The League of Resident Theatres (LORT) will receive a 2026 Special Tony Award. Consisting of 82 member regional theaters across 30 states and Washington, D.C., LORT is the largest organization of its kind in the United States. The Special Tony, a noncompetitive honor, recognizes contributions to the theater that don’t fit into the awards’ other categories. This year’s award is a rare example of the honor being presented to a league or administrative body, rather than an individual or company members of a particular show.
Debby Buchholz, president of LORT and managing director of member theater La Jolla Playhouse, told Broadway News that the entity receiving this special award validated its significant contributions to theater as a whole. “For six decades, LORT has served as a vital national organization … setting the standard for professional regional theater practices throughout the country,” Buchholz said. “During that time, LORT has been an essential engine of the American theater, developing new work, nurturing artists and bringing transformative theatrical experiences to communities nationwide. The recognition of a Special Tony Award is a thrilling testament to this dynamic collective of theaters and to a legacy defined by artistic excellence, bold creativity and community-building.”
LORT was formed in 1966 as a collective bargaining alliance representing the nation’s biggest regional theaters in negotiations with professional unions.LORT was founded by Peter Zeisler of the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and Thomas Fichandler of the Arena Stage in D.C. In its founding year, LORT negotiated its first contract with the Actors’ Equity Association. In its earliest years, Buchholz said, its goal was to create “a national framework for professional theater outside New York.” In the 60 years since, according to the organization’s reports, LORT has grown from a collective of 26 theaters to 82, with seven new members joining in the last five years.
