Gelpe, Pabst, Ramos, Zielinski Take Lucille Lortel Design Awards

Actors Aasif Mandvi and Maura Tierney hosted the Lucille Lortel Awards the evening of May 5, honoring work from the 2012 - 2013 season.

The Piano Lesson revival earned the most awards with four: Outstanding Revival; Ruben Santiago-Hudson's work won Outstanding Director; Brandon J. Dirden for Outstanding Lead Actor; and Roslyn Ruff for Outstanding Lead Actress.

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul's musical Dogfight and Samuel D. Hunter's The Whale were among the new works to take top honors. The Whale won Outstanding Play, Outstanding Lead Actor for Shuler Hensley, and Outstanding Costume Design for Jessica Pabst. Dogfight won Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Choreography for Christopher Gattelli's work.

Clint Ramos' scenic design for Wild With Happy beat out Beowulf Boritt's If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet; the work Miriam Buether did for The Cockfight Play; Louisa Thompson's Detroit; and Mark Wendland's scenic design for Murder Ballad.

Jessica Pabst won the Outstanding Costume Design for The Whale against Toni-Leslie James for A Civil War Christmas; Clint Ramos's costume design for Wild With Happy; Emily Rebholz for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike; and Anita Yavich for Golden Child.

Scott Zielinski won the Outstanding Lighting Design award for A Civil War Christmas. Other nominees were Jane Cox for The Flick; Rui Rita for The Piano Lesson; and Ben Stanton for both Belleville and Murder Ballad.

Leah Gelpe won the Outstanding Sound Design for her work on Slowgirl against Bray Poor for The Flick; Shane Rettig for Detroit '67; Jane Shaw for Jackie; and Matt Tierney for Detroit.

Special Awards were given to Todd Haimes, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Neil LaBute, who was inducted into the Playwrights' Sidewalk. Theatre Development Fund was presented the Outstanding Body of Work Award, and Old Hats, created and performed by Bill Irwin and David Shiner, was given the award for Outstanding Alternative Theatrical Experience.