Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the American Theatre Wing. As the Tony Awards cover Broadway productions, the Obie Awards cover Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway productions.
Background
The Obie Awards were initiated by Edwin Fancher, publisher of The Village Voice, who handled the financing and business side of the project. They were first given in 1956 under the direction of theater critic Jerry Tallmer. Initially, only Off-Broadway productions were eligible; in 1964, Off-Off-Broadway productions were made eligible. The first Obie Awards ceremony was held at Helen Gee's cafe.With the exception of the Lifetime Achievement and Best New American Play awards, there are no fixed categories at the Obie Awards, and the winning actors and actresses are all in a single category titled "Performance." There are no announced nominations. Awards in the past have included performance, direction, best production, design, special citations, and sustained achievement. Not every category is awarded every year. The Village Voice also awards annual Obie grants to selected companies; in 2011, these grants were $2,000 each to Metropolitan Playhouse and Wakka Wakka Productions. There is also a Ross Wetzsteon Grant, named after its former theater editor, in the amount of $2,000, for a theatre that nurtures innovative new plays.
The first awards in 1955-1956 for plays and musicals were given to Absalom as Best New Play, Uncle Vanya, Best All-Around Production and The Threepenny Opera as Best Musical.
Other awards for Off-Broadway theatre are the Lucille Lortel Awards, the Drama Desk Awards, the Drama League Award, and the Outer Critics Circle Awards.
As of September 2014, the Obie Awards are jointly presented by the American Theatre Wing and the Village Voice, with the Wing having "overall responsibility for running" the Awards.
Award categories
- Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress
- Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actor
- Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Ensemble
- Sustained Achievement Award
- Best New American Theatre Work Award
- Playwriting Award
- Design Award
- Special Citations
- Obie Grants
- The Ross Wetzsteon Award
Ceremony history
| Year | Host | Venue | Presenters |
| 1956 | Shelley Winters | unknown venue | |
| 1957 | Geraldine Page | The Limelight | |
| 1958 | Maureen Stapleton | The Limelight | |
| 1959 | Kim Stanley | Village Gate | |
| 1960 | Anne Bancroft | Village Gate | |
| 1961 | Julie Harris | Village Gate | |
| 1962 | Lotte Lenya | Village Gate | |
| 1963 | Uta Hagen | Village Gate | |
| 1964 | Colleen Dewhurst | Village Gate | |
| 1965 | Gloria Foster | Village Gate | |
| 1966 | Anne Jackson | Village Gate | |
| 1967 | Barbara Harris | Village Gate | |
| 1968 | Estelle Parsons | Village Gate | |
| 1969 | Julie Bovasso | Village Gate | |
| 1970 | Dustin Hoffman | Village Gate | |
| 1971 | Elaine May | Village Gate | |
| 1972 | Groucho Marx | Village Gate | |
| 1973 | Sylvia Miles | unknown venue | |
| 1974 | Madeleine Le Roux | unknown venue | |
| 1975 | Godfrey Cambridge | Village Gate | |
| 1976 | no formal host | Lincoln Center | |
| 1977 | Paul Sorvino, Gilda Radner, Marilyn Sokol | The Bottom Line | |
| 1978 | Dustin Hoffman | The Bottom Line | |
| 1979 | Ron Leibman | The Bottom Line | |
| 1980 | no formal host | Roxy NYC | |
| 1981 | Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver | Roxy NYC | |
| 1982 | Swoosie Kurtz, Tommy Tune | Savoy | |
| 1983 | Harvey Fierstein, Julie Bovasso | First City Cabaret | |
| 1984 | no formal host | Cat Club | |
| 1985 | Ellen Stewart, Harvey Fierstein | Puck Building | |
| 1986 | Christopher Durang, Swoozie Kurtz | unknown venue | |
