The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. The award was initially introduced in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatre, before being removed from the ceremony between 1960 and 1974. The award returned in the 1975 ceremony, with its current title.
Winners and nominees 1950s Year Play Writer 1955 Le Bal des Voleurs Jean Anouilh The Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare Twelfth Night William Shakespeare The Way of the World William Congreve The White Devil John Webster 1956 The Iceman Cometh Eugene O'Neill 1957–59 colspan="2"
1960s Year Play Writer 1960–69 colspan="2"
1970s Year Play Writer 1970–74 colspan="2" 1975 Equus | Peter Shaffer|- style="background:#B0C4DE" | Same Time, Next Year Bernard Slade Absurd Person Singular Alan Ayckbourn All Over Town Murray Schisgal Hosanna Michel Tremblay In Praise of Love Terence Rattigan Naomi Court Michael Sawyer The National Health Peter Nichols P.S. Your Cat Is Dead James Kirkwood, Jr. The Ritz Terrence McNally Seascape Edward Albee Sizwe Banzi Is Dead / The Island Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona 1976 Streamers David Rabe Kennedy's Children Robert Patrick Lamppost Reunion Louis Larusso Medal of Honor Rag Tom Cole Vanities Jack Heifner 1977 A Texas Trilogy Preston Jones Otherwise Engaged Simon Gray American Buffalo David Mamet Comedians Trevor Griffiths Gemini Albert Innaurato G. R. Point David Berry No Man's Land Harold Pinter The Shadow Box Michael Cristofer The Transfiguration of Benno Blimpie Albert Innaurato 1978 Da Hugh Leonard Fifth of July Lanford Wilson The Gin Game Donald L. Coburn Landscape of the Body John Guare The Merchant Arnold Wesker The Water Engine David Mamet 1979 The Elephant Man Bernard Pomerance Nevis Mountain Dew Steve Carter On Golden Pond Ernest Thompson Talley's Folly Lanford Wilson Wings Arthur Kopit
1980s Year Play Writer 1980 Children of a Lesser God Mark Medoff Home Samm-Art Williams The Irish Hebrew Lesson Wolf Mankowitz Night and Day Tom Stoppard Talley's Folly Lanford Wilson Teibele and Her Demon Isaac Bashevis Singer and Eve Friedman 1981 Amadeus Peter Shaffer Crimes of the Heart Beth Henley Fifth of July Lanford Wilson Mass Appeal Bill C. Davis 1982 "Master Harold"...and the Boys Athol Fugard A Soldier's Play Charles Fuller The Dance and the Railroad David Henry Hwang The Dining Room A. R. Gurney Family Devotions David Henry Hwang Grown Ups Jules Feiffer 1983 Torch Song Trilogy Harvey Fierstein Brighton Beach Memoirs Neil Simon Edmond David Mamet Extremities William Mastrosimone Geniuses Jonathan Reynolds True West Sam Shepard 1984 The Real Thing Tom Stoppard And a Nightingale Sang C.P. Taylor A Private View Václav Havel Glengarry Glen Ross David Mamet Isn't It Romantic Wendy Wasserstein Noises Off Michael Frayn 1985 As Is William M. Hoffman Biloxi Blues Neil Simon Digby Joseph Dougherty Ma Rainey's Black Bottom August Wilson 1986 A Lie of the Mind Sam Shepard Aunt Dan and Lemon Wallace Shawn Benefactors Michael Frayn Execution of Justice Emily Mann Marriage of Bette and Boo Christopher Durang Precious Sons George Furth 1987 Fences August Wilson Broadway Bound Neil Simon The Common Pursuit Simon Gray Driving Miss Daisy Alfred Uhry Les Liaisons Dangereuses Christopher Hampton North Shore Fish Israel Horovitz Wild Honey Michael Frayn 1988 M. Butterfly David Henry Hwang Boys' Life Howard Korder Joe Turner's Come and Gone August Wilson The Road to Mecca Athol Fugard Speed-the-Plow David Mamet Woman in Mind Alan Ayckbourn 1989 The Heidi Chronicles Wendy Wasserstein The Cocktail Hour A. R. Gurney The Film Society Jon Robin Baitz Only Kidding! Jim Geoghan Reckless Craig Lucas Shirley Valentine Willy Russell
