The 55th annual honors will announce nominees April 24 and present the winners (announced May 15) with awards at a ceremony at Sardi's Restaurant, May 25. The awards, known as the first awards of the season, are decided upon by an group of writers "covering New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers, national publications and other media beyond Broadway."

Simon Saltzman, a long-time member of the OCC executive committee and theatre reviewer, recently replaced last year's president Aubrey Reuben. The new OCC head has written for several online publications in addition to U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton and the Bergen News Group's Commuter Week.

Gentile serves as a journalist and critic for The Providence and Friedman is a Connecticut broadcaster and critic.

Marjorie Gunner, the organization's president for 25 years prior to Reuben, continues as president emeriti and serves on both the organization's executive board and nominating committee.

The OCC is an "organization of writers covering New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers, national publications and other media beyond Broadway." The collective also present its Outer Critics Circle Awards annual, which are known as the first honors of the theatre season. The 2004-2005 Outer Critics Circle Awards winners were as follows:

OUTSTANDING BROADWAY PLAY
Doubt

OUTSTANDING BROADWAY MUSICAL
Monty Python's Spamalot

OUTSTANDING OFF-BROADWAY PLAY (tie)
Fat Pig
Going to St. Ives

OUTSTANDING OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
Altar Boyz

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Twelve Angry Men

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
La Cage aux Folles

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Brían F. O'Byrne, Doubt

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Cherry Jones, Doubt

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Norbert Leo Butz, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Victoria Clark, The Light in the Piazza

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Jeff Goldblum, The Pillowman

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Amy Ryan, A Streetcar Named Desire

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Dan Fogler, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Sara Ramirez, Monty Python's Spamalot

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Billy Crystal, 700 Sundays

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Doug Hughes, Doubt

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Mike Nichols, Monty Python's Spamalot

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
Jerry Mitchell, La Cage aux Folles

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
Anthony Ward, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Tim Hatley, Monty Python's Spamalot

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Christopher Akerlind, The Light in the Piazza

JOHN GASSNER AWARD
(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)
Ron Hutchinson, Moonlight and Magnolias

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Marjorie Gunner