The collective of critics will meet and select the winners for the awards, which will be presented at a cocktail reception on May 11 at the Algonquin Hotel. The venue is where the NYDCC was founded in 1935 by the likes of Brooks Atkinson and Walter Winchell.

The New York Drama Critics' Circle includes 21 drama critics from publications based in the New York area. The NYDCC has given out an award every year since 1936 to the best new play of the season, with optional awards for foreign or American plays, musicals and performers. The award touts itself as the nation's second oldest theatre award, after the Pulitzer Prize for drama.

The award for Best Play comes with a cash prize. A smaller cash award goes to the playwright who receives an award for best American or foreign play. The prizes are made possible by a grant from the Lucille Lortel Foundation.

Last year, The Coast of Utopia, by Tom Stoppard, was named Best Play. The Best Musical award went to Spring Awakening, which features book and lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik.

The late August Wilson's Radio Golf was named Best American Play. And a special citation was awarded to the revival of Journey's End, written by R. C. Sherriff and directed by David Grindley. Adam Feldman, theatre critic for Time Out New York, has served as president of the NYDCC since 2005. Frank Scheck of the New York Post serves as vice president; Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press is treasurer.

For more information, visit dramacritics.org.