Proof playwright David Auburn and The Invention of Love's helmer Jack O'Brien won Drama Desk Awards for Best Play and Best Director of a Play, respectively. O'Brien was also nominated for Best Director of a Musical for The Full Monty, an award he lost to Susan Stroman (The Producers).
Best Musical went to the blockbuster Broadway musical, The Producers (which won awards in 11 categories). Gore Vidal's The Best Man won Best Revival (Play) and 42nd Street won Best Revival (Musical).
Among the other winners were Nathan Lane for Best Actor (Musical) for The Producers, Marla Schaffel for Best Actress (Musical) for Jane Eyre, Mary-Louise Parker for Best Actress (Play) for Proof, Richard Easton for Best Actor (Play) for The Invention of Love and Viola Davis and Charles Brown for Best Featured Actress and Featured Actor, respectively, for King Hedley II. Stroman won in the categories of Best Director (Musical) and Best Choreography for The Producers.