Obie Awards: Cole Escola, ‘Teeth’ And ‘Cats’ Reimagining Among Tonight’s Winners

Oh, Mary!‘s Cole Escola, the drag ball reimagining of Cats and Jeremy Tiang’s Salesman之死 are among the big winners of this year’s Obie Awards honoring Off and Off Off Broadway productions announced tonight.

Presented by the American Theatre Wing and New York’s Spectrum News NY1, the 68th Annual Obie Awards winners were announced on Spectrum News NY1’s On Stage program hosted by Frank DiLella. Like last year, the Obies did not have a ceremony, instead bestowing the winners of the 35 awards with grants totaling $250,000.

See the complete list of winners below.

“We are moved and encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response to the new structure of the Obie Awards, which we launched last year,” says Heather Hitchens, President & CEO, in a statement. “The artists honored today are a reflection of the incredible work that is being created and presented Off Broadway and we are so thrilled that, with the support of an anonymous donor, we can provide the best and brightest of Off Broadway with grants that go directly to the artists.”

Escola, who took their play Oh, Mary! to Broadway after the Off Broadway run, becoming one of this season’s biggest hits, was among the winners for outstanding Performance. Others included Gabby Beans for her performance in Roundabout’s Jonah; Dianne Wiest and Johanna Day, for Scene Partners (Vineyard Theatre); and Nathan Lee Graham for Signature Theatre Company’s Orlando.

The Outstanding New Play award went to Jeremy Tiang’s Salesman之死 (Yangtze Repertory Theatre | Gung Ho Projects), inspired by the real-life story of Arthur Miller’s collaboration with an all-Chinese cast performing Death of a Salesman at the Beijing People’s Art Theatre in 1983.

Special citations went to, among others, the ensemble of Cats: The Jellicle Ball, the critically acclaimed re-imagining of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical set in the world of New York City’s famous drag balls. Charles Busch took a Lifetime Achievement Award for his Ibsen’s Ghost: An Irresponsible Biographical Fantasy, and Sarah Benson for Teeth, the unlikely hit musical comedy based on the 2007 camp classic horror film of the same name.

The On Stage episode announcing the winners earlier tonight will re-air tonight at 10:30 PM/ET and Sunday, February 2, at 7:30 and 10:30 PM. Spectrum News NY1 is available to Spectrum subscribers on channel 1 and via the Spectrum News App for mobile, Xumo Stream Box, Roku, and Apple TV streaming devices.

The complete list of 68th Obie Awards winners is:

OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY
Jeremy Tiang, Salesman之死 (Yangtze Repertory Theatre | Gung Ho Projects)

PLAYWRITING
Ife Olujobi, Jordans (The Public Theater)
Ariel Stess, Kara & Emma & Barbara & Miranda (The Tank | New Georges)

DIRECTING
Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch (Direction), Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles (Choreography), Cats: The Jellicle Ball (Perelman Performing Arts Center)
nicHi douglas (Direction and Choreography), (pray) (Ars Nova | National Black Theatre)
Jack Serio, The Animal Kingdom (Jack Serio) and On Set With Theda Bara (Transport Group | Lucille Lortel Theatre)
Tiffany Nichole Greene, Covenant (Roundabout Theatre Company)

SUSTAINED ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
Sarah Benson, Teeth (Playwrights Horizons) and The Welkin (Atlantic Theater Company)

PERFORMANCE
Cole Escola, Oh, Mary! (Alchemation | Mike & Carlee Productions)
Gabby Beans, Jonah (Roundabout Theatre Company)
Dianne Wiest and Johanna Day, Scene Partners (Vineyard Theatre)
Nathan Lee Graham, Orlando (Signature Theatre Company)

SUSTAINED ACHIEVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE
The Bengsons (Composing and Performing), The Keep Going Songs (LCT3)
Greg Keller, Dig (59E59), Pre-Existing Condition (Jesse Eisenberg | Charlie Kaufman | OHenry Productions | The Cohn Sisters | Jessica Chase | Taylor Williams), and Staff Meal (Playwrights Horizons)