1990s Year Play Writer 1990 The Piano Lesson August Wilson The Lisbon Traviata Terrence McNally Prelude to a Kiss Craig Lucas The Secret Rapture David Hare Some Americans Abroad Richard Nelson 1991 Lost in Yonkers Neil Simon La Bête David Hirson Six Degrees of Separation John Guare The Wash Philip Kan Gotanda 1992 Marvin's Room Scott McPherson A Small Family Business Alan Ayckbourn Dancing at Lughnasa Brian Friel Lips Together, Teeth Apart Terrence McNally Mad Forest Caryl Churchill Sight Unseen Donald Margulies 1993 Angels in America: Millennium Approaches Tony Kushner Jeffrey Paul Rudnick Joined at the Head Catherine Butterfield Oleanna David Mamet The Sisters Rosensweig Wendy Wasserstein Three Hotels Jon Robin Baitz 1994 Angels in America: Perestroika Tony Kushner All in the Timing David Ives The Kentucky Cycle Robert Schenkkan The Lights Howard Korder Pterodactyls Nicky Silver Three Tall Women Edward Albee 1995 Love! Valour! Compassion! Terrence McNally Arcadia Tom Stoppard The Cryptogram David Mamet Missing Persons Craig Lucas Raised in Captivity Nicky Silver subUrbia Eric Bogosian 1996 Master Class Terrence McNally The Model Apartment Donald Margulies Molly Sweeney Brian Friel Seven Guitars August Wilson Sylvia A. R. Gurney Valley Song Athol Fugard 1997 How I Learned to Drive Paula Vogel Dealer's Choice Patrick Marber The Last Night of Ballyhoo Alfred Uhry The Skriker Caryl Churchill This is Our Youth Kenneth Lonergan 1998 The Beauty Queen of Leenane Martin McDonagh 'Art' Yasmina Reza As Bees In Honey Drown Douglas Carter Beane Collected Stories Donald Margulies Side Man Warren Leight Three Days of Rain Richard Greenberg 1999 Wit Margaret Edson Betty's Summer Vacation Christopher Durang Closer Patrick Marber Not About Nightingales Tennessee Williams The Ride Down Mt. Morgan Arthur Miller Snakebit David Marshall Grant
2000s Year Play Writer 2000 Copenhagen Michael Frayn Contact with the Enemy Frank D. Gilroy Dinner with Friends Donald Margulies Dirty Blonde Claudia Shear Jitney August Wilson The Tale of the Allergist's Wife Charles Busch 2001 Proof David Auburn Boy Gets Girl Rebecca Gilman Comic Potential Alan Ayckbourn The Invention of Love Tom Stoppard Lobby Hero Kenneth Lonergan The Unexpected Man Yasmina Reza 2002 The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? Edward Albee Metamorphoses Mary Zimmerman Franny's Way Richard Nelson The Shape of Things Neil LaBute Thief River Lee Blessing Topdog/Underdog Suzan-Lori Parks 2003 Take Me Out Richard Greenberg Buicks Julian Sheppard Our Lady of 121st Street Stephen Adly Guirgis Peter and Vandy Jay DiPietro Talking Heads Alan Bennett Yellowman Dael Orlandersmith 2004 I Am My Own Wife Doug Wright The Beard of Avon Amy Freed The Distance from Here Neil LaBute Humble Boy Charlotte Jones Moby-Dick Julian Rad The Tricky Part Martin Moran 2005 Doubt John Patrick Shanley Democracy Michael Frayn Pentecost David Edgar The Pillowman Martin McDonagh Sailor's Song John Patrick Shanley Sin (A Cardinal Deposed) Michael Murphy 2006 The History Boys Alan Bennett Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams Terrence McNally The Lieutenant of Inishmore Martin McDonagh No Foreigners Beyond This Point Warren Leight The Pavilion Craig Wright Stuff Happens David Hare 2007 The Coast of Utopia Tom Stoppard The Accomplices Bernard Weinraub Blackbird David Harrower Frost/Nixon Peter Morgan Radio Golf August Wilson Some Men Terrence McNally 2008 August: Osage County Tracy Letts Dividing the Estate Horton Foote From Up Here Liz Flahive Horizon Rinde Eckert Intimate Exchanges Alan Ayckbourn Rock 'n' Roll Tom Stoppard 2009 Ruined Lynn Nottage Becky Shaw Gina Gionfriddo Body Awareness Annie Baker Fifty Words Michael Weller Lady Craig Wright reasons to be pretty Neil LaBute
