Obie Award facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Obie Awards |
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|---|---|
| Presented by | The Village Voice (1956–present) American Theatre Wing (2014–present) |
| Location | New York City, New York |
| Country | United States |
| First awarded | 1956 |
The Obie Awards are special prizes given each year to people and groups who create amazing theater. These awards celebrate plays and musicals that are performed in smaller theaters in New York City. These shows are known as off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions.
The awards started in 1956. They were first given out by The Village Voice, a newspaper. Since 2014, the American Theatre Wing has also helped present the Obie Awards. Many people think the Obie Awards are the highest honor for off-Broadway theater. They are like the Tony Awards for bigger Broadway shows.
Contents
What are the Obie Awards?
The Obie Awards were created by a critic named Jerry Tallmer and the publisher of The Village Voice, Edwin Fancher. They wanted to celebrate the exciting new theater happening outside of Broadway. The very first awards were given out in 1956.
At first, only off-Broadway shows could win. But in 1964, shows from even smaller "off-off-Broadway" theaters became eligible too. The first Obie Awards party was held at a cafe owned by Helen Gee.
Unlike some other awards, the Obie Awards don't always have the same set of categories every year. For example, all actors and actresses who win are simply in a category called "Performance." There are no announced nominees before the winners are chosen.
Awards have been given for acting, directing, best production, and design. Sometimes, special awards are given for amazing achievements. The Village Voice also gives out Obie grants to theater companies. These grants help support new and creative plays.
The first awards in 1956 honored Absalom as Best New Play. Uncle Vanya won Best All-Around Production. The Threepenny Opera was named Best Musical.
Other awards for off-Broadway theater include the Lucille Lortel Awards, the Drama Desk Awards, and the Drama League Award.
Since 2014, the American Theatre Wing and the Village Voice have worked together on the Obie Awards. In 2021, the American Theatre Wing took over as the main presenter. They continue to honor the best of off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway theater.
Award Categories
The Obie Awards recognize many different parts of theater. Here are some of the types of awards given:
- Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress
- Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actor
- Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Ensemble (for a group of actors)
- Sustained Achievement Award (for long-term excellence)
- Best New American Theatre Work Award
- Playwriting Award (for writing plays)
- Design Award (for sets, costumes, lights, etc.)
- Special Citations (for unique achievements)
- Obie Grants (money given to theater companies)
- The Ross Wetzsteon Award (a special grant for new plays)
Award Ceremony History
The Obie Awards ceremony has been held in many different places over the years. Famous actors and artists often host the event. Here is a look at some of the past ceremonies:
| Year | Host | Venue | Presenters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Shelley Winters | unknown venue | |
| 1957 | Geraldine Page | The Limelight | |
| 1958 | Maureen Stapleton | ||
| 1959 | Kim Stanley | Village Gate | |
| 1960 | Anne Bancroft | ||
| 1961 | Julie Harris | ||
| 1962 | Lotte Lenya | ||
| 1963 | Uta Hagen | ||
| 1964 | Colleen Dewhurst | ||
| 1965 | Gloria Foster | ||
| 1966 | Anne Jackson | ||
| 1967 | Barbara Harris | ||
| 1968 | Estelle Parsons | ||
| 1969 | Julie Bovasso | ||
| 1970 | Dustin Hoffman | ||
| 1971 | Elaine May | ||
| 1972 | Groucho Marx | ||
| 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 | ||
| 1979 | Ron Leibman | ||
| 1980 | no formal host | Roxy NYC | |
