The Barrymore Award for Outstanding Overall Production of a Play is an annual award given to the best (non-musical) play running in the Greater Philadelphia, as determined by Theatre Philadelphia.
Terrence McNally's Master Class at Philadelphia Theatre Company won the first award in 1995. Wilma Theater has won the most awards with seven wins total. Philadelphia Theatre Company and People's Light both have four wins, followed closely by Arden Theatre Company with three wins. Additionally, Lantern Theater Company, InterAct Theatre Company, and Theatre Exile each have two wins.
Award winners Key
1990s Year Production Author Producer Ref. 1995 Master Class Terrence McNally Philadelphia Theatre Company Distant Fires Kevin HeelanPeople's LightOf Mice and MenJohn Steinbeck Philadelphia Drama GuildRoadJim Cartwright Wilma TheaterSign of the LizzardLouis Lippa People's Light 1996 Love! Valour! Compassion! Terrence McNally Philadelphia Theatre Company Dancing at Lughnasa Brian FrielVillanova TheatreThe Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon MarigoldsPaul Zindel Walnut Street TheatreI am a ManOyamO Philadelphia Theatre CompanyMy Mother Said I Never ShouldCharlotte Keatley People's Light 1997 Quills Doug Wright Wilma Theater Angels in America Tony KushnerVillanova TheatreArcadiaTom Stoppard Wilma TheaterDeath of a SalesmanArthur Miller Arden Theatre CompanyOleannaDavid Mamet Walnut Street Theatre 1998 A Midsummer Night's Dream William Shakespeare Arden Theatre Company Hedda Gabler Henrik IbsenArden Theatre CompanyJack and JillJane Martin People's LightMichigan ImpossibleRobert Christophe Venture TheatreMolly's DeliciousCraig Wright Arden Theatre Company 1999 Lebensraum Israel Horovitz InterAct Theatre Company Coyote on a Fence Bruce GrahamArden Theatre CompanyA Flea in Her EarGeorges Feydeau People's LightGross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar WildeMoisés Kaufman Philadelphia Theatre CompanyHard TimesCharles Dickens & Stephen Jeffreys People's Light
2000s Year Production Author Producer Ref. 2000 The Invention of Love Tom StoppardWilma TheaterDimly Perceived Threats To The SystemJon KleinPeople's LightRed HerringMichael HollingerArden Theatre CompanySide ManWarren Leight Philadelphia Theatre CompanyWitMargaret EdsonPhiladelphia Theatre Company 2001 The Laramie Project Moisés KaufmanPhiladelphia Theatre CompanyBook of DaysLanford WilsonPeople's LightIt's All TrueJason ShermanInterAct Theatre CompanyThe Old SettlerJohn Henry Redwood New Freedom TheatrePicasso at the Lapin AgileSteve MartinArden Theatre Company 2002 Equus Peter ShafferMum PuppettheatreThe DresserRonald HarwoodBristol Riverside TheatreThe Play About the BabyEdward AlbeePhiladelphia Theatre CompanyFlopN/A Pig Iron Theatre CompanyYellowmanDael OrlandersmithWilma Theater 2003 In the Blood Suzan-Lori ParksPeople's LightAll My SonsArthur MillerArden Theatre CompanyBig LoveCharles L. MeeWilma TheaterThe Magic FireLillian Garrett-GroagWilma TheaterRedJohn LoganWilma Theater 2004 Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train Stephen Adly GuirgisWilma TheaterThe Comedy of ErrorsWilliam ShakespeareLantern Theater CompanyMary's WeddingStephen MassicotteAct II PlayhousePermanent CollectionThomas GibbonsInterAct Theatre CompanyTravels with My AuntGraham Greene & Giles HavergalLantern Theater Company 2005 Take Me Out Richard GreenburgPhiladelphia Theatre CompanyThe Clean HouseSarah RuhlWilma TheaterRecent Tragic EventsCraig Wright1812 ProductionsString of PearlsMichele LowePeople's LightTrumboChristopher TrumboPhiladelphia Theatre Company 2006 Richard III William ShakespeareLantern Theater CompanyThe FoocyAnthony LawtonLantern Theater CompanyKiller JoeTracy LettsTheatre ExileMan from NebraskaTracy LettsPeople's LightOpusMichael HollingerArden Theatre Company 2007 Of Mice and Men John SteinbeckWalnut Street TheatreThe Four of Us Itamar Moses1812 ProductionsGlengarry Glen RossDavid MametTheatre Exile"Master Harold"...and the BoysAthol FugardLantern Theater CompanyThe PillowmanMartin McDonaghWilma Theater 2008 Six Characters in Search of an Author Luigi PirandelloPeople's LightFrozen Bryony LaveryInterAct Theatre CompanySkylightDavid HareLantern Theater CompanyBugTracy LettsTheatre ExileEurydiceSarah RuhlWilma Theater 2009 Something Intangible Bruce GrahamArden Theatre CompanyNo Child... Nilaja SunDelaware Theatre CompanyThe HothouseHarold PinterLantern Theater CompanyRock 'n' RollTom StoppardWilma TheaterScorchedWajdi MouawadArden Theatre Company