| 1987 | Morgan Freeman, Christine Lahti | unknown venue | |
| 1988 | Morgan Freeman, Lee Breuer | unknown venue | |
| 1989 | no formal host | unknown venue | |
| 1990 | Julie Bovasso, Olympia Dukakis | unknown venue | |
| 1991 | Stockard Channing, Alan Arkin | Palladium Ballroom | |
| 1992 | Jerry Zaks, Kate Nelligan | Palladium Ballroom | |
| 1993 | no formal host | unknown venue | |
| 1994 | Mary McDonnell, James McDaniel | unknown venue | |
| 1995 | Hector Elizondo, Anne Meara | unknown venue | |
| 1996 | Nicky Silver | unknown venue | |
| 1997 | no formal host | unknown venue | Fyvush Finkel, Kathleen Chalfant, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Peter Francis James, Shirley Knight, Camryn Manheim, Mary Louise Parker, Roger Guenveur Smith, Julie Taymor, Marisa Tomei, Rip Torn, Ming Cho Lee, Karin Coonrod, and Scott Elliot |
| 1998 | Eric Bogosian, Kristen Johnson | Webster Hall | Danny Hoch, Woodie King Jr., Mac Wellman, Mary Louise Wilson, Lea DeLaria, Ellie Covan, Tsai Chin, Greg Germann, and Liz Diamond |
| 1999 | Lea DeLaria, Paul Rudnick | Webster Hall | Betty Buckley, Kathleen Chalfant, Stephen DeRosa, David Henry Hwang, Swoosie Kurtz, Elizabeth Marvel, John Cameron Mitchell, Everett Quinton, Phylicia Rashad, and Roger Rees |
| 2000 | Claudia Shear, Mary Testa | Webster Hall | Ping Chong, Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, Cynthia Nixon, Frances Sternhagen, Mary Testa, Carmelita Tropicana, James Urbaniak |
| 2001 | Brian Murray, Marian Seldes | Webster Hall | Darius De Haas, David Gallo, Linda Lavin, Marion McClinton, Debra Monk, Mark Russell, J. Smith-Cameron, and Daphne Rubin-Vega |
| 2002 | Karen Evans Kandel, Ruben Santiago-Hudson | Webster Hall | Elizabeth Franz, Mary Louise Parker, Ellen McLaughlin, Rinde Eckert, Richard Maxwell, Suzan-Lori Parks, and George C. Wolfe |
| 2003 | Bill Irwin, Charlayne Woodard | Webster Hall | Edward Albee, Linda Emond, Juliana Francis, Martha Plimpton, Jackie Hoffman, Eddie Izzard, John Ortiz, and Liev Schreiber |
| 2004 | Swoosie Kurtz, Raul Esparza | Webster Hall | Viola Davis, Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs, and Denis O'Hare |
| 2005 | Stockard Channing, Brian F. O'Byrne | Webster Hall | Elaine Stritch and Frances Sternhagen |
| 2006 | Lili Taylor, Eric Bogosian | Skirball Center for the Performing Arts | Christine Lahti, Christine Ebersole, Edward Hibbert, Douglas Carter Beane, Phylicia Rashad, and Oskar Eustis |
| 2007 | Cynthia Nixon, T.R. Knight | Skirball Center for the Performing Arts | Michael Cerveris, Angela Lansbury, William Ivey Long, Camryn Manheim, Stephanie March, Terrence McNally, Liev Schreiber, and Anika Noni Rose |
| 2008 | Elizabeth Marvel, Bill Camp | Webster Hall | Jonathan Groff, Priscilla Lopez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Marisa Tomei, Julie White and Bradley Whitford |
| 2009 | Daniel Breaker, Martha Plimpton | Webster Hall | Anne Hathaway, Brian d’Arcy James, Gavin Creel, John Shea, Karen Olivo, Kate Mulgrew, Marc Kudisch, and Nilaja Sun |
| 2010 | Anika Noni-Rose and Michael Cerveris | Webster Hall | J. Smith-Cameron, Marin Ireland, Linda Lavin, Hamish Linklater, Michael Shannon and Jennifer Westfeldt |
| 2011 | S. Epatha Merkerson and David Hyde Pierce | Webster Hall | Nina Arianda, Alec Baldwin, Margaret Colin, Mamie Gummer, Rose Hemingway, John Larroquette, Patina Miller, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Arian Moayed, Jim Parsons, Andrew Rannells, Liev Schreiber, and Frank Wood |
| 2012 | no formal host | Webster Hall | Eric McCormack, Grace Gummer, Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce, Justin Bartha, Leslie Odom Jr., Lily Rabe, Michael McKean, Tonya Pinkins, Topher Grace, and Tracee Chimo |