| 1981 | Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | 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 | Ping Chong, Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, Cynthia Nixon, Frances Sternhagen, Mary Testa, Carmelita Tropicana, James Urbaniak | |
| 2001 | Brian Murray, Marian Seldes | 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 | Elizabeth Franz, Mary Louise Parker, Ellen McLaughlin, Rinde Eckert, Richard Maxwell, Suzan-Lori Parks, and George C. Wolfe | |
| 2003 | Bill Irwin, Charlayne Woodard | Edward Albee, Linda Emond, Juliana Francis, Martha Plimpton, Jackie Hoffman, Eddie Izzard, John Ortiz, and Liev Schreiber | |
| 2004 | Swoosie Kurtz, Raul Esparza | Viola Davis, Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs, and Denis O'Hare | |
| 2005 | Stockard Channing, Brian F. O'Byrne | 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 | 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 | 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 | J. Smith-Cameron, Marin Ireland, Linda Lavin, Hamish Linklater, Michael Shannon and Jennifer Westfeldt | |
| 2011 | S. Epatha Merkerson and David Hyde Pierce | 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 | 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 | Bobby Cannavale, Tracee Chimo, Cyndi Lauper, Judith Light, Krysta Rodriguez, Duncan Sheik, Meryl Streep, and Courtney B. Vance | |
| 2014 | Tamara Tunie and Hamish Linklater | 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 | Sting, Jessie Eisenberg, Stockard Channing, Billy Crudup, Tony Kushner, Lisa Kron, and William Ivey Long | |
| 2016 | Lea DeLaria | 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 | 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 | Eric Bogosian, Julie White, Kristine Nielsen, Beowulf Boritt, Patti LuPone, Lily Rabe, Hamish Linklater, Heather Hitchens, David Henry Hwang, Billy Crudup, Margo Seibert, Michael John LaChiusa, Liesl Tommy, Damon Daunno, Rachel Chavkin, Rebecca Taichman, Luke Cresswell, Riccardo Hernandez, Mimi Lien, Marc Kudisch |
| 2020 | Cole Escola | YouTube (virtual, due to COVID-19) |
Clint Ramos, Craig Lucas, Cynthia Erivo, Dominique Morisseau, Eisa Davis, Emilio Sosa, Heather Hitchens, Heidi Schreck, Katrina Lenk, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Liesl Tommy, Malcolm Gets, Rachel Chavkin, Rachel Hauck, Sahr Ngaujah, Sam Pinkleton, Saycon Sengbloh |
| due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, the 66th Obie Awards were not held until 2023, collectively honouring productions of the 2020–21, 2021–22 and 2022–23 theater seasons | |||
| 2023 | Crystal Lucas-Perry | Terminal 5 | Emilio Sosa, Heather Hitchens, J. Allen Suddeth, Melissa Rose Bernardo, David Mendizábal, Rachel Chavkin, |
Notable Winners
Many talented people and shows have won Obie Awards over the years. Here are some of the winners from recent decades:
2000s Winners
| Year | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Cynthia Hopkins (Performance - Another Telepathic Thing); Byron Jennings (Performance Award - Waste); Maria Irene Fornes (Special Citation - Letters From Cuba); Susan Hilferty (Sustained Excellence in Costume Design) |
| 2001 | Brian d'Arcy James (Performance Award - The Good Thief); Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Special Citation - Lackawanna Blues); Justin Vivian Bond (Special Citation - Kiki and Herb: Jesus Wept); Kirsten Childs (Music and Lyrics Award - The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin); Neil Patel (Design Award - War of the Worlds, Resident Alien, Race, I Will Bear Witness); José Rivera (Playwrighting Award - References To Salvador Dali Make Me Hot) |
| 2002 | Kevin Adams (Sustained Excellence in Lighting Design); Tony Kushner (Playwrighting Award - Homebody/Kabul); Caryl Churchill; Charles L. Mee |
| 2003 | Mac Wellman (Lifetime Achievement Award); Mos Def (Performance Award); Fiona Shaw (Performance - Medea); Edward Norton (Performance - Burn This); Denis O'Hare (Performance Award - Take Me Out); Christine Ebersole (Performance Award - Talking Heads); Kenneth Posner (Sustained Excellence in Lighting Design); David Greenspan (Special Citation - She Stoops to Comedy) |
