Today, The American Theatre Wing (Heather Hitchens, President & CEO), along with Spectrum News NY1, announced the winners of the esteemed Obie Awards. The recipients of the 68th Annual Awards, Off and Off-Off-Broadway’s Highest Honor, were announced exclusively today, Saturday, February 1 at 7:30PM on Spectrum News NY1’s “On Stage,” hosted by Emmy Award winner Frank DiLella.
The episode will re-air Saturday, February 1, at 10:30 PM, Sunday, February 2, at 7:30 and 10:30 PM. Spectrum News NY1 is available to Spectrum subscribers on channel 1 and via the Spectrum News App for mobile, Xumo Stream Box, Roku, and Apple TV streaming devices.
In lieu of the annual awards ceremony, the American Theatre Wing will instead dedicate funds to the support and growth of the artists, by bestowing the winners of the 35 awards with grants, totaling $250,000. The grants were made possible by an anonymous donation, in support of the new Obie Awards structure in which funds go directly to the awarded artists. There will be a private reception to toast the winners on February 10.
The 68th Obie Awards recognizes the outstanding contributions made throughout the 2023-2024 Off- and Off- Off-Broadway theatre season in New York City. The complete panel of judges for the current Obie Awards season are: Aya Ogawa, award-winning writer, director, translator and performer; David Greenspan, playwright and actor; Diep Tran, Editor in Chief of Playbill; Heather Alicia Simms, actor most recently seen in the Pulitzer Prize winning production of Fairview and Broadway’s Purlie Victorious; Modesto “Flako” Jimenez, multi-hyphenate artist; Nikiya Mathis, recipient of the Henry Heard Design Award and The Antonio Award; Ryan J. Haddad, actor and playwright; and Taylor Reynolds, Obie Award winning director. Returning to the Obie panel are Wilson Chin, scenic designer for theater, opera, film, and television; and Obie-winning playwright Haruna Lee. Lee and Chin serve as co-chairs of the panel, as well. The judges thoroughly evaluated over 300 productions, engaged in thoughtful discussions, and, through their votes, selected the recipients.
“We are moved and encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response to the new structure of the Obie Awards, which we launched last year,” says Heather Hitchens. “The artists honored today are a reflection of the incredible work that is being created and presented Off-Broadway and we are so thrilled that, with the support of an anonymous donor, we can provide the best and brightest of off-Broadway with grants that go directly to the artists. We are also grateful to our friends at Spectrum News NY1, who continue to creatively and masterfully promote the work of the New York theater community and beyond.”
The winners of the 68th Obie Awards are:
OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY
- Jeremy Tiang, Salesman之死 (Yangtze Repertory Theatre | Gung Ho Projects)
PLAYWRITING
- Ife Olujobi, Jordans (The Public Theater)
- Ariel Stess, Kara & Emma & Barbara & Miranda (The Tank | New Georges)
DIRECTING
- Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch (Direction), Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles (Choreography), Cats: The Jellicle Ball (Perelman Performing Arts Center)
- nicHi douglas (Direction and Choreography), (pray) (Ars Nova | National Black Theatre)
- Jack Serio, The Animal Kingdom (Jack Serio) and On Set With Theda Bara (Transport Group | Lucille Lortel Theatre)
- Tiffany Nichole Greene, Covenant (Roundabout Theatre Company)
SUSTAINED ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
- Sarah Benson, Teeth (Playwrights Horizons) and The Welkin (Atlantic Theater Company)
PERFORMANCE
- Cole Escola, Oh, Mary! (Alchemation | Mike & Carlee Productions)
- Gabby Beans, Jonah (Roundabout Theatre Company)
- Dianne Wiest and Johanna Day, Scene Partners (Vineyard Theatre)
- Nathan Lee Graham, Orlando (Signature Theatre Company)
SUSTAINED ACHIEVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE
- The Bengsons (Composing and Performing), The Keep Going Songs (LCT3)
- Greg Keller, Dig (59E59), Pre-Existing Condition (Jesse Eisenberg | Charlie Kaufman | OHenry Productions | The Cohn Sisters | Jessica Chase | Taylor Williams), and Staff Meal (Playwrights Horizons)
DESIGN
- Greg Corbino (Production Design), Snatch Adams & Tainty McCracken Present It’s That Time of the Month (Soho Repertory)
- Oana Botez (Costumes), Orlando (Signature Theatre Company)
