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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Paul Shyre
for bringing O'Casey to Off-Broadway; for his adaptations of "I Knock at the Door," "Pictures in the Hallway," and "USA"
Distinguished Performances (Actresses)
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Marguerite Lenery
House of Breath
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Betty Miller
Exiles
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Jutta Wolf
Exiles
Distinguished Performances (Actors)
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Thayer David
"Saint Joan," "Oscar Wilde"
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Michael Kane
Exiles
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Arthur Malet
"Volpone," "The Misanthrope," "The Apollo of Bellac"
Best New Play
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Louis A. Lippa
A House Remembered
Best Director
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Gene Frankel
Volpone
Best All-Around Production
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Daniel S. Brown and Burry Fredrick
Exiles
Best Actress
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Colleen Dewhurst
"The Taming of the Shrew," "The Eagle Has Two Heads," "Camille"
Best Actor
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William Smithers
The Sea Gull