2010s Year Play Writer 2010 Red John Logan Circle Mirror Transformation Annie Baker Clybourne Park Bruce Norris Happy Now? Lucinda Coxon My Wonderful Day Alan Ayckbourn Next Fall Geoffrey Nauffts 2011 War Horse Nick Stafford A Bright New Boise Samuel D. Hunter A Small Fire Adam Bock Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo Rajiv Joseph Good People David Lindsay-Abaire The Motherf**ker with the Hat Stephen Adly Guirgis Other Desert Cities Jon Robin Baitz 2012 Tribes Nina Raine The Big Meal Dan LeFranc By the Way, Meet Vera Stark Lynn Nottage Chinglish David Henry Hwang Completeness Itamar Moses The Lyons Nicky Silver Unnatural Acts Members of Plastic Theatre 2013 Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Christopher Durang The Assembled Parties Richard Greenberg Belleville Amy Herzog Falling Deanna Jent Finks Joe Gilford The Flick Annie Baker Sorry Richard Nelson 2014 All the Way Robert Schenkkan Core ValuesSteven Levenson Domesticated Bruce Norris The Explorers ClubNell Benjamin The Night Alive Conor McPherson Outside Mullingar John Patrick Shanley Regular Singing Richard Nelson 2015 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Simon Stephens You Got Older Clare Barron Airline Highway Lisa D'Amour The City of Conversation Anthony Giardina Between Riverside and Crazy Stephen Adly Guirgis My Manãna Comes Elizabeth Irwin Let the Right One In Jack Thorne2016 The Humans Stephen Karam The Christians Lucas Hnath John Annie Baker King Charles III Mike Bartlett The Royale Marco Ramírez2017OsloJ. T. Rogers If I ForgetSteven LevensonIndecentPaula Vogel A LifeAdam BockSweatLynn Nottage 2018AdmissionsJoshua HarmonMary JaneAmy HerzogMiles for MaryThe Mad OnesPeople, Places and ThingsDuncan MacmillanSchool Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls PlayJocelyn Bioh2019The FerrymanJez Butterworth FairviewJackie Sibblies DruryLewiston/ClarkstonSamuel D. HunterUsual GirlsMing PeifferWhat the Constitution Means to MeHeidi Schreck
2020s Year Play Writer 2020The InheritanceMatthew LopezCambodian Rock BandLauren YeeGreater ClementsSamuel D. HunterHalfway Bitches Go Straight to HeavenStephen Adly GuirgisHeroes of the Fourth TurningWill Arbery 2021 colspan="2" 2022Prayer for the French RepublicJoshua HarmonThe Chinese LadyLloyd SuhCullud WattahErika Dickerson-DespenzaEnglishSanaz ToossiSanctuary CityMartyna MajokSelling KabulSylvia Khoury 2023LeopoldstadtTom StoppardA Case for the Existence of GodSamuel D. HunterFat HamJames IjamesLoveAlexander ZeldinPrima FacieSuzie MillerWish You Were HereSanaz Toossi 2024StereophonicDavid AdjmiInfinite LifeAnnie BakerJaja's African Hair BraidingJocelyn BiohMother PlayPaula VogelSwing StateRebecca GilmanThe AllyItamar Moses 2025 Blood of the Lamb Arlene Hutton Deep Blue Sound Abe Koogler Grangeville Samuel D. Hunter John Proctor is the Villain Kimberly Belflower Liberation Bess Wohl Purpose Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
See also Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play Tony Award for Best Play
References