"Marvin's Room," Scott McPherson's off-Broadway comedy-drama about a dying woman and her family, has been named best play of the 1991-92 theater season by the Drama Desk, while "Crazy for You," which uses old songs by George and Ira Gershwin and a new book, was chosen best musical.
Laura Esterman, the star of "Marvin's Room," was named best actress in a play, while Brian Bedford of the short-lived "Two Shakespearean Actors," was picked as best actor.Faith Prince who plays Miss Adelaide in the hit revival of "Guys and Dolls" was named best actress in a musical. Her co-star, Nathan Lane, won the actor-musical prize in a tie with Gregory Hines who plays jazz great Jelly Roll Morton in "Jelly's Last Jam."
"Guys and Dolls" picked up seven awards, the most of any show. Besides the awards to Prince and Lane, the show took prizes for best revival; director-musical, Jerry Zaks; sets, Tony Walton; costumes, William Ivey Long, and lighting, Paul Gallo who tied with Jules Fisher of "Jelly's Last Jam."
Unlike the Tony Awards, which recognizes only Broadway productions, the Drama Desk honors Broadway and off-Broadway plays and musicals. The group is composed of New York theater journalists and critics.
Here is a complete list of winners of 1991-92 Drama Desk Awards:
Play: "Marvin's Room"
Musical: "Crazy for You"
Actor-Play: Brian Bedford, "Two Shakespearean Actors"
Actress-Play: Laura Esterman, "Marvin's Room"
Actor-Musical: (tie) Gregory Hines, "Jelly's Last Jam," and Nathan Lane, "Guys and Dolls"
Actress-Musical: Faith Prince, "Guys and Dolls"
Director-Play: Patrick Mason, "Dancing at Lughnasa"
Director-Musical: Jerry Zaks, "Guys and Dolls"
Featured Actor-Play: Larry Fishburne, "Two Trains Running"
Featured Actress-Play: Christine Baranski, "Lips Together, Teeth Apart"
Featured Actor-Musical: Scott Waara, "The Most Happy Fella"
Featured Actress-Musical: Tonya Pinkins, "Jelly's Last Jam"
Music: Erik Frandsen, Michael Garin, Robert Hipkens, Paula Lockheart, "Song of Singapore"
Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead, "Jelly's Last Jam"
Choreography: Susan Stroman, "Crazy for You"
Orchestration-Musical Adaptation: Luther Henderson, "Jelly's Last Jam"
Book of a Musical: George C. Wolfe, "Jelly's Last Jam"
Revival: "Guys and Dolls"
Set Design: Tony Walton, "Guys and Dolls"
Lighting Design: (tie) Jules Fisher, "Jelly's Last Jam" and Paul Gallo, "Guys and Dolls"
Costume Design: William Ivey Long, "Guys and Dolls"
Solo Performance: Patrick Stewart, "A Christmas Carol"
Sound Design: Paul Arditi, "Four Baboons Adoring the Sun"
Music in a Play: Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, " 'Tis Pity She's a Whore"
Unique Theatrical Experience: Blue Man Group in "Tubes"
Ensemble Performance: "Dancing at Lughnasa"
Special Awards:
Andre Bishop for distinguished artistic leadership at Playwrights Horizons.
The Irish Repertory Theater for excellence in presenting distinguished Irish drama.
Broadway Cares-Equity Fights AIDS and Suzanne Ishee for mobilizing the theater community in the fight against AIDS.
- THE NEW YORK DRAMA CRITICS' CIRCLE chose "Dancing at Lughnasa" by Irish playwright Brian Friel as best play of the 1991-92 theater season.
"Two Trains Running," August Wilson's drama set in a Pittsburgh coffee shop in the late 1960s, was chosen best American play. No award was given for best musical.
Wilson had been honored four times previously with best play awards. The Critics' Circle gives a best play prize and then either a best American play or best foreign play award, depending on what wins the top citation.
"Dancing at Lughnasa," about five sisters and their missionary brother, won on the first ballot.
The voting was more fractured for best American play, which wasn't settled until a third ballot. Other plays receiving votes in the third round were "Conversations with My Father," "Marvin's Room" and "Sight Unseen."
The following are members of the New York Drama Critics' Circle:
Clive Barnes and Jerry Tallmer of the New York Post; John Beaufort, The Christian Science Monitor; Michael Feingold, The Village Voice; Jeremy Gerard, Variety; William Henry III, Time; Howard Kissel and Douglas Watt, the New York Daily News; Mimi Kramer and Edith Oliver, The New Yorker; Jack Kroll, Newsweek; Michael Kuchwara, The Associated Press; Jacques le Sourd, Gannett Newspapers; William Raidy, the Newhouse group; Frank Rich and Mel Gussow, The New York Times (non-voting members); John Simon, New York; David Patrick Stearns, USA Today; Linda Winer, Jan Stuart and Julius Novick, News-day; Edwin Wilson and Melanie Kirkpatrick, The Wall Street Journal.