The Hot L Baltimore

The Hot l Baltimore
Window card for the Gastown Actor's Studio 2001 production
Written by	Lanford Wilson
Date premiered	22 March 1973
Place premiered	Circle in the Square Downtown New York City
Original language	English
Subject	a manager's struggle to maintain order despite the hotel's destruction
Genre	Comedy
Setting	The lobby of a seedy run-down hotel in Baltimore

The Hot l Baltimore is a play by Lanford Wilson. Set in the lobby of the Hotel Baltimore, it focuses on the residents of the decaying property who are faced with eviction when the structure is condemned. The play draws its title from the hotel's neon marquee with a burned-out letter "e" that was never replaced.

The Hot I Baltimore was produced by the Circle Repertory Company on February 4, 1973, and then transferred to the Off-Broadway Circle in the Square Downtown on March 22, 1973. It closed on January 4, 1976, after 1166 performances. Directed by Marshall W. Mason, the cast included Trish Hawkins, Conchata Ferrell, Judd Hirsch, Jonathan Hogan and Mari Gorman.

The play won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best American Play of 1972–73, the Obie Award (Best American Play, Lanford Wilson; Distinguished Performance, Mari Goldman; Distinguished Direction, Marshall W. Mason), the John Gassner Playwriting Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award.

The play was produced at the Williamstown Theater Festival (Massachusetts) in July 2000, directed by Joe Mantello, with the cast that featured Sam Rockwell (Bill Lewis), Mandy Siegfried (Girl), Lois Smith (Millie), Helen Hanft (Mrs. Bellotti), and Becky Ann Baker (April Green).

The play was produced by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in March to May 2011, directed by Tina Landau.