2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards

2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards
Date	May 17, 2022
Venue	New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
Most wins	The Lehman Trilogy (6)
Most nominations	The Lehman Trilogy (9)
Website	outercritics.org.
← 2020 · Outer Critics Circle Awards · 2023 →

The 2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards announced its winners on May 17, 2022, recognizing excellence in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions during the 2021–22 season. Nominations were announced on April 26, 2022, with The Lehman Trilogy receiving the most nominations with nine. Harmony and Kimberly Akimbo followed with eight nominations.^[1]

This was the first ceremony after only naming honorees in 2020 and cancelling the awards in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lehman Trilogy was the biggest winner of the night, taking home six awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Play and Outstanding Director of a Play for Sam Mendes. Kimberly Akimbo followed with four wins, including Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical' and Outstanding Director of a Musical for Jessica Stone. Close behind, Six won three, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical, while Prayer for the French Republic took home Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play.^[2]

Awards and nominations

Category	Winner and nominees[3]
Outstanding New Broadway Play	*The Lehman Trilogy by Stefano Massini, adapted by Ben Power Birthday Candles by Noah Haidle Clyde's by Lynn Nottage Skeleton Crew by Dominique Morisseau The Minutes by Tracy Letts
Outstanding New Broadway Musical	*Six MJ Mr. Saturday Night Mrs. Doubtfire Paradise Square
Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play	*Prayer for the French Republic Morning Sun by Simon Stephens On Sugarland by Aleshea Harris Sanctuary City by Martyna Majok The Chinese Lady by Lloyd Suh
Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical	*Kimberly Akimbo Black No More Harmony Intimate Apparel Little Girl Blue
Outstanding Revival of a Play	*Take Me Out For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf How I Learned to Drive Trouble in Mind
Outstanding Revival of a Musical	*Company Assassins Caroline, Or Change The Music Man The Streets of New York
John Gassner Award	*Sanaz Toossi, English Erika Dickerson-Despenza, Cullud Watah Sylvia Khoury, Selling Kabul Davis Harris, Tambo and Bones Keenan Scott II, Thoughts of a Colored Man
Outstanding Book of a Musical	* Kimberly Akimbo, David Lindsay-Abaire, Atlantic Theater Company Mr. Saturday Night, Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, and Babaloo Mandel Mrs. Doubtfire, Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell Intimate Apparel, Lynn Nottage, Lincoln Center Theater Harmony, Bruce Sussman, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene
Outstanding New Score	* Six, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss Paradise Square, Jason Howland, Nathan Tysen, and Masi Asare Mrs. Doubtfire, Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick Harmony, Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene Kimberly Akimbo, Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire, Atlantic Theater Company
Outstanding Director of Play	* Sam Mendes, The Lehman Trilogy Camille A. Brown, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Skeleton Crew Scott Ellis, Take Me Out Anna D. Shapiro, The Minutes
Outstanding Director of a Musical	* Jessica Stone, Kimberly Akimbo Moisés Kaufman, Paradise Square Christopher Wheeldon, MJ the Musical Warren Carlyle, Harmony Jerry Zaks, Mrs. Doubtfire
Outstanding Choreography	* MJ the Musical, Christopher Wheeldon, Anthony Talauega, Richmond Talauega For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf, Camille A. Brown (director / choreographer) Harmony, Warren Carlyle (director / choreographer) The Music Man, Warren Carlyle (choreographer) Paradise Square, Bill T. Jones, Alex Sanchez, Garrett Coleman, Jason Oremus
Outstanding Orchestrations	* Jason Howland, Paradise Square Greg Jarrett, Assassins David Holcenberg, MJ the Musical Jason Michael Webb, MJ the Musical John Clancy, Kimberly Akimbo Doug Walter, Harmony