| 2013 | Jessica Hecht and Jeremy Shamos | Webster Hall | Bobby Cannavale, Tracee Chimo, Cyndi Lauper, Judith Light, Krysta Rodriguez, Duncan Sheik, Meryl Streep, and Courtney B. Vance |
| 2014 | Tamara Tunie and Hamish Linklater | Webster Hall | Betsy Aidem, Harvey Fierstein, Lena Hall, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Andy Karl, David Bar Katz, Cristin Milioti, Kelli O'Hara, Lily Rabe, and Stephen Trask |
| 2015 | Lea DeLaria | Webster Hall | Sting, Jessie Eisenberg, Stockard Channing, Billy Crudup, Tony Kushner, Lisa Kron, and William Ivey Long |
| 2016 | Lea DeLaria | Webster Hall | Savion Glover, Elizabeth Marvel, Colman Domingo, Danai Gurira, Tovah Feldshuh, Lisa Kron, Maura Tierney, Kate Burton, Carrie Preston, Norm Lewis, and Marlo Thomas |
| 2017 | Lea DeLaria | Webster Hall | Chris Cooper, Rose Byrne, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Jayne Houdyshell, Lena Hall, Jefferson Mays, LaChanze, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Taylor Mac, Darius de Haas, Mike Faist, J. Smith-Cameron, David Henry Hwang, Derek McLane, William Ivey Long, Emilio Sosa, Peter Barbey |
| 2018 | John Leguizamo | Terminal 5 | Andrew Garfield, Lucy Liu, Matthew Broderick, Oliver Platt, Laura Benanti, Laura Osnes, Beth Malone, David Morse, Itamar Moses, Arian Moayed, Stephen Trask, Gideon Glick, Rebecca Taichman, William Ivey Long, Natasha Katz, David Henry Hwang, David Zinn, Emilio Sosa, Lilli Cooper, Pixie Aventura, Heather Hitchens, Peter Barbey, Michael Feingold |
| 2019 | Rachel Bloom | Terminal 5 | - |
| 2020 | Cole Escola | YouTube |
Notable winners
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- OBIE winners, 2017
- OBIE winners, 2018
- OBIE winners, 2019
| Year | Recipient |
| 2019 | Heidi Schreck ; Daniel Fish, John Heginbotham, Daniel Kluger, Laura Jellinek, Terese Wadden, Scott Zielinski, Drew Levy, Joshua Thorson |
| 2018 | Rajiv Joseph ; Will Swenson ; Jessica Hecht ; Billy Crudup ; Donald Holder |
| 2017 | Lynn Nottage ; J.T. Rogers ; Matthew Broderick ; Michael Urie |
| 2016 | Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul ; Ben Platt ; Lupita Nyong'o |
| 2015 | Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alex Lacamoire, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler |
| 2014 | Sydney Lucas ; Sonya Tayeh |
| 2013 | Dave Malloy and Rachel Chavkin ; Annie Baker |
| 2012 | Steven Hoggett, Martin Lowe, John Tiffany ; Mimi Lien |
| 2011 | Laurie Metcalf ; Leigh Silverman |
| 2010 | Sam Gold ; Reed Birney |
2000s
| Year | Recipient |
| 2009 | Lynn Nottage ; Stephen Sondheim ; Jonathan Groff |
| 2008 | Adrienne Kennedy ; Annie Dorsen ; Kate Mulgrew ; Jane Greenwood ; David Henry Hwang ; Lin-Manuel Miranda ; Beowulf Boritt ; Anne Kauffman |
| 2006 | Dana Ivey ; Christine Ebersole ; Allen Moyer ; Robert O'Hara ; Danai Gurira ; Adam Rapp |
| 2005 | LaChanze ; Cherry Jones ; Deirdre O'Connell ; Rui Rita ; Caryl Churchill ; Lynn Nottage ; Ivo van Hove |
| 2004 | Derek McLane; Moises Kaufman ; Viola Davis ; Sarah Jones ; Jefferson Mays ; Tony Kushner ; Jeanine Tesori ; Alex Timbers |
| 2003 | Mac Wellman ; Mos Def ; Fiona Shaw ; Edward Norton ; Denis O'Hare ; Christine Ebersole ; Kenneth Posner ; David Greenspan |
| 2002 | Kevin Adams ; Tony Kushner ; Caryl Churchill; Charles L. Mee |
| 2001 | Brian d'Arcy James ; Ruben Santiago-Hudson ; Justin Vivian Bond ; Kirsten Childs ; Neil Patel ; José Rivera |
| 2000 | Cynthia Hopkins ; Byron Jennings ; Maria Irene Fornes ; Susan Hilferty |
Grants
Obie Grants are awarded each year to select theatre companies. Previous recipients include:| Year | Recipient |
| 1985 | Intar |
| 1985 | The Production Company |
| 1985 | The Richard Allen Center |
| 1985 | Spiderwoman Theatre |