| 2004 | Derek McLane; Moises Kaufman (Directing Award - I am My Own Wife); Viola Davis (Performance Award - Intimate Apparel); Sarah Jones (Performance Award - Bridge & Tunnel); Jefferson Mays (Performance Award - I am My Own Wife); Tony Kushner (Special Citation - Caroline, or Change); Jeanine Tesori (Special Citation - Caroline, or Change); Alex Timbers (Special Citation - A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant) |
| 2005 | LaChanze (Performance Award - Dessa Rose); Cherry Jones (Performance Award - Doubt); Deirdre O'Connell (Sustained Excellence in Performance Award); Rui Rita (Design Award - Engaged); Caryl Churchill (Playwrighting Award - A Number); Lynn Nottage (Playwriting Award - Fabulation); Ivo van Hove (Directing Award - Hedda Gabler) |
| 2006 | Dana Ivey (Performance Award - Mrs. Warren's Profession); Christine Ebersole (Performance Award - Grey Gardens); Allen Moyer (Sustained Excellence of Set Design); Robert O'Hara (Special Citation - In the Continuum); Danai Gurira (Special Citation - In the Continuum); Adam Rapp (Special Citation - Red Light Winter) |
| 2007 | Young Jean Lee (Obie Grant Award); Lin-Manuel Miranda (Music and Lyrics Award - In the Heights); Beowulf Boritt (Sustained Excellence in Set Design); Anne Kauffman |
| 2008 | Adrienne Kennedy (Lifetime Achievement Award); Annie Dorsen (Best New Theatre Piece - Passing Strange); Kate Mulgrew (Performance Award - Iphigenia 2.0); Jane Greenwood (Sustained Excellence of Costume Design Award); David Henry Hwang (Playwrighting Award - Yellow Face |
| 2009 | Lynn Nottage (Best American Play - Ruined); Stephen Sondheim (Music and Lyrics Award - Road Show); Jonathan Groff (Performance Award - Prayer for my Enemy) |
2010s Winners
| Year | Recipients | |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Sam Gold (Directing Award - Circle Mirror Transformation, The Alien); Reed Birney (Performance Award - Circle Mirror Transformation) | |
| 2011 | Laurie Metcalf (Performance Award - The Other Place); Leigh Silverman (Directing Award - In the Wake, Go Back to Where You Are) | |
| 2012 | Steven Hoggett, Martin Lowe, John Tiffany (Special Citations - Once); Mimi Lien (Set Design Award); Erin Courtney (Special Citation - A Map of Virtue) | |
| 2013 | Dave Malloy and Rachel Chavkin (Special Citations - Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812); Annie Baker (Playwriting Award - The Flick) | |
| 2014 | Sydney Lucas (Performance Award - Fun Home); Sonya Tayeh (Choreography Award) | |
| 2015 | Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alex Lacamoire, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler (Best New American Theatre Work - Hamilton) | |
| 2016 | Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul (Musical Theatre Award - Dear Evan Hansen); Ben Platt (Performance Award); Lupita Nyong'o (Performance Award) | |
| 2017 | Lynn Nottage (Playwriting Award - Sweat); J.T. Rogers (Playwriting Award - Oslo); Matthew Broderick (Performance Award); Michael Urie (Performance Award) | |
| 2018 | Rajiv Joseph (Best New American Play-Describe the Night); Will Swenson (Performance Award); Jessica Hecht (Performance Award); Billy Crudup (Performance Award); Donald Holder (Lighting Design Award) | |
| 2019 | Heidi Schreck (Best New American Play - What the Constitution Means to Me); Daniel Fish, John Heginbotham, Daniel Kluger, Laura Jellinek, Terese Wadden, Scott Zielinski, Drew Levy, Joshua Thorson (Special Citations-Oklahoma!) |
2020s Winners
| Year | Recipients | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 |
|
|
| due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, the 66th Obie Awards were not held until 2023, collectively honouring productions of the 2020–21, 2021–22 and 2022–23 theater seasons | ||
| 2023 |
Grants for Theater Companies
The Obie Awards also give out special grants to help theater companies. These grants provide money to support new and creative plays and performances.