- Stacey Derosier (Lights), Daphne (Lincoln Center Theater), On Set With Theda Bara (Transport Group | Lucille Lortel Theatre), The Animal Kingdom (Jack Serio), The Refuge Plays (Roundabout Theatre Company | New York Theatre Workshop), The Welkin (Atlantic Theater Company), and United States V. Gupta (JACK | New Georges)
SUSTAINED ACHIEVEMENT IN DESIGN
- Adam Honoré (Lights), The Lonely Few (MCC Theater), Cats: The Jellicle Ball (Perelman Performing Arts Center), and I Can Get It For You Wholesale (Classic Stage Company)
- Jian Jung (Set), Staff Meal (Playwrights Horizons), The Following Evening (Perelman Performing Arts Center | Talking Band | 600 HIGHWAYMEN), Zoetrope (Caborca | Abrons Arts Center), and 9 Kinds of Silence (PlayCo)
SPECIAL CITATIONS
- Ensemble of Cats: The Jellicle Ball (Perelman Performing Arts Center) Jonathan Burke, Baby Byrne, Tara Lashan Clinkscales, Antwayn Hopper, André De Shields, Sydney James Harcourt, Dava Huesca, Dudney Joseph Jr., Capital Kaos, Junior LaBeija, Robert “Silk” Mason, Shereen Pimentel, “Tempress” Chasity Moore, Primo, Xavier Reyes, Nora Schell, Bebe Nicole Simpson, Emma Sofia, Phumzile Sojola, Frank Viveros, Kendall Grayson Stroud, Garnet Williams, Teddy Wilson Jr., Shelby Griswold, and Dominique Lee
- Raja Feather Kelly (Creator and Director) and Ensemble of The Fires (SoHo Rep) Beau Badu, Sheldon Best, Phillip James Brannon, Janelle McDermoth, Ronald Peet, Jon-Michael Reese, Jason Veasey, and Michelle Wilson (Ensemble)
- Milo Cramer (Book, Music, Lyrics, and Performance) and Morgan Green (Director), School Pictures (Playwrights Horizons)
- Normandy Sherwood (Production Design and Concept), Psychic Self Defense (Here | Dream Music Factory)
- The 1491s – Dallas Goldtooth, Sterlin Harjo, Migizi Pensoneau, Ryan RedCorn, and Bobby Wilson – (Creators) and Ensemble of Between Two Knees (Perelman Performing Arts Center) Rachel Crowl, Derek Garza, Justin Gauthier, Irma-Estel Laguerre, Shyla Lefner, Wotko Long, Jessica Ranville, James Ryen, John Scott-Richardson, Kholan Studi, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Sheila Tousey, and Ryan Anthony Williams (Ensemble)
- Becca Blackwell and Amanda Duarte (Creators) and Jess Barbagallo (Director), Snatch Adams & Tainty McCracken Present It’s That Time of The Month (Soho Rep)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
- Charles Busch (Writer), Ibsen’s Ghost: An Irresponsible Biographical Fantasy (Primary Stages | George Street Playhouse | Daryl Roth | Ted Snowdon | Jamie deRoy)
- Kristin Marting, Founding Artistic Director Emeritus of HERE
- Paul Zimet, Ellen Maddow, and Tina Shepard, The Following Evening (Perelman Performing Arts Center | Talking Band | 600 HIGHWAYMEN) and Shimmer and Herringbone (Talking Band | Mabou Mines)
THEATRE GRANTS
- Criminal Queerness Festival (National Queer Theater)
- Out of the Box Theatrics
- Braata Productions
- The 1/52 Project
- Tectonic Theater Project
ROSS WETZSTEON AWARD
- Theater Mitu
MICHAEL FEINGOLD AWARD
- 3Views On Theater
The official 68th Obie Awards season includes shows that opened between September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024. Work that was presented at an Off or Off-Off-Broadway theater and/or company was eligible for consideration. The full list of winners, as well as their recorded acceptance speeches, is now available on ObieAwards.com.
The Village Voice created The Obie Awards, at the suggestion of then editor Jerry Tallmer, soon after the publication’s own inception in 1955, to encourage the newly burgeoning Off-Broadway theater movement and to acknowledge its achievements. The Obies are structured with informal categories to recognize artists and productions worthy of distinction in each theatrical year. Over the decades, The Obie Awards played a major role in championing work of innovative and exceptional quality Off- and Off-Off Broadway. The Obies have become a theatrical tradition, a meaningful way to acknowledge the best artistic achievements of downtown theater. The list of actors, writers, directors, and designers who have received Obies at pivotal moments in their careers is a virtual who’s who of contemporary theater. While the categories of the awards have continued to change almost annually, the creative spirit remains the same. The Obie Awards, now presented by The American Theatre Wing, salute a theatrical movement that’s as important and as vibrant today as it was in 1955.