DESIGN
Greg Corbino (Production Design), Snatch Adams & Tainty McCracken Present It’s That Time of the Month (SoHo Repertory)
Oana Botez (Costumes), Orlando (Signature Theatre Company)
Stacey Derosier (Lights), Daphne (Lincoln Center Theater), On Set With Theda Bara (Transport Group | Lucille Lortel Theatre), The Animal Kingdom (Jack Serio), The Refuge Plays (Roundabout Theatre Company | New York Theatre Workshop), The Welkin (Atlantic Theater Company), and United States V. Gupta (JACK | New Georges)

SUSTAINED ACHIEVEMENT IN DESIGN
Adam Honoré (Lights), The Lonely Few (MCC Theater), Cats: The Jellicle Ball (Perelman Performing Arts Center), and I Can Get It For You Wholesale (Classic Stage Company)
Jian Jung (Set), Staff Meal (Playwrights Horizons), The Following Evening (Perelman Performing Arts Center | Talking Band | 600 HIGHWAYMEN), Zoetrope (Caborca | Abrons Arts Center), and 9 Kinds of Silence (PlayCo)

SPECIAL CITATIONS
Ensemble of Cats: The Jellicle Ball (Perelman Performing Arts Center) Jonathan Burke, Baby Byrne, Tara Lashan Clinkscales, Antwayn Hopper, André De Shields, Sydney James Harcourt, Dava Huesca, Dudney Joseph Jr., Capital Kaos, Junior LaBeija, Robert “Silk” Mason, Shereen Pimentel, “Tempress” Chasity Moore, Primo, Xavier Reyes, Nora Schell, Bebe Nicole Simpson, Emma Sofia, Phumzile Sojola, Frank Viveros, Kendall Grayson Stroud, Garnet Williams, Teddy Wilson Jr., Shelby Griswold, and Dominique Lee

Raja Feather Kelly (Creator and Director) and Ensemble of The Fires (SoHo Rep) Beau Badu, Sheldon Best, Phillip James Brannon, Janelle McDermoth, Ronald Peet, Jon-Michael Reese, Jason Veasey, and Michelle Wilson (Ensemble)

Milo Cramer (Book, Music, Lyrics, and Performance) and Morgan Green (Director), School Pictures (Playwrights Horizons)

Normandy Sherwood (Production Design and Concept), Psychic Self Defense (Here | Dream Music Factory)

The 1491s – Dallas Goldtooth, Sterlin Harjo, Migizi Pensoneau, Ryan RedCorn, and Bobby Wilson – (Creators) and Ensemble of Between Two Knees (Perelman Performing Arts Center) Rachel Crowl, Derek Garza, Justin Gauthier, Irma-Estel Laguerre, Shyla Lefner, Wotko Long, Jessica Ranville, James Ryen, John Scott-Richardson, Kholan Studi, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Sheila Tousey, and Ryan Anthony Williams (Ensemble)

Becca Blackwell and Amanda Duarte (Creators) and Jess Barbagallo (Director), Snatch Adams & Tainty McCracken Present It’s That Time of The Month (SoHo Rep)

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Charles Busch (Writer), Ibsen’s Ghost: An Irresponsible Biographical Fantasy (Primary Stages | George Street Playhouse | Daryl Roth | Ted Snowdon | Jamie deRoy)

Kristin Marting, Founding Artistic Director Emeritus of HERE

Paul Zimet, Ellen Maddow, and Tina Shepard, The Following Evening (Perelman Performing Arts Center | Talking Band | 600 HIGHWAYMEN) and Shimmer and Herringbone (Talking Band | Mabou Mines)

THEATRE GRANTS
Criminal Queerness Festival (National Queer Theater)
Out of the Box Theatrics
Braata Productions
The 1/52 Project
Tectonic Theater Project

ROSS WETZSTEON AWARD
Theater Mitu

MICHAEL FEINGOLD AWARD
3Views On Theater

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