2017-2018 Awards

2017-2018 AWARDS

The New York Drama Critics’ Circle met on May 3, 2018 to determine the winners of its 83nd annual awards. The results were as follows:

Best Play: Mary Jane (Amy Herzog)
Best Foreign Play: Hangmen (Martin McDonagh)
Best Musical: no award
Special Citations: Park Avenue Armory for adventurous theatrical programming; Transport Group; the staging, design and illusions of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

On the first ballot for Best Play, Mary Jane won 9 votes, just short of a majority of the 19 active members. A second vote was then taken to determine whether an award would be given at all. Having agreed that one should, the Circle moved to a weighted third ballot, with 29 points required to win. Mary Jane earned 30 points, versus 17 points for Hangmen and 15 for School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play.

Having awarded Best Play to a work by an American author, the Circle then considered an award for Best Foreign Play. Hangmen received 8 votes on the first ballot. After agreeing to give an award in this category, the Circle moved to a third ballot, which Hangmen won with 30 points, besting The Children (24 points) and People, Places & Things (20 points).

After a deeply divided first ballot, the Circle opted not to give an award for Best Musical.

Following a lively discussion, the Circle also voted to award three Special Citations: to Park Avenue Armory for adventurous theatrical programming; to the Off Broadway company Transport Group; and to the staging, design and illusions of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

The awards will be presented at a private ceremony at Feinstein’s/54 Below on May 10, 2018.

Best Play, first ballot:

Hilton Als (proxy): School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play
David Cote (proxy): Mary Jane
Joe Dziemianowicz: Mary Jane
Michael Feingold: Describe the Night
Adam Feldman: Mary Jane
David Finkle: Hangmen
Sara Holdren: The Children
Charles Isherwood (proxy): Mary Jane
Christopher Kelly: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
David Rooney: Mary Jane
Frank Scheck (proxy): Mary Jane
Barbara Schuler: School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play
Helen Shaw: Mary Jane
David Sheward: People, Places & Things
Marilyn Stasio: Hangmen
Zachary Stewart: Junk
Terry Teachout (proxy): Mary Jane
Elisabeth Vincentelli: Mary Jane
Matt Windman: Hangmen

Best Play, third ballot:

Hilton Als (proxy):
School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play
People, Places & Things
The Workshop

David Cote (proxy):
Mary Jane
School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play
[Porto]

Joe Dziemianowicz:
Mary Jane
Hangmen
School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play

Michael Feingold:
Describe the Night
Junk
Pipeline

Adam Feldman:
Mary Jane
The Low Road
The Treasurer

David Finkle:
Hangmen
The Low Road
The Treasurer

Sara Holdren:
The Children
Ballyturk
Describe the Night

Charles Isherwood (proxy):
Mary Jane
Is God Is
Describe the Night

Christopher Kelly:
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Junk
Illyria

David Rooney:
Mary Jane
Hangmen
Pipeline

Frank Scheck (proxy):
Mary Jane
School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play
Cost of Living

Barbara Schuler:
School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play
Hangman
The Children

Helen Shaw:
Mary Jane
Farmhouse/Whorehouse
School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play

David Sheward:
People. Places & Things
Mary Jane
The Children

Marilyn Stasio:
Hangmen
School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play
Mary Jane

Zachary Stewart:
Admissions
Junk
People, Places & Things

Terry Teachout (proxy):
Mary Jane
Hangmen
Mlima’s Tale

Elisabeth Vincentelli:
Mary Jane
Yerma
The Workshop

Matt Windman:
Hangmen
Admissions
School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play

Best Foreign Play, first ballot:

Hilton Als (proxy): People, Places & Things
David Cote (proxy): People, Places & Things
Joe Dziemianowicz: Hangmen
Michael Feingold: A Room in India
Adam Feldman: Ballyturk
David Finkle: Hangmen
Sara Holdren: Ballyturk
Charles Isherwood (proxy): Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Christopher Kelly: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
David Rooney: Hangmen
Frank Scheck (proxy): Hangmen
Barbara Schuler: Hangmen
Helen Shaw: A Room in India
David Sheward: People, Places & Things
Marilyn Stasio: Hangmen
Zachary Stewart: People, Places & Things
Terry Teachout (proxy): Hangmen
Elisabeth Vincentelli: Yerma
Matt Windman: Hangmen

Best Foreign Play, third ballot:

Hilton Als (proxy):
People, Places & Things
A Room in India
The Children

David Cote (proxy):
People, Places & Things
The Children
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Joe Dziemianowicz:
Hangmen
The Children
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Michael Feingold:
A Room in India
The Children
People, Places & Things

Adam Feldman:
Ballyturk
The Children
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

David Finkle:
Hangmen
Farinelli and the King
People, Places & Things

Sara Holdren:
Ballyturk
The Children
People, Places & Things

Charles Isherwood (proxy):
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Hangmen
The Children

Christopher Kelly:
People, Places & Things
The Children
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

David Rooney:
Hangmen
The Children
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Frank Scheck (proxy):
Hangmen
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
People, Places & Things

Barbara Schuler:
Hangmen
The Children
Farinelli and the King

Helen Shaw:
Hangmen
A Room In India
Say Something Bunny!

David Sheward:
People, Places & Things
The Children
Hangmen

Marilyn Stasio:
Hangmen
Farinelli and the King
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Zachary Stewart:
People, Places & Things
Returning to Reims
Yerma

Terry Teachout (proxy):
Hangmen
The Home Place
Farinelli and the King

Elisabeth Vincentelli:
Yerma
The Children
People, Places & Things

Matt Windman
Hangmen
The Children
Farinelli and the King

Best Musical, first ballot:

Hilton Als (proxy): The Boy Who Danced on Air
David Cote (proxy): Jerry Springer—The Opera
Joe Dziemianowicz: abstain
Michael Feingold: Bella: An American Tall Tale
Adam Feldman: Jerry Springer—The Opera
David Finkle: abstain
Sara Holdren: KPOP
Charles Isherwood (proxy): abstain
Christopher Kelly: SpongeBob SquarePants
David Rooney: abstain
Frank Scheck (proxy): KPOP
Barbara Schuler: KPOP
Helen Shaw: Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story
David Sheward: Mean Girls
Marilyn Stasio: SpongeBob SquarePants
Zachary Stewart: The Boy Who Danced on Air
Terry Teachout (proxy): Miss You Like Hell
Elisabeth Vincentelli: Jerry Springer—The Opera
Matt Windman: Jerry Springer—The Opera