May 22, 2017

2017 Obie Winners and Performances

OBIE AWARDS 2017

 

***LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD***

Paula Vogel

 

***BEST NEW AMERICAN THEATRE WORK***

Jennifer Kidwell and Scott R. Sheppard, Underground Railroad Game (Ars Nova)

J. T. Rogers, Oslo (Lincoln Center Theater)

 

**PLAYWRITING**

Christopher Chen, Caught (The Play Company at La MaMa)

Lynn Nottage, Sweat (Public Theater)

 

**MUSICAL THEATRE**

Itamar Moses (book) and David Yazbek (music & lyrics), The Band’s Visit (Atlantic Theater)

 

**DIRECTING**

Arin Arbus, The Skin of Our Teeth (Theater for a New Audience)

Lileana Blain-Cruz, The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World (Signature Theatre)

David Cromer, The Band’s Visit (Atlantic Theater)

Jack Cummings III, Picnic (Transport Group)

Rebecca Taichman, Indecent (Vineyard Theatre)

 

**ENSEMBLE AWARDS**

Bartlett Sher (director) and the cast of Oslo (Lincoln Center Theater) (Michael Aronov, Anthony Azizi, Adam Dannheisser, Jennifer Ehle, Daniel Jenkins, Dariush Kashani, Jeb Kreager, Jefferson Mays, Christopher McHale, Daniel Oreskes, Angela Pierce, Henny Russell, Joseph Siravo, T. Ryder Smith)

Lila Neugebauer (director) and the cast of The Wolves (Playwrights Realm) (Mia Barron, Brenna Coates, Jenna Dioguardi, Samia Finnerty, Midori Francis, Lizzy Jutila, Sarah Mezzanotte, Tedra Millan, Lauren Patten, Susannah Perkins)

 

**PERFORMANCE**

Matthew Broderick, Evening at the Talk House (New Group) and Shining City (Irish Rep)

Bobby Cannavale, The Hairy Ape (New York Armory)

Kevin Geer, sustained excellence [in memoriam]

Kecia Lewis, Marie and Rosetta (Atlantic Theater) and The Skin of Our Teeth (TFANA)

Heather MacRae, Come Back, Little Sheba (Transport Group)

Amy Ryan, Love, Love, Love (Roundabout/Laura Pels)

Pete Simpson, sustained excellence

Michael Urie, Homos, Or Everyone in America (Labyrinth Theater)

 

**DESIGN**

Riccardo Hernandez, sustained excellence of set design

Dane Laffrey, sustained excellence of set and costume design

Jared Mezzocchi, projection design, Vietgone (Manhattan Theatre Club)

Ryan Rumery, sustained excellence of sound design

Scott Zielinski, sustained excellence of lighting design

 

**SPECIAL CITATIONS**

Anna Deavere Smith, Notes From the Field (Second Stage)

Taylor Mac, A 24-Decade History of Popular Music (St. Ann’s Warehouse)

 

**OBIE GRANTS**

Irish Repertory Theatre

Pearl Theatre Company

The Playwrights Realm

 

**THE ROSS WETZSTEON AWARD**

Theatre for a New Audience

 

 

JUDGES

Michael Feingold, Chairman; Ayad Akhtar, Melissa Rose Bernardo, Darius de Haas, Miriam Felton-Dansky, Daphne Rubin-Vega, J. Smith-Cameron.