The Obie Awards Announces its Winners

The Obie Awards, which honor achievement in the Off Broadway theatre scene, have announced. Because of the pandemic, the awards, which are administered by the American Theatre Wing, cover the years 2020 - 2021 and 2021 - 2022 seasons.

Several designer winners are included in this year's lineup. The lighting designer Reza Behjat was cited for his work on the Atlantic Theater Company production of English and Playwrights Horizons production of Wish You Were Here. Citations for sustained achievement went to lighting designer Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, hair and wig designer Nikiya Mathis, and scenic and costume designer Machine Dazzle. Also, sound designer Nick Kourtides was cited as part of the creative team of Oratorio for Living Things, produced by Ars Nova.

Two design teams were cited -- for the Public Theater production of Fat Ham -- Maruti Evans (set design); Dominique Fawn Hill (costume design); Stacey Derosier (lighting designer); Mikaal Sulaiman (sound design) -- and the Atlantic Theater Company production of English: Marsha Ginsberg (set design), Enver Chakartash (costume design), Reza Behjat (lighting design), Sinan Refik Zafar (sound design). The busy costume designer Qween Jean also received a special citation. Video designer David Bengali was cited as part of the creative team of the production Circle Jerk. And a citation went to the See Lighting Foundation, which provided financial assistance to immigrant designers during the pandemic.

The full list of winners is:

BEST NEW AMERICAN PLAY
• Sanaz Toossi, English (Atlantic Theater Company)

PLAYWRITING
• Martyna Majok, Sanctuary City (New York Theater Workshop - NYTW)

DIRECTION
• Taylor Reynolds, Man Cave (Page 73) and Tambo & Bones (Playwrights Horizons)
• Awoye Timpo, Wedding Band (TFNA) and her work as founder of Classix
• Matt Ray (Music Direction and Composition) The Hang (HERE)

SUSTAINED ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
• Saheem Ali, Nollywood Dreams (MCC); Merry Wives (The Public); Romeo y Julieta (The Public); and Fat Ham (The Public | National Black Theater - NBT)
• David Brimmer, Wolf Play (SoHo Repertory)

PERFORMANCE
• Stephanie Berry and Lizan Mitchell, On Sugarland (NYTW)
• Brittany Bradford, Wedding Band (Theatre for a New Audience)
• Kara Young, Twelfth Night (Classical Theatre of Harlem)
• Arturo Luís Soria, Ni Mi Madre (Rattlestick)

SUSTAINED ACHIEVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE
• Billy Eugene Jones for On Sugarland (NYTW) and Fat Ham (The Public)
• Andrea Patterson, for Cullud Wattah (Public Theater); Confederates (Signature); and Seize the King (The Classical Theatre of Harlem)

DESIGN
• Reza Behjat (lighting design), for English (Atlantic Theater Company) and Wish You Were Here (Playwrights Horizons)

SUSTAINED ACHIEVEMENT IN DESIGN • Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew (lighting designer) for Cullud Wattah (The Public), Oratorio for Living Things (Ars Nova), The Nosebleed (Lincoln Center Theater), Golden Shield (MTC), Snow in Midsummer (CSC), Fairycakes (Greenwich House), and What You Are Now (EST)
• Nikiya Mathis (hair and wig designer) for Nollywood Dreams (MTC)
• Machine Dazzle (set and costume designer)

SPECIAL CITATIONS • Heather Christian (composer, vocal arrangements, orchestration); Ben Moss (music director, orchestration); Nick Kourtides (sound design); and the musical team of Oratorio For Living Things (Ars Nova)

• Creative Team and Ensemble of Fat Ham (The Public) James Ijames (Playwright), Saheem Ali (director); Maruti Evans (set design); Dominique Fawn Hill (costume design); Stacey Derosier (lighting design); Mikaal Sulaiman (sound design); Darrell Grand Moultrie (choreographer); Earon Chew Nealey (hair and wig design); Skylar Fox (illusions design); Nikki Crawford, Chris Herbie Holland, Billy Eugene Jones, Adrianna Mitchell, Calvin Leon Smith, Marcel Spears, and Benja Kay Thomas (ensemble)

• Creative Team and Ensemble of English (The Atlantic Theater) Knud Adams (director), Marsha Ginsberg (set design), Enver Chakartash costume design), Reza Behjat (lighting design), Sinan Refik Zafar (sound design) Tala Ashe, Ava Lalezarzadeh, Pooya Mohseni, Marjan Neshat, and Hadi Tabbal (ensemble)

• Aya Ogawa for the Creation, Writing, and Direction of The Nosebleed (Lincoln Center Theater | Japan Society)

• Qween Jean (costume designer) for Corsicana (Playwrights Horizons), Soft (MCC), Wedding Band (TFNA), Black No More (The New Group), The Fever (Audible | The New Group), What To Send Up When it Goes Down (Playwrights Horizons), and Semblance (NYTW)

• Digital+Virtual+Hybrid Production: Michael Breslin, Patrick Foley, Ariel Sibert, Cat Rodríguez and Rory Pelsue (creators, writers, director) in collaboration with David Bengali (video designer) Circle Jerk (Fake Friends and Jeremy O. Harris)

• Laurie Woolery (director) and Shaina Taub (music and lyrics) for their collaboration in the adaptation of As You Like It (The Public)

• Alex Edelman (creator and performer), Just For Us (Mike Birbiglia | Greenwich House Theater)

• Digital+Virtual+Hybrid Production: Modesto Flako Jimenez (creator and writer) Taxilandia (Oye Group | NYTW | Bushwick Starr | The Tank)

• Digital+Virtual+Hybrid Production: Sarah Gancher (writer), Jared Mezzocchi and Elizabeth Williamson (directors) Russian Troll Farm (The Civilians, Theater Works Hartford, and TheatreSquared)

• Richard Nelson (playwright), for the completion and producing of The Rhinebeck Panorama

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
• Ping Chong (Director, choreographer, video and installation artist, and founder of Ping Chong and Company)

• Anne Bogart (director and co-founder of SITI Company)

• Ralph Lee and Casey Compton (artistic and managing director, Mettawee River Theatre Company)

THEATRE COMPANIES
• The Sol Project
• Theatre in Quarantine
• See Lighting Foundation
• Anticapitalism for Artists

ROSS WETZSTEON AWARD
• The Classical Theatre of Harlem

MICHAEL FEINGOLD AWARD
• Maestra Music

The 2023 awards are co-chaired by Obie-winning director and producing artistic leader David Mendizábal and veteran theatre critic Melissa Rose Bernardo. The judges' panel includes actor and fight choreographer Dave Anzuelo, scenic designer Wilson Chin, Obie-winning playwright Haruna Lee, Obie-winning director and playwright Lisa Peterson, and Obie-winning actor Heather Alicia Simms.

The Obie Awards ceremony will take place February 27.