Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Direction of a Play

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Outer Critics Circle Award for
Outstanding Director of a Play
Danya Taymor, 2025 winner
Awarded forOutstanding Director of a Play
LocationNew York City
Presented byOuter Critics Circle
Currently held byDanya Taymor, John Proctor is the Villain (2025)
WebsiteOuterCritics.org

The Outer Critics Circle Award for Direction of a Play, formerly the award for Director of a Play, is an annual award given to the best director of a (non-musical) play on Broadway or Off-Broadway, as determined by Outer Critics Circle. The award has been given out since the 1992–1993 season, when the Best Director award split and renamed into musical and play categories.[citation needed] In 2024, the award was renamed to Outstanding Direction of a Play.[1][better source needed]

Jack O'Brien has won the most awards, with four, followed by Daniel J. Sullivan, Joe Mantello, Nicholas Hytner, Marianne Elliott and Sam Mendes with two awards each. Daniel J. Sullivan has received the most nominations with eight each, followed by Jack O'Brien and Joe Mantello with six and five nominations, respectively.

Award winners

[edit]
Key
  and bold indicates the winner.

1990s

[edit]
Year Director Production Ref.
1993
Daniel J. Sullivan The Sisters Rosensweig [2]
1994
George C. Wolfe Angels in America and Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992
1995
Joe Mantello Love! Valour! Compassion! [3]
1996
Lloyd Richards Seven Guitars
1997
John Caird Stanley [4]
Anthony Page A Doll's House
Daniel J. Sullivan An American Daughter
Ron Lagomarsino The Last Night of Ballyhoo
1998
Michael Mayer A View from the Bridge and Side Man [5]
Matthew Warchus Art
Ethan McSweeny Never the Sinner
Garry Hynes The Beauty Queen of Leenane
1999
Howard Davies The Iceman Cometh [6]
Robert Falls Death of a Salesman
Patrick Marber Closer
Trevor Nunn Not About Nightingales

2000s

[edit]
Year Director Production Ref.
2000
Daniel J. Sullivan A Moon for the Misbegotten and Dinner with Friends [7]
Peter Hall Amadeus
Michael Blakemore Copenhagen
David Leveaux The Real Thing
2001
Jack O'Brien The Invention of Love [8]
John Tillinger Judgment at Nuremberg
Daniel J. Sullivan Proof
Ian McElhinney Stones in His Pockets
2002
Mary Zimmerman Metamorphoses [9]
Scott Schwartz Franz Kafka's The Castle
Daniel J. Sullivan Morning's at Seven
Jeremy Sams Noises Off
George C. Wolfe Topdog/Underdog
2003
Joe Mantello Take Me Out [10]
Gerald Gutierrez Dinner at Eight
Michael Wilson Enchanted April
Michael Engler Talking Heads
2004
Jack O'Brien Henry IV (both parts) [11]
Moises Kaufman I Am My Own Wife
Daniel J. Sullivan Intimate Apparel
Doug Hughes Frozen
2005
Doug Hughes Doubt [12]
Dan Wackerman Counsellor-at-Law
Joe Mantello Glengarry Glen Ross
John Crowley The Pillowman
Anthony Page Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
2006
Nicholas Hytner The History Boys [13]
Bartlett Sher Awake and Sing!
Jerry Zaks The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
Wilson Milam The Lieutenant of Inishmore
2007
Jack O'Brien The Coast of Utopia [14]
David Grindley Journey's End
Michael Grandage Frost/Nixon
Melly Still Coram Boy
2008
Anna D. Shapiro August: Osage County [15]
Rufus Norris Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Rupert Goold Macbeth
Maria Aitken The 39 Steps
2009
Matthew Warchus The Norman Conquests [16]
Moisés Kaufman 33 Variations
Bartlett Sher Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Garry Hynes The Cripple of Inishmaan
Anthony Page Waiting for Godot

2010s

[edit]
Year Director Production Ref.
2010
Michael Wilson The Orphans' Home Cycle [17]
Stanley Tucci Lend Me a Tenor
Doug Hughes The Royal Family
Kenny Leon Fences
2011
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris War Horse [18]
Emma Rice Brief Encounter
Anna D. Shapiro The Motherfucker with the Hat
Daniel J. Sullivan Good People
2012
Nicholas Hytner One Man, Two Guvnors [19]
Mike Nichols Death of a Salesman
Mark Brokaw The Lyons
David Cromer Tribes
2013
Jack O'Brien The Nance [20]
Nicholas Martin Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Bartlett Sher Golden Boy
Michael Wilson The Trip to Bountiful
Pam MacKinnon Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
2014
Tim Carroll Twelfth Night [21]
Bill Rauch All the Way
Lyndsey Turner Machinal
Michael Grandage The Cripple of Inishmaan
Lindsay Posner The Winslow Boy
2015
Marianne Elliott The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time [22]
Stephen Daldry The Audience
Jeremy Herrin Wolf Hall
Scott Ellis The Elephant Man
You Can't Take it With You
2016
Ivo van Hove A View from the Bridge [23][24]
Evan Cabnet Gloria
Rupert Goold King Charles III
Joe Mantello The Humans
Mike Donahue The Legend of Georgia McBride
2017
Rebecca Taichman Indecent [25]
Kate Whoriskey Sweat
Jack O'Brien The Front Page
Daniel J. Sullivan The Little Foxes
Lila Neugebauer The Wolves
2018
John Tiffany Harry Potter and the Cursed Child [26]
Marianne Elliott Angels in America
Jo Bonney Cost of Living
Joe Mantello Three Tall Women
Patrick Marber Travesties
2019
Sam Mendes The Ferryman [27]
Jack O'Brien All My Sons
Rupert Goold Ink
Logan Vaughn The Light
Bartlett Sher To Kill a Mockingbird

