No more Best Actress? Major theater awards make categories gender-neutral

Ilana Keller, Asbury Park Press
·2 min read

Best Actress is no more.

At least for the Outer Critics Circle, which announced Tuesday it was dropping gender specifications from acting categories for its annual awards.

The Outer Critics Circle Awards, which honor the best of each Broadway and off-Broadway season, also expanded its acting categories. Previously, actors in Broadway and off-Broadway productions had been nominated together in the same category.

"As the theater community continues to rebuild following the pandemic, the Outer Critics Circle must evolve, too. These changes will help us recognize the many talented actors both on and off-Broadway so we can reach the full potential of our mission, which is to celebrate the artistic excellence of New York's theater scene with integrity and inclusivity," Outer Critics Circle President David Gordon said on behalf of the OCC board of directors in a news release.

The Outer Critics Circle is the official organization of out-of-town and national writers on New York theater, with members affiliated with more than 90 newspapers, magazines, broadcast stations and online news organizations.

Starting with the 2023 Outer Critics Circle Awards, acting awards will be presented in the following categories:

  • Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical

  • Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Musical

  • Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play

  • Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play

  • Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical

  • Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical

  • Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Play

  • Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Play

  • Outstanding Solo Performance, a pre-existing category

The OCC Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, April 25, with winners announced on Tuesday, May 16. The awards ceremony will take place Thursday, May 25, at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for The Performing Arts.

Visit outercritics.org for more information.

Ilana Keller is an award-winning journalist and lifelong New Jersey resident who loves Broadway and really bad puns. Reach out on Twitter: @ilanakeller; ikeller@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Best Actress gone: Outer Critics Circle Awards go gender-neutral