The 1980s saw the beginnings of new playwrights like Christopher Durang, Harvey Fierstein, and David Henry Hwang, all receiving Obie Awards.
Meryl Streep and Morgan Freeman joined the Obies family winnings Obies in performance.
Winners
Design
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Heidi Landesman
A Midsummer Night's Dream and Painting Churches
Direction
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Gregory Mosher
Edmond
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Gary Sinise
True West
Ensemble Performance
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Director Kenneth Frankel and the Cast of Quartermaine's Terms
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Director Max Stafford Clark and the Royal Court cast of Top Girls
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The New York Shakespeare Festival cast of Top Girls
Performance
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Ernest Abuba
Yellow Fever
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Christine Baranski
A Midsummer Night's Dream
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Glenn Close
The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs
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Jeff Daniels
Johnny Got His Gun
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Ruth Maleczech
Hadd
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John Malkovich
True West
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Donald Moffat
Painting Churches
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Ray Wise
The Tooth of Crime
Playwriting
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Caryl Churchill
Top Girls
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David Mamet
Edmond
Distinguished Playwriting
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Tina Howe
Most Promising Young Playwright
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Harry Kondoleon
Special Citations
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The Big Apple Circus
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Ethyl Eichelberger, Lucrezia Borgia
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Michael Moschen, Fred Garbo, Bob Berky
Foolsfire
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The Zagreb Theater Company
The Liberation of Skopje
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Dramatists Play Service
for its commitment to new work
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Performing Arts Journal publications
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Theatre Development Fund
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The musical performance of Poppie Nongena
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The musical production of The Mother of Us All
Sustained Achievement
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Lanford Wilson, Marshall Mason, and the Circle Repertory Company
Obie Committee
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Eileen Blumenthal
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Michael Feingold
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Erika Munk
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Julius Novick
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Maria Irene Fornes
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John Guare
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Ross Wetzsteon
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Robert Massa