Founded in 1983 in honor of late theatre critic Elliot Norton, the awards recognize excellence in the Boston theatre community. The awards will be presented May 11 at Harvard University's Sanders Theatre.

The Elliot Norton Awards will also honor current San Jose Rep artistic director Rick Lombardo with the Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence. Lombardo's extensive work for the New England theatre community includes a 12-year stint as artistic director of New Repertory Theatre; he has also directed productions of According to Tip, Bill W and Dr. Bob, Ragtime, Sweeney Todd, King Lear, A Streetcar Named Desire, Waiting for Godot, Tartuffe, The Scarlet Letter and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

Celebrated actor Al Pacino will accept a special Norton Award on behalf of late New England stage veteran Paul Benedict, who co-starred with Pacino in Richard III and Arturo Ui.

A complete list of nominations follows:

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION BY A FRINGE COMPANY
In the Continuum, Up You Mighty Race
Look Back in Anger, Orfeo Group
Voyeurs de Venus, Company One OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION BY A SMALL COMPANY
Awake and Sing!, Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre
Faith Healer, Publick Theatre
QED, Catalyst Collaborative @ MIT and Underground Railway Theater

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION BY A MIDSIZE COMPANY
The History Boys, SpeakEasy Stage Company
The Seafarer, SpeakEasy Stage Company
Speech & Debate, Lyric Stage Company of Boston

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION BY A LARGE COMPANY
The Corn Is Green, Huntington Theatre Company
Endgame, American Repertory Theatre
Rock ’n’ Roll, Huntington Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING MUSICAL PRODUCTION
The Light in the Piazza, SpeakEasy Stage Company
She Loves Me, Huntington Theatre Company
Show Boat, North Shore Music Theatre

OUTSTANDING VISITING PRODUCTION
Aurelia’s Oratorio, American Repertory Theatre
Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell, Institute of Contemporary Art
Wishful Drinking, Huntington Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Bad Dates (Merrimack Repertory Theatre)
Nancy E. Carroll, The Year of Magical Thinking (Lyric Stage Company of Boston)
Ken Howard, According to Tip (New Repertory Theatre)

OUTSTANDING NEW SCRIPT
Dick Flavin, According to Tip (New Repertory Theatre)
Ryan Landry (book and lyrics), Ryan Landry and Billy Hough (music), Whizzin’ (Gold Dust Orphans)
Joyce Van Dyke, The Oil Thief (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre)

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR, SMALL/FRINGE COMPANY
Akiba Abaka, In the Continuum (Up You Mighty Race)
Judy Braha, The Oil Thief (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre)
Summer L. Williams, Voyeurs de Venus (Company One)

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR, MIDSIZE COMPANY
Scott Edmiston, The History Boys and The Light in the Piazza (SpeakEasy Stage Company) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Lyric Stage Company of Boston)
David R. Gammons, Blackbird (SpeakEasy Stage Company) and The Duchess of Malfi (Actors’ Shakespeare Project)
Carmel O’Reilly, The Seafarer (SpeakEasy Stage Company)

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR, LARGE COMPANY
Nicholas Martin, She Loves Me and The Corn Is Green (Huntington Theatre Company)
Carey Perloff, Rock ’n’ Roll (Huntington Theatre Company)
Marcus Stern, Endgame (American Repertory Theatre)

OUTSTANDING ACTOR, SMALL/MIDSIZE COMPANY
Will Lyman, Exits and Entrances (New Repertory Theatre) and The Oil Thief (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre)
Richard Snee, November (Lyric Stage Company of Boston)
Spiro Veloudos, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Lyric Stage Company of Boston)

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS, SMALL/MIDSIZE COMPANY
Marianna Bassham, Blackbird (SpeakEasy Stage Company)
Georgia Lyman, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Lyric Stage Company of Boston) and Look Back in Anger (Orfeo Group)
Annette Miller, Martha Mitchell Calling (Nora Theatre Company)

OUTSTANDING ACTOR, LARGE COMPANY
Brooks Ashmanskas, She Loves Me (Huntington Theatre Company)
Larry Coen, As You Like It (Free Shakespeare, presented by Citi Performing Arts Center)
Fred Sullivan, Jr., As You Like It (Free Shakespeare, presented by Citi Performing Arts Center) and Blithe Spirit (Trinity Repertory Company)

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS, LARGE COMPANY
Kate Burton, The Corn Is Green (Huntington Theatre Company)
Karen MacDonald, Endgame and The Seagull (American Repertory Theatre)
Cigdem Onat, The Cry of the Reed (Huntington Theatre Company)

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE
The History Boys (SpeakEasy Stage Company)
The Seafarer (SpeakEasy Stage Company)
Speech & Debate (Lyric Stage Company of Boston)

OUTSTANDING DESIGN, SMALL/MIDSIZE COMPANY
David R. Gammons (set), The Duchess of Malfi (Actors’ Shakespeare Project)
Janie E. Howland (set), Eurydice (New Repertory Theatre) and The History Boys (SpeakEasy Stage Company)
Susan Zeeman Rogers (set), The Light in the Piazza (SpeakEasy Stage Company)

OUTSTANDING DESIGN, LARGE COMPANY
James Noone (set), The Corn Is Green (Huntington Theatre Company)
Francis O’Connor (set and costumes), Two Men of Florence (Huntington Theatre Company)
Douglas W. Schmidt (set), Rock ’n’ Roll (Huntington Theatre Company)