| 1985 | The Split Britches Company |
| 1986 | P.S. 122 |
| 1986 | Billie Holiday Theatre |
| 1986 | Mabou Mines |
| 1987 | The Irish Arts Center |
| 1987 | Brooklyn Arts and Cultural Association |
| 1987 | The New Theatre of Brooklyn |
| 1988 | CSC Repertory |
| 1988 | Theatre for a New Audience |
| 1989 | Cucaracha Warehouse Theater |
| 1989 | The Living Theater |
| 1990 | Dixon Place |
| 1990 | Pregones Theater |
| 1990 | WOW Cafe |
| 1990 | BACA New Works Project |
| 1990 | 52nd Street Project |
| 1991 | En Garde Arts |
| 1991 | Hearts and Voices |
| 1991 | Mettawee River Theater Company |
| 1992 | Downtown Art Company |
| 1992 | Franklin Furnace |
| 1992 | Soho Repertory Company |
| 1993 | Nuyorican Poets Cafe |
| 1993 | Pearl Theater |
| 1994 | Changing Scenes |
| 1994 | HERE Arts Center |
| 1995 | Archives at LaMama |
| 1995 | Blueprint Series at Ontologic-Hysteric Theatre |
| 1995 | Nada |
| 1996 | New George's |
| 1996 | The TEBA Group |
| 1997 | St.Paul's Community Baptist Church Drama Ministry |
| 1997 | Great Small Works |
| 1998 | Housing Works Theater Project |
| 1998 | Caught in the Act annual one-act festival presented |
| 1999 | The POINT Community Development Corporation |
| 1999 | National Asian American Theater |
| 2000 | Five Myles |
| 2000 | Circus Amok |
| 2000 | Big Dance Theater |
| 2001 | Soho Rep |
| 2001 | Clubbed Thumb |
| 2001 | Classical Theater of Harlem |
| 2001 | Mint Theater |
| 2002 | Ma-Yi Theater Company |
| 2002 | Salt Theater Company |
| 2003 | Collapsable Hole |
| 2003 | Galapagos |
| 2003 | The Immigrant Theatre Project |
| 2004 | The Civilians |
| 2004 | Musicals Tonight |
| 2004 | THAW |
| 2005 | 13P |
| 2005 | Epic Theatre Company |
| 2005 | Little Theater at Tonic |
| 2005 | Gina Gionfriddo Distinguished Emerging Playwright |
| 2005 | Margo Skinner Memorial Acting Scholarship |
| 2007 | Peculiar Works Project |
| 2007 | The Play Company |
| 2007 | Synapse Productions |
| 2007 | Transport Group |
| 2007 | Young Jean Lee |
| 2008 | Keen Company |
| 2008 | Theater of a Two-Headed Calf |
| 2009 | The Chocolate Factory |
| 2009 | The Classical Theatre of Harlem |
| 2009 | Lark Play Development Center |
| 2010 | Harlem School of the Arts |
| 2010 | Ontological Incubator |
| 2010 | Vampire Cowboys |
| 2011 | Metropolitan Playhouse |
| 2011 | Wakka Wakka |
| 2012 | The Bushwick Starr |
| 2012 | The Debate Society |
| 2013 | Fulcrum Theater |
| 2013 | Half Straddle |
| 2014 | 48 Hours in Harlem |
| 2014 | 600 Highwaymen |
| 2015 | Horse Trade Theater Group / The Fire This Time Festival |
| 2015 | JACK |
| 2016 | Bedlam Theatre |
| 2016 | Noor Theatre |
| 2016 | Prospect Theater Company |
| 2017 | Irish Repertory Theatre |
| 2017 | Pearl Theatre Company |
| 2017 | The Playwrights Realm |
| 2018 | Pan-Asian Repertory Theatre |
| 2018 | York Theatre Company |
| 2019 | The Movement Theatre Company |
| 2019 | Target Margin Theatre |
| 2019 | WP Theater |
Ross Wetzsteon Award is a $2,000 grant awarded to a theatre that nurture innovative new plays. Previous recipients include:
| Year | Recipient |
| 1998 | The Vineyard Theater |
| 1999 | Ellie Covan |
| 1999 | Dixon Place |
| 2000 | The Foundry |
| 2001 | Theatre For A New Audience |
| 2002 | PS 122 |
| 2003 | Soho Think Tank's Ice Factory series at the Ohio Theatre |
| 2004 | St. Ann's Warehouse |
| 2005 | New Dramatists |
| 2006 | Soho Repertory Theater |
| 2007 | Rattlestick Theatre |
| 2008 | Cherry Lane Theatre Mentor Project |
| 2009 | HERE Arts Center |
| 2011 | Belarus Free Theatre |
| 2014 | Abrons Arts Center |
| 2015 | Ars Nova |
| 2016 | NAATCO / National Asian American Theatre Company |
| 2017 | Theatre For a New Audience |
| 2018 | Ma-Yi Theater Company |
| 2019 | LCT3 |