Now in its 24th year, the Lortel Awards were handed out on Sunday, May 3, 2009 at the “Off” Broadway Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis. The Lortel Recipients were lauded by lovely host, Kristen Johnston, a performance by nominated comedian Mike Birbiglia and with a bevy of presenters, including Jane Krakowski, Parker Posey, Marcia Gay Harden, Piper Perabo, Lisa Edelstein, Jeremy Irons, Ari Graynor, Ellen Burstyn, Craig Bierko, Christian Siriano, Tim Gunn, Mireille Enos, Olivia d’Abo, John Glover, Margarita Levieva, Mark Indelicato, Keith Nobbs, Kerry Butler, Marsha Mason, Robert Verdi, Karen Olivo, Boyd Gaines & Lynn Cohen, Stephanie J Block, Fern Mallis, Ty Burrell, Phyllis Newman, Michael T. Weiss, Kate Jennings Grant, Jessica Blank & Erik Jensen.

Representatives of the Off-Broadway League, Actors’ Equity Association, Society of Stage Directors & Choreographers, the Lucille Lortel Foundation in addition to theatre journalists and academics and other Off-Broadway professionals serve on the Voting Committee. The 2009 Voting Committee is comprised of Jeremy Dobrish, John Clinton Eisner, Barrack Evans, Kurt Everhart, Peter Filichia, David Finkle, Jeffrey Fiske, Elizabeth Frankel, Melanie Herman, Linda Herring, Matthew Kelty, Walt Kiskaddon, Renée Lasher, Russell Lehrer, Niclas Nagler, Barbara Pasternack, Richard Price, Mark Rossier, David Savran and Barbara Toy.

The Lucille Lortel Awards are produced by the Off-Broadway League by special arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Foundation. Additional support provided by Theatre Development Fund. Support also provided by Ketel One Vodka, Lunetta Prosecco, The Powder Group and Amavi Cellars.

Animals Out of Paper
Written by Rajiv Joseph
Produced by Second Stage Theatre

Becky Shaw
Written by Gina Gionfriddo
Produced by Second Stage Theatre

Ruined
Written by Lynn Nottage
Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club and Goodman Theatre

The Good Negro
Written by Tracey Scott Wilson
Produced by The Public Theater in association with Dallas Theater Center

The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928)
Text by William Faulkner
Created by Elevator Repair Service
Produced by New York Theatre Workshop and Elevator Repair Service

Fela! A New Musical
Book by Jim Lewis and Bill T. Jones
Music and Lyrics by Fela Anikulapo Kuti
Additional Music by Aaron Johnson and Jordan McLean
Additional Lyrics by Jim Lewis
Produced by Ruth and Stephen Hendel and Roy Gabay

My Vaudeville Man!
Book by Jeff Hochhauser
Music by Bob Johnston
Lyrics by Bob Johnston and Jeff Hochhauser
Produced by The York Theatre Company and Melanie Herman

Road Show
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by John Weidman
Produced by The Public Theater

Saved
Music and Lyrics by Michael Friedman
Book and Lyrics by John Dempsey and Rinne Groff
Produced by Playwrights Horizons in association with Elephant Eye Theatrical

This Beautiful City
Composer and Lyricist Michael Friedman
Librettist Steve Cosson and Jim Lewis
Created by The Civilians
Produced by Vineyard Theatre

Enter Laughing, The Musical
Book by Joseph Stein
Music and Lyrics by Stan Daniels
Based on the play Enter Laughing by Joseph Stein, from the novel by Carl Reiner
Produced by The York Theatre Company

Othello
Written by William Shakespeare
Produced by Theatre for a New Audience

Our Town
Written by Thornton Wilder
Produced by Scott Morfee, Jean Doumanian, Tom Wirtshafter, Ted Snowdon, Eagle Productions, Dena Hammerstein/Pam Pariseau, The Weinstein Company, Burnt Umber Productions, and Producers

The Cripple of Inishmaan
Written by Martin McDonagh
Produced by Atlantic Theater Company and Druid Theatre Company

The Glass Cage
Written by J.B. Priestley
Produced by Mint Theater Company

Humor Abuse
Created by Lorenzo Pisoni and Erica Schmidt
Performed by Lorenzo Pisoni
Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club

Sleepwalk With Me
Written and Performed by Mike Birbiglia
Produced by Eli Gonda, Ryan Scott Warren, Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf, and Nathan Lane

Arin Arbus, Othello
David Cromer, Our Town
Garry Hynes, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Kate Whoriskey, Ruined
Robert Woodruff, Chair

Martha Clarke, Garden of Earthly Delights
Bill T. Jones, Fela! A New Musical
Janet Miller, The Marvelous Wonderettes
Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Shonn Wiley, My Vaudeville Man!
Sergio Trujillo, Saved

Ned Eisenberg, Othello
Josh Grisetti, Enter Laughing, The Musical
Brian d’Arcy James, Port Authority
Sahr Ngaujah, Fela! A New Musical
John Douglas Thompson, Othello

Ellen Burstyn, The Little Flower of East Orange
Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Ruined
Carmen M. Herlihy, crooked
Kellie Overbey, The Savannah Disputation
Annie Parisse, Becky Shaw

Utkarsh Ambudkar, Animals Out of Paper
Francois Battiste, The Good Negro
John McMartin, Saturn Returns
Aaron Monaghan, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Thomas Sadoski, Becky Shaw

Annika Boras, Chair
Kerry Condon, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Lisa Emery, Distracted
Mamie Gummer, Uncle Vanya
Juliet Rylance, Othello

Beowulf Boritt, Animals Out of Paper
Marina Draghici, Fela! A New Musical
Roger Hanna, The Glass Cage
James Schuette, Wig Out!
David Zinn, Chair

Marina Draghici, Fela! A New Musical
Ann Hould-Ward, Road Show
Toni-Leslie James, Wig Out!
Karen Perry, The First Breeze of Summer
Theresa Squire, Rafta, Rafta…

Christopher Akerlind, Garden of Earthly Delights
Mark Barton, Chair
Lap Chi Chu, The Good Negro
Marcus Doshi, Othello
Jason Lyons, Mourning Becomes Electra

Quentin Chiappetta, Irena’s Vow
John Gromada, Shipwrecked! An Entertainment
Robert Kaplowitz, Wig Out!
Jane Shaw, The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd
Matt Tierney, The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928)

Outstanding Body of Work
The Lark Play Development Center

Edith Oliver Award for Sustained Excellence
Ira Weitzman