Outstanding Actor in a Play	* Simon Russell Beale, The Lehman Trilogy as Haim "Henry" Lehman Adam Godley, The Lehman Trilogy as Mayer Lehman Adrian Lester, The Lehman Trilogy as Emmanuel Lehman Sam Rockwell, American Buffalo as Teach Patrick J. Adams, Take Me Out as Kippy Sunderstrom
Outstanding Actress in a Play	* LaChanze, Trouble in Mind as Wiletta Mayer Betsy Aidem, Prayer for the French Republic as Marcelle Salomon Benhamou Stephanie Berry, On Sugarland as Evelyn Edie Falco, Morning Sun as Charley Debra Messing, Birthday Candles as Ernestine Ashworth
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play	* Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Take Me Out as Mason Marzac Brandon J. Dirden, Skeleton Crew as Reggie Michael Oberholtzer, Take Me Out as Shane Mungitt Austin Pendleton, The Minutes as Mr. Oldfield Chuck Cooper, Trouble in Mind as Sheldon Forrester
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play	* Uzo Aduba, Clyde's as Clyde Chanté Adams, Skeleton Crew as Shanita Nancy Robinette, Prayer for the French Republic as Irma Salomon Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew as Faye Francis Benhamou, Prayer for the French Republic as Elodie Benhamnou
Outstanding Actor in a Musical	* Jaquel Spivey, A Strange Loop as Usher Rob McClure, Mrs. Doubtfire as Daniel Hillard Chip Zien, Harmony as "Rabbi" Josef Roman Cycowski Myles Frost, MJ the Musical as MJ Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo as Seth
Outstanding Actress in a Musical	* Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo as Kimberly Kearstin Piper Brown, Intimate Apparel: A New Opera as Esther Sharon D. Clarke, Caroline, or Change as Caroline Thibodeaux Carmen Cusack, Flying Over Sunset as Clare Boothe Luce Joaquina Kalukango, Paradise Square as Nelly O'Brien
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical	* Matt Doyle, Company as Jamie Quentin Earl Darrington, MJ the Musical as Joseph Jackson / Rob Steven Pasquale, Assassins as John Wilkes Booth A. J. Shively, Paradise Square as Owen Duignan Will Swenson, Assassins as Charles Guiteau
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical	* Patti LuPone, Company as Joanne Shoshana Bean, Mr. Saturday Night as Susan Young Jenn Colella, Suffs as Carrie Chapman Catt Judy Kuhn, Assassins as Sara Jane Moore Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo as Debra
Outstanding Solo Performance	* Kristina Wong, Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord Arturo Luís Soria, Ni Mi Madre Jenn Murray, A Girl is a Half-formed Thing as Girl Alex Edelman, Just for Us
Outstanding Scenic Design	* Adam Rigg, The Skin of Our Teeth' Es Devlin, The Lehman Trilogy Beowulf Boritt, Flying Over Sunset Scott Pask, American Buffalo David Zinn, The Minutes
Outstanding Costume Design	* Gabriella Slade, Six' Jane Greenwood, Plaza Suite Santo Loquasto, The Music Man Emilio Sosa, Trouble in Mind Catherine Zuber, Mrs. Doubtfire
Outstanding Lighting Design	* Jon Clark, The Lehman Trilogy' (lighting designer) Natasha Katz, MJ the Musical (lighting designer) Bradley King, Flying Over Sunset (lighting designer) Brian MacDevitt, The Minutes (lighting designer) Jen Schriever, Lackawanna Blues (lighting designer)
Outstanding Projection Design	* Luke Halls, The Lehman Trilogy Stefania Bulbarella, Space Dogs Alex Basco Koch, Space Dogs Benjamin Pearcy (as 59 Productions), Flying Over Sunset Shawn Duan, Letters of Suresh Jeff Sugg, Mr. Saturday Night
Outstanding Sound Design	* Nick Powell, Dominic Bilkey, The Lehman Trilogy Ben Ringham, Max Ringham, Blindness André J. Pluess, The Minutes Matt Stine, Sam Kusnetz, Assassins Dan Moses Schreier, Harmony

References

1. "2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards nominations announced". New York Theater Guide. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
2. "The Lehman Trilogy Leads 2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Six Wins Best Musical; See the Complete List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
3. "2021-2022 Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced". Retrieved July 21, 2025.