The Obie Awards were created in 1955 at the suggestion of then editor Jerry Tallmer. The award served to encourage the newly burgeoning Off Broadway theater movement and to acknowledge its achievements. The Threepenny Opera, Uncle Vanya, George C. Scott, and Hal Holbrook were among the winners of the first Obies decade.
Winners
Special Citations
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The Phoenix Theatre
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The Theatre Club
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Lucille Lortel
Distinguished Performances (Actresses)
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Tammy Grimes
Clerambard
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Grania O'Malley
Guests of the Nation
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Nydia Westman
Endgame
Distinguished Performances (Actors)
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Leonardo Cimino
The Brothers Karamazov
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Michael Higgins
The Crucible
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J.D. (Jack) Cannon
Children of Darkness, New York Shakespeare Festival
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Robert Gerriger
Guests of the Nation, New York Shakespeare Festival
Best Revival
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Arthur Miller, Directed by Word Baker
The Crucible
Best Play (Adaptation)
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Boris Tumarin and Jack Sydow
The Brothers Karamazov
Best One-Act Play
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Neil McKenzie
Guests of the Nation
Best Foreign Play
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Samuel Beckett
Endgame
Best Director
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Stuart Vaughan
New York Shakespeare Festival
Best Comedy
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George Panetta
Comic Strip
Best Actress
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Anne Meacham
Garden District
Best Actor
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George C. Scott
"Richard III," "As You Like It," "Children of Darkness"
Obie Committee
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Joseph Anthony
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George Freedley
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Jerry Tallmer