Obie Grants
These grants are given each year to selected theater groups. Here are some of the past recipients:
| Year | Recipient |
|---|---|
| 1985 | Intar |
| The Production Company | |
| The Richard Allen Center | |
| Spiderwoman Theatre | |
| The Split Britches Company | |
| 1986 | P.S. 122 |
| Billie Holiday Theatre | |
| Mabou Mines | |
| 1987 | The Irish Arts Center |
| Brooklyn Arts and Cultural Association (BACA) | |
| The New Theatre of Brooklyn | |
| 1988 | CSC Repertory |
| Theatre for a New Audience | |
| 1989 | Cucaracha Warehouse Theater |
| The Living Theater | |
| 1990 | Dixon Place |
| Pregones Theater | |
| WOW Cafe | |
| BACA New Works Project | |
| 52nd Street Project | |
| 1991 | En Garde Arts |
| Hearts and Voices | |
| Mettawee River Theater Company | |
| 1992 | Downtown Art Company |
| Franklin Furnace | |
| Soho Repertory Company | |
| 1993 | Nuyorican Poets Cafe |
| Pearl Theater | |
| 1994 | Changing Scenes |
| HERE Arts Center | |
| 1995 | Archives at LaMama |
| Blueprint Series at Ontologic-Hysteric Theatre | |
| Nada | |
| 1996 | New George's |
| The TEBA Group | |
| 1997 | St.Paul's Community Baptist Church Drama Ministry |
| Great Small Works | |
| 1998 | Housing Works Theater Project |
| Caught in the Act annual one-act festival presented (Threshold Theater Co.) | |
| 1999 | The POINT Community Development Corporation |
| National Asian American Theater | |
| 2000 | Five Myles |
| Circus Amok | |
| Big Dance Theater | |
| 2001 | Soho Rep |
| Clubbed Thumb | |
| Classical Theater of Harlem | |
| Mint Theater Company | |
| 2002 | Ma-Yi Theater Company |
| Salt Theater Company | |
| 2003 | Collapsable Hole |
| Galapagos | |
| The Immigrant Theatre Project | |
| 2004 | The Civilians |
| Musicals Tonight | |
| THAW (Theaters Against War) | |
| 2005 | 13P |
| Epic Theatre Company | |
| Little Theater at Tonic | |
| Gina Gionfriddo Distinguished Emerging Playwright | |
| Margo Skinner Memorial Acting Scholarship | |
| 2007 | Peculiar Works Project |
| The Play Company | |
| Synapse Productions | |
| Transport Group | |
| Young Jean Lee | |
| 2008 | Keen Company |
| Theater of a Two-Headed Calf | |
| 2009 | The Chocolate Factory |
| The Classical Theatre of Harlem | |
| Lark Play Development Center | |
| 2010 | Harlem School of the Arts |
| Ontological Incubator | |
| Vampire Cowboys | |
| 2011 | Metropolitan Playhouse |
| Wakka Wakka | |
| 2012 | The Bushwick Starr |
| The Debate Society | |
| 2013 | Fulcrum Theater |
| Half Straddle | |
| 2014 | 48 Hours in Harlem |
| 600 Highwaymen | |
| 2015 | Horse Trade Theater Group / The Fire This Time Festival |
| JACK (Arts Center) | |
| 2016 | Bedlam Theatre |
| Noor Theatre | |
| Prospect Theater Company | |
| 2017 | Irish Repertory Theatre |
| Pearl Theatre Company | |
| The Playwrights Realm | |
| 2018 | Pan-Asian Repertory Theatre |
| York Theatre Company | |
| 2019 | The Movement Theatre Company |
| Target Margin Theatre | |
| WP Theater | |
| 2023 | The Sol Project |
| Theatre in Quarantine | |
| See Lighting Foundation | |
| Anticapitalism for Artists |
Ross Wetzsteon Award
This award is a special grant named after a former theater editor, Ross Wetzsteon. It is given to a theater that helps new and creative plays grow.
| 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 |
| 2023 | The Classical Theatre of Harlem |
See also
In Spanish: Premios Obie para niños
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Obie Award Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.