Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play

The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play was an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. The award was one of eight new acting awards first presented in 1975, when Drama Desk retired an earlier award that had made no distinction between work in plays and musicals, nor between actors and actresses, nor between lead performers and featured performers.

After the 2022 ceremony, all eight acting categories introduced in 1975 were retired. The award for Outstanding Actress in a Play, along with Outstanding Actor in a Play, were replaced in 2023 with the gender neutral category of Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play.

Multiple wins

 * 3 wins
 * Cherry Jones


 * 2 wins
 * Zoe Caldwell
 * Rosemary Harris
 * Janet McTeer
 * Phylicia Rashad
 * Jessica Tandy