monday, April 21st there will be a reception for the nominees at Ruth’s Chris Steak House (148 West 51st Street). On Monday, May 5th the awards will be presented at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street) at 7 PM.

Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme tops the list of shows with multiple nominations, receiving six. Avenue Q and Fifth of July follow with five nominations each; Our Lady of 121st Street and Take Me Out each received four nominations.

2003 Nominations and Recipients by Category


Outstanding Play 
Dublin Carol; written by Conor McPherson; produced by Atlantic Theater Company 
 
Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme; written by Frank McGuinness; produced by Lincoln Center Theater  

Our Lady of 121st Street; written by Stephen Adly Guirgis; produced by John Gould Rubin, Ira Pittelman, Robyn Goodman, Ruth Hendel, Daryl Roth and the LAByrinth Theater Company 

Take Me Out; written by Richard Greenberg; produced by The Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival and The Donmar Warehouse   

Outstanding Musical
Avenue Q; music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, book by Jeff Whitty. Based on an original concept by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx; produced by Vineyard Theatre and The New Group  


Hank Williams: Lost Highway; by Randal Myler and Mark Harelik; produced by Manhattan Ensemble Theater  

Radiant Baby; book by Stuart Ross, music by Debra Barsha, lyrics by Ira Gasman, Stuart Ross and Debra Barsha; produced by The Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival  

Zanna, Don’t!; book, music and lyrics by Tim Acito, additional book and lyrics by Alexander Dinelaris; produced by Jack M. Dalgleish in association with Stephanie Joel   

Outstanding Revival 
Burn This; written by Lanford Wilson; produced by Signature Theatre Company  

Comedians; written by Trevor Griffiths; produced by The New Group 
 
Don Juan; written by Molière, translated by Christopher Hampton; produced by Theatre for a New Audience 

Fifth of July; written by Lanford Wilson; produced by Signature Theatre Company   

Outstanding Director 
Jo Bonney; Fifth of July  
Philip Seymour Hoffman; Our Lady of 121st Street 
Joe Mantello; Take Me Out  
Nicholas Martin; Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme  
Jason Moore; Avenue Q   


Outstanding Choreographer 
Ronald K. Brown; Crowns  
Martha Clarke; Vienna: Lusthaus (revisited) 
Devanand Janki; Zanna, Don’t!  
Ken Roberson; Avenue Q  
Fatima Robinson; Radiant Baby   

Outstanding Lead Actor 
Charles Busch; Shanghai Moon  
Jim Dale; Comedians  
Edward Norton; Burn This  
Jason Petty; Hank Williams: Lost Highway 
Daniel Sunjata; Take Me Out   

Outstanding Lead Actress
Tovah Feldshuh; Golda’s Balcony  

S. Epatha Merkerson; Fucking A  
Kate Mulgrew; Tea at Five  
Pamela Payton-Wright; Fifth of July  
Parker Posey; Fifth of July   

Outstanding Featured Actor 
Walter Bobbie; Polish Joke  
Mos Def; Fucking A  
Ron Cephas Jones; Our Lady of 121st Street 
Denis O’Hare; Take Me Out  
Justin Theroux; Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme   

Outstanding Featured Actress 
Anika Larsen; Zanna, Don’t! 
Jan Maxwell; My Old Lady  
Nancy Opel; Polish Joke  
Portia; Our Lady of 121st Street  
Daphne Rubin-Vega; Fucking A   


Outstanding Scenic Design 
Christopher Akerlind; Don Juan  
John Lee Beatty; My Old Lady 
Alexander Dodge; Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme  
Anna Louizos; Avenue Q  
Mark Wendland; The World Over   

Outstanding Costume Design
Michael Bottari and Ronald Case; Shanghai Moon
  
Susan Hilferty; My Life With Albertine  
Paul Tazewell; Boston Marriage  
Catherine Zuber; Far Away   

Outstanding Lighting Design 
Christopher Akerlind; Don Juan  
Howell Binkley; Radiant Baby 
Donald Holder; Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme  
James F. Ingalls; My Life With Albertine  
James Vermeulen; Fifth of July  

Outanding Sound Design 
Paul Arditti; Far Away  
Mark Bennett; Golda’s Balcony 
Brett Jarvis; Avenue Q  
Jerry Yager; Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme   

Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Stephen Sondheim 
  
Unique Theatrical Experience The Exonerated; written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen; produced by The Culture Project, Dede Harris, Morton Swinsky, Bob Balaban, Harit Allan Buchman in association with Patrick Blake and David Elliott, Jane Bergère, Ruth Hendel and Cheryl Wiesenfeld   

Outstanding Body of Work Vineyard Theatre   

Edith Oliver Award for Sustained Excellence Marian Seldes   

Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee(s) Not given