2010s Year Production Author Producer Ref. 2010 Becky Shaw Gina GionfriddoWilma TheaterThe Breath of LifeDavid HareLantern Theater CompanyThe History BoysAlan BennettArden Theatre CompanyIf You Give a Mouse a CookieLaura NumeroffArden Theatre CompanyWelcome to Yuba CityN/APig Iron Theatre Company 2011 In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) Sarah RuhlWilma TheaterAround the World in Eighty DaysMark Brown & Jules VerneDelaware Theatre CompanyLet Me Down EasyAnna Deavere SmithPhiladelphia Theatre CompanyMy Wonderful DayAlan AyckbournWilma TheaterThe Lieutenant of InishmoreMartin McDonaghTheatre Exile 2012 Body Awareness Annie BakerWilma TheaterThe AliensAnnie BakerTheatre ExileAngels in AmericaTony KushnerWilma TheaterThe Outgoing TideBruce GrahamPhiladelphia Theatre CompanyTwelfth NightWilliam ShakespearePig Iron Theatre Company 2013 No award given 2014 Down Past Passyunk A. Zell WilliamsInterAct Theatre CompanyAnnapurnaSharr WhiteTheatre ExileThe Brothers SizeTarell Alvin McCraneySimpatico Theatre Project Circle Mirror TransformationAnnie BakerTheatre HorizonDon Juan Comes Home from IraqPaula VogelWilma TheaterI Am My Own WifeDoug WrightTheatre ExileIn A Dark Dark HouseNeil LaButeSimpatico Theatre Project 2015 The Whale Samuel D. HunterTheatre ExileCaughtChristopher ChenInterAct Theatre CompanyDangerous HouseJen SilvermanInterAct Theatre CompanyIn The BloodSuzan-Lori ParksTheatre HorizonRapture, Blister, BurnGina GionfriddoWilma TheaterTo The MoonJen Childs1812 ProductionsWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?Edward AlbeeTheatre Exile 2016 The Invisible Hand Ayad AkhtarTheatre ExileDisgracedAyad AkhtarPhiladelphia Theatre CompanyThe NetherJennifer HaleyInterAct Theatre CompanyThe Radicalisation of Bradley ManningTim PriceInis NuaSpineClara BrennanInis NuaStella and LouBruce GrahamPeople's LightTime Is On Our SideR. Eric ThomasSimpatico Theatre 2017 The Seagull Anton ChekhovEgoPo Classic TheaterHand to GodRobert AskinsPhiladelphia Theatre CompanyHow to Use a Knife Will SniderInterAct Theatre CompanyThe Legend of Georgia McBrideMatthew LopezArden Theatre CompanyThe MountaintopKatori HallPeople's LightStupid Fucking BirdAaron PosnerArden Theatre CompanyWhen the Rain Stops FallingAndrew BovellWilma Theater 2018 Morning's at Seven Paul OsbornPeople's LightBlood WeddingFederico García LorcaWilma Theater The Browning Version Terrence RattiganOrbiter 3The GapEmma GoidelAzuka TheatreThe RevolutionistsLauren GundersonTheatre HorizonSkeleton CrewDominique MorisseauPeople's LightThe Wild DuckHenrik IbsenQuintessence Theatre Group 2019 Gem of the Ocean August WilsonArden Theatre CompanyBoycott EstherEmily AckerAzuka TheatreIndecent Paula VogelArden Theatre CompanyKill Move ParadiseJames IjamesWilma TheaterMorir SonyandoErlina OrtizPassage Theatre Company The Great LeapLauren YeeInterAct Theatre Companyxoxo moongirlNicole BurgioAlmanac Dance Circus Theatre
2020s Year Production Author Producer Ref. 2020 No award given 2021 No award given 2022 No award given 2023 The Royale Marco RamirezLantern Theater CompanyClyde's Lynn NottageArden Theatre CompanyKiss Guillermo CalderónWilma Theater A Shadow That Broke the LightCharlie DelMarcelleSimpatico TheatreThurgoodGeorge Stevens Jr.People's LightMeet Murasaki Shikibu Followed by Book-Signing, and Other ThingsJulia IzumiTiny DynamiteAbandonJames Ijames Theatre Exile 2024 Bonez Steve H. Broadnax IIIPeople's LightFat Ham James IjamesWilma TheaterThe Lehman Trilogy Stefano MassiniArden Theatre CompanyTorch Song TrilogyHarvey Fierstein1812 ProductionsThe DuatRoger Q. MasonPhiladelphia Theatre CompanyCitrus AndronicusEli LynnPhiladelphia Artists’ CollectiveThe BFGRoald Dahl Arden Theatre Company 2025 The Comeuppance Branden Jacobs-JenkinsWilma TheaterRift, or White Lies Gabriel Jason DeanInterAct Theatre CompanyGlitter in the Glass R. Eric ThomasTheatre ExileArchdukeRajiv JosephWilma TheaterNosejob Lee Minora & Scott R. SheppardLightning Rod SpecialSquare GoKieran Hurley & Gary McNairInis NuaIntimate ApparelLynn Nottage Arden Theatre Company
Multiple wins 7 wins Wilma Theater
4 wins Philadelphia Theatre Company People's Light
3 wins Arden Theatre Company
2 wins Lantern Theater Company InterAct Theatre Company Theatre Exile
Multiple nominations 27 nominations Wilma Theater
21 nominations Arden Theatre Company
18 nominations People's Light
14 nominations Philadelphia Theatre Company
12 nominations Theatre Exile
11 nominations InterAct Theatre Company
9 nominations Lantern Theater Company
4 nominations Simpatico Theatre 1812 Productions
3 nominations Walnut Street Theatre Theatre Horizon Pig Iron Theatre Company Inis Nua
2 nominations Delaware Theatre Company Azuka Theatre
References