Co-presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Village Voice, the Obie Awards celebrate excellence in theatre Off-Broadway. "Orange is the New Black"'s Lea DeLaria hosted the ceremony, which took place at Webster Hall.
Lin-Manuel Miranda and cast in Hamilton at the Public Theater
Hamilton, which arrives on Broadway this July after a sold-out downtown run, picked up another theatrical honor, having already won top prizes from the Lucille Lortel Awards and New York Drama Critics' Circle.
The 2015 Obie winners follow:
Performance
Usman Ally, The Invisible Hand (New York Theatre Workshop)
Firdous Bamji, Indian Ink (Roundabout Theatre Company)
Brooke Bloom, You Got Older (Page 73 & HERE Arts Center)
Stephen McKinley Henderson, Between Riverside and Crazy (Atlantic Theater Company & Second Stage Theatre)
April Matthis, Sustained Excellence of Performance
John Douglas Thompson, Tamburlaine (Theatre for a New Audience) & The Iceman Cometh (BAM)
Playwriting
Ayad Akhtar, The Invisible Hand (New York Theatre Workshop)
Clare Barron, You Got Older (Page 73 & HERE Arts Center)
Suzan-Lori Parks, Father Comes Home From the Wars Parts I, II, & III (The Public Theater) Direction
Trip Cullman, Punk Rock (MCC Theater)
Anne Kauffman, Sustained Excellence of Direction
Darko Tresnjak, The Killer (Theatre for a New Audience)
Design
Abigail DeVille, Prophetika: An Oratorio (La MaMa)
Christine Jones, Sustained Excellence of Set Design
Ben Stanton, Sustained Excellence of Lighting Design
Japhy Weideman, Sustained Excellence of Lighting Design
Special Citations
Kate Benson (writer) and Lee Sunday Evans (director), A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes (New Georges)
Bootycandy, writer/director Robert O'Hara, actors Philip James Brannon, Jessica Frances Dukes, Jesse Pennington, Benja Kay Thomas, Lance Coadie Williams (Playwrights Horizons)
Catch (performance series), Andrew Dinwiddie, Caleb Hammons, Jeff Larson
Bridget Everett, Rock Bottom (Public Theater)
Bush Moukarzel and Dead Centre, Lippy (Abrons Arts Center)
Andrew Schneider, Youarenowhere (PS 122 / COIL Festival)
OBIE Grants ($2,500 to each theatre)
Horse Trade Theater Group/The Fire This Time Festival
JACK (Arts Center)
The Ross Wetzsteon Award (includes $1,000 check)
Ars Nova
Best New American Theatre Work (includes $1,000 check)
Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, direction by Thomas Kail, arrangements/orchestrations/music direction by Alex Lacamoire (The Public Theater)
The Obies were created in 1955 to encourage the evolving Off-Broadway theatre movement by acknowledging its achievements. Now in their 60th year, the OBIES play a major role in recognizing and boosting fantastic productions Off-Broadway. Many distinguished writers, directors, actors and designers have been recipients of an OBIE at critical points in their careers.
The OBIE Awards judging panel was headed by longtime OBIE Committee Chairman Michael Feingold and included playwright Adam Bock, orchestrator Bruce Coughlin, director Lear deBessonet, scenic designer Mimi Lien, critic David Rooney, Village Voice critic Tom Sellar, and director Liesl Tommy.
The American Theatre Wing also is the founder of The Tony Awards, the foremost national platform for the recognition of theatrical achievement on Broadway.
For more information and to purchase tickets please visit ObieAwards.com.
