Founded during the 1949–50 Broadway season as the Outer Circle, this group of dedicated drama critics came together under the leadership of John Gassner (1903–1967), a respected theater reviewer, essayist, dramaturg, and professor. Gassner and his colleagues, who wrote for academic and special-interest journals, created what became the Outer Critics Circle (OCC) to establish a forum for discussing theater in general and the New York season in particular.
The OCC also arose in response to the New York Drama Critics Circle, whose exclusive membership included critics from major Manhattan newspapers, national magazines, and prominent publications such as The Nation, The New Republic, Harper’s, The Saturday Review of Literature, and The Atlantic Monthly. Writers for smaller or regional publications had no access to this group.
While the Drama Critics Circle named a Best Play each year (later adding a Best Musical), Gassner and the OCC founders believed a wider range of production elements deserved recognition. Around the same time, the Off-Broadway movement was emerging, though largely overlooked by mainstream critics. The OCC made a point of including both Broadway and Off-Broadway in its awards.
The group soon welcomed reviewers from smaller New York outlets and regional publications in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. This allowed critics to share their work, discuss industry challenges, and engage in conversations about the current season.
Frequent forums enabled regional members to interact with leading Broadway and Off-Broadway figures—opportunities that would have otherwise been unavailable to critics from smaller publications.
Membership in the OCC required submission of review samples and was granted based on merit. Beyond offering a platform for discussion, membership helped validate press ticket requests—especially as the OCC Awards gained prestige.
Early award ceremonies were modest, often held in hotel lobbies or church halls. Even then, the citation was considered an honor worth framing.
Over time, the OCC Awards grew in scope and influence, partly because the group traditionally announced its nominees and winners before other major awards. In the early 1960s, Broadway veteran Charles K. Freeman and Kansas City Star critic Joseph Kay oversaw the organization’s forums and awards. Kay also reported on the United Nations—“a form of theater itself.”
They were succeeded by Marjorie Gunner, who led the OCC for 25 years until retiring in 2004. Aubrey Reuben served briefly as Acting President, followed by Simon Saltzman (2005–2019). David Gordon currently serves as President.