2020s

[edit]
Year Director Production Ref.
2020 (Hon.) Kenny Leon A Soldier's Play [28]
Jamie Lloyd Betrayal
John Ortiz Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven
Stephen Daldry The Inheritance
David Cromer The Sound Inside
2021 No award given due to COVID-19 pandemic.
2022
Sam Mendes The Lehman Trilogy [29]
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
2023
Patrick Marber Leopoldstadt [30]
Max Webster Life of Pi
Pam MacKinnon Downstate
Kenny Leon Topdog/Underdog
Adam Meggido Peter Pan Goes Wrong
2024
Daniel Aukin Stereophonic [1]
Knud Adams Primary Trust
Kenny Leon Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Robert Falls Swing State
Lila Neugebauer Appropriate
2025
Danya Taymor John Proctor is the Villain [31][32]
Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Phylicia Rashad Purpose
Sam Mendes The Hills of California
Trip Cullman Cult of Love

Multiple wins

[edit]
4 wins
2 wins

Multiple nominations

[edit]
8 nominations
6 nominations
5 nominations
4 nominations
3 nominations
2 nominations

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Stereophonic Leads 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Wins Best Play; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2025-08-19. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  2. ^ Rich, Frank (April 27, 1993). "Outer Critics Circle Names Award Winners". The New York Times. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  3. ^ "Outer Critics Float Show Boat". Variety. April 1995. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  4. ^ Lefkowitz, David (May 5, 1997). "Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  5. ^ Viagas & Lefkowitz (April 27, 1998). "Lion King Roars With Six Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  6. ^ "Nightingales, Wit, Iceman & Fosse Win Outer Critics Awards; Ceremony May 28". Playbill. April 26, 1999. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  7. ^ "Contact and Kiss Me, Kate Big Winners of 2000 Outer Critics Awards". Playbill. April 30, 2000. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  8. ^ Simonson & Lefkowitz (May 24, 2001). "2001 Outer Critics Circle Awards Held at Sardi's, May 24". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  9. ^ "The 2001–2002 Outer Critics Circle Award Winners". TheaterMania. April 29, 2002. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  10. ^ Gans, Andrew (May 5, 2003). "Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced; Hairspray Leads the Pack". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  11. ^ "Wicked, Wonderful Town, I Am My Own Wife Top 2004 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. May 2, 2004. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  12. ^ "2005 Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced". New York Theatre Guide. May 9, 2005. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  13. ^ Hernandez, Ernio (May 14, 2006). "The Drowsy Chaperone and The History Boys Top Outer Critics Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  14. ^ Gans, Andrew (May 24, 2007). "Outer Critics Circle Awards Are Presented by Clark, Young and Mitchell May 24". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  15. ^ Gans, Andrew (May 12, 2008). "South Pacific Is Big Winner in Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  16. ^ "Outer Critics Circle 2008–09 Award Winners". New York Theatre Guide. May 11, 2009. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  17. ^ "MEMPHIS & LA CAGE Top Outer Critics Circle Winners". BroadwayWorld. May 17, 2010. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  18. ^ "The Book of Mormon, War Horse and Anything Goes Top 2011 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Broadway.com. May 16, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  19. ^ Gans, Andrew (May 14, 2012). "Outer Critics Circle Winners Announced; Once and One Man, Two Guvnors Are Top Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  20. ^ "Outer Critics Circle 2013 Award Winners". New York Theatre Guide. May 13, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  21. ^ Gans, Andrew (May 12, 2014). "64th Annual Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced; Gentleman's Guide Wins Four Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  22. ^ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2015: Full List". Variety. April 27, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  23. ^ "Outer Critics Circle Honors 'She Loves Me' and 'Long Day's Journey Into Night'". The New York Times. May 9, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  24. ^ Viagas, Robert (May 9, 2016). "Bright Star and The Humans Win Top 2016 NY Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  25. ^ Lefkowitz, Andy (May 8, 2017). "2017 Outer Critics Circle Awards: Come From Away & More Win Top Prizes". Broadway.com. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  26. ^ McPhee, Ryan (May 7, 2018). "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, My Fair Lady Win Big at 2018 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  27. ^ Lefkowitz, Andy (May 13, 2019). "Hadestown Leads Winners of 2019 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Broadway.com. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  28. ^ Clement, Olivia (May 11, 2020). "Moulin Rouge! Leads 2020 Outer Critics Circle Award Honorees". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  29. ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 17, 2022). "The Lehman Trilogy Leads 2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Six Wins Best Musical; See the Complete List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  30. ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 16, 2023). "Some Like It Hot Dominates 2023 Outer Critics Circle Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  31. ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 12, 2025). "Maybe Happy Ending Leads 2025 Outer Critics Circle Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  32. ^ Evans, Greg (2025-04-25). "'Death Becomes Her' Broadway Musical Leads Outer Critics Circle Award Nominees – Complete List". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-09-01.