FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact: Chris Kanarick [email protected] O: 646.893.4777

THE OFF-BROADWAY LEAGUE & THEATRE TO PRESENT AN ORIGINAL FILMED PROGRAM FOR

THE 36TH ANNUAL

SPECIAL CELEBRATION OF THE OFF-BROADWAY COMMUNITY – ON-STAGE, BEHIND THE SCENES, AND IN THE AUDIENCE – WILL PREMIERE ON SUNDAY, MAY 2, 2021

New York, NY (April 14, 2021) – In an unprecedented year without live theatre to recognize, The Off- Broadway League and the will present the 2021 Lucille Lortel Awards as a celebration of all the people who create Off-Broadway excellence. The pre-taped special will honor the writers, actors, directors, choreographers, designers, musicians, stagehands, producers, theatre staff, and the audiences who all contribute to the incomparable magic of Off-. Featuring testimonials from members of the community, as as fun facts, video footage from past awards shows, the Lucille Lortel Vault, and more, the program will premiere Sunday, May 2, at 7:00PM on www.lortelawards.org and will, as always, be a benefit for The Actors Fund.

The 36th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards will feature an appearance by Bebe Neuwirth, Vice Chair, Board of Trustees, The Actors Fund, as well as Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Pallero, Edmund Donovan, Scott Elliott, Will Eno, Stephen McKinley Henderson, , , Judy Kuhn, Grace McLean, Annette O'Toole, Larry Owens, Tonya Pinkins, Daryl Roth, Kristen Schaal, Jeremy Shamos, Susan Stroman, Jason Tam, and more; a brand-new performance choreographed by actor and dancer Reed Luplau; comedy sketches by the improv group The Foundation; a monologue by Phillip Taratula as Pam Goldberg; a musical performance by Crystal Monee Hall, Allen René Louis, and Michael McElroy; and an original song by Bobby Daye in memory of Off-Broadway community members who lost their lives this past year.

With the closure of theatres across the city in 2020 due to the COVID crisis, as well as restrictions and shutdowns making it impossible to produce new theatre, the Lortel Awards acknowledged the importance of celebrating the excellence of work from the 2019 – 2020 season without delay and were one of the first awards ceremonies to pivot to fully virtual for the 35th Annual Awards on May 3, 2020.

Casey York, President of the Off-Broadway League said, “After an incredibly trying year, we have chosen to use our platform to raise critical funding for The Actors Fund while showcasing what makes Off-Broadway unique. The Covid-19 pandemic shuttered our venues for over a year and decimated the livelihoods of most of our artists and cultural workers, with a disproportionate impact on the BIPOC in our community. We are now starting to emerge from this prolonged shutdown of live theatrical performances, and we are not just going back to normal ‘Before Times’. We’re laying the groundwork for a more equitable future, and we invite you to join us on May 2nd for an invigorating tribute to the entire community— not just the public-facing artists who are typically eligible for awards."

"The Lucille Lortel Awards are an Off-Broadway tradition, and we hope that by continuing that tradition, even when theatres have been closed for more than a year, we can offer the theatre community and fans a sense of continuity” added George Forbes, Executive Director of the Lucille Lortel Theatre. “With the challenges of the past year and the challenges to come, we pause for a moment to remember we are still a community and remind everyone of the tremendous work done Off-Broadway."

Follow the Lucille Lortel Awards (#LortelAwards) on social media: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Watch previous ceremonies by subscribing to the Lortel Awards YouTube channel.

ABOUT THE LUCILLE LORTEL AWARDS The Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway were created in 1985 by the Off- Broadway League. The Lortel Awards recognize excellence in Off-Broadway by honoring the invaluable contribution of artists to the theatre community. Representatives of the Off-Broadway League, Actors’ Equity Association, Stage Directors & Choreographers Society, United Scenic Artists, the Lucille Lortel Theatre Foundation, in addition to theatre journalists, academics and other Off-Broadway professionals, serve on the Voting Committee. Awards may be given in the following categories: Play, Musical, Solo Show, Revival, Alternative Theatrical Experience, Director, Choreographer, Lead Actor and Actress in a Play and Musical, Featured Actor and Actress in a Play and Musical, Scenic, Costume, Lighting, Sound, and Projection Design. The following honorary awards may also be given: Lifetime Achievement Award, Body of Work (awarded to an institution), Edith Oliver Service to Off-Broadway Award and induction onto the Playwrights’ Sidewalk in front of the historic Lucille Lortel Theatre in City. For more information, please see www.LortelAwards.org.

ABOUT THE OFF-BROADWAY LEAGUE The Off-Broadway League was founded in 1959 to foster theatrical productions produced in Off-Broadway theatres (productions in in venues with 100-499 seats), to assist in the voluntary exchange of information among its members, and to serve as a collective voice of its membership in pursuit of these goals. In the recent years the League has grown to represent an average of 150 individual members and theatres and 100 non-for-profit and commercial shows per season.

ABOUT THE LUCILLE LORTEL THEATRE The Lucille Lortel Theatre's mission is to sustain and advance Off-Broadway by creating awareness, appreciation, and encouraging the continued growth of Off-Broadway; assisting with theatrical infrastructure and capacity building; and developing educational programs fostering the next generation of theatre makers. The Theatre’s programs include Live at The Lortel (a video interview and podcast series), NYC Public High School Playwriting Fellowship, Consequences (a digital series in partnership with Harlem9 and Harlem Stage commissioning BIPOC artists), Lucille Lortel Awards and Playwrights’ Sidewalk, Internet Off- Broadway Database (IOBDB.com), Fellowships in Theatre with Bennington College, Non-Profit Theatre Strategic and Management Services, and Subsidized Theatre Space. For more information, please visit www.lortel.org.

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