Judging from their acceptance speeches, excerpted below, this season’s award-winning theater artists, AND the plays and musicals in which they’re involved, have been focused on finding and nurturing community.

“’The Lost Boys is not about vampires,  it’s about finding a sense of belonging,” Dane Laffrey said in accepting one of twenty-seven  2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards presented yesterday.  

“At its heart, ‘The Baker’s Wife,’ is really about a group of people who cannot get along with each other..who ultimately form community. I really can’t think of a story we need more right now.” Judy Kuhn said in her acceptance speech for her role in the musical, shortly after saying “Being a member of this community” – the theater community – “means so much to me; it’s an uplift.”

It was a common refrain: “All I’ve ever wanted was to make theater and to be a part of this community, and so to get such a warm welcome from you all with my first play,” said Bubba Weiler.

“This feels amazing to have a moment where you’re celebrated by your community in something that you love so much, and you’ve worked so hard for,” Joshua Henry said. “This is not promised at all.”

Christopher Gattelli, Schmigadoon

I’ve been dancing since I was eight years old in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and these artists that I paid homage to every night, Michael Kidd, Jerome Robbins, Agnes DeMille, Onna White, Robert Alton, all all of my heroes, they took me away, as I didn’t know, you know, I knew I was different when I was, when I was eight. I even knew them, and I, they let me escape to a world, and so to get to do the show, and to honor my heroes, I wouldn’t be in this room with all of you if it wasn’t for them and this amazing community.