The 2011 OBIE Awards

The winners of the 2011 OBIE Awards were announced tonight at Webster Hall. And the winners are:

Best New American Play
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity by Kristoffer Diaz (Second Stage)


Lifetime Achievement
Repertorio Espanol and its co-founder and artistic director, René Buch


Performance
F. Murray Abraham, sustained excellence of performance
André Braugher, The Whipping Man (Manhattan Theatre Club)
Michael Chernus, In the Wake (Public Theater)
Ethan Hawke, Blood from a Stone (The New Group)
Hamish Linklater, The School for Lies (Classic Stage Company)
Laurie Metcalf, The Other Place (Manhattan Class Company)
Thomas Sadoski, Other Desert Cities (Lincoln Center Theater)
Scott Shepherd, Gatz (Elevator Repair Service / Public Theater)
Brenda Wehle, The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures (Signature Theatre / Public Theater)
Charlayne Woodard, The Witch of Edmonton (Red Bull Theater)

Playwriting
Samuel D. Hunter, A Bright New Boise (Partial Comfort Productions)
Jonas Hassen Khemiri, Invasion! (The Play Company)

Direction
Austin Pendleton, Three Sisters (Classic Stage Company)
Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, Peter and the Starcatcher (New York Theatre Workshop)
Leigh Silverman [pictured right], In the Wake (Public Theater) and Go Back to Where You Are (Playwrights Horizons)

Design
Jill BC Du Boff, sustained excellence of sound design
Donyale Werle, sustained excellence of set design

Special Citations
Design and choreography, Sleep No More (Punchdrunk Theatre) Felix Barrett, Livi Vaughan, Beatrice Minns, Maxine Doyle, Stephen Dobbie, Euan Maybank, and David Israel Reynoso
Young Jean Lee, We're Gonna Die (13P / Joe’s Pub)
debbie tucker green and Leah C. Gardiner, Born Bad (Soho Rep)

Obie Grants ($2,500 to each theater)
Metropolitan Playhouse
Wakka Wakka

The Ross Wetzsteon Award
Belarus Free Theatre

2009 OBIE AWARDS

Best New American Play - RUINED by Lynn Nottage

Music & Lyrics of ROAD SHOW to Stephen Sondheim
Katie Mitchell for Direction of THE WAVES
David Cromer for Direction of OUR TOWN
Sarah Benson (Direction) and Louisa Thompson (Set Design) for BLASTED (Soho Rep)
Ken Rus Schmoll for Direction of TELEPHONE (Foundry Theater)
David Esbjornson (Director) and Christian Camargo (Lead Actor) of HAMLET (Theater for a New Audience)
Quincy Tyler Bernstine for her performance in RUINEDSaidah Arrika Ekulona for her performance in RUINEDRussell G. Jones for his performance in RUINED
Birgit Huppuch for her performance in TELEPHONE
Francois Battiste his performance THE GOOD NEGROSahr Ngaujah for his performance in FELA!James Sugg for his performance in CHEKHOV LIZARDBRAIN
Lorenzo Pisoni for his performance in HUMOR ABUSEAaron Monaghan his performance in THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN
John Douglas Thompson for his performance in OTHELLOJonathan Groff his performance in THE SINGING FOREST and PRAYER FOR MY ENEMY
OBIE for Lifetime Achievement to Earle Hyman
OBIE for Sustained Excellence to Kevin T. Carroll
OBIE for Sustained Achievement Costume Design to Toni-Leslie James
OBIE for Sustained Achievement in Set Design to David Korins
2009 Ross Wetzsteon Award goes to HERE ARTS CENTER
$3,300 OBIE GRANTS to

Classical Theater of HarlemChocolate Factory TheaterLark Play Development

2009 Drama Desk Awards

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners at last night's Drama Desk Awards, especially the Off-Broadway winners:

Outstanding Play: Ruined by Lynn Nottage
Outstanding Music in a Play: Dominic Kanza (Ruined)
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: Pablo Schreiber (reasons to be pretty Off Broadway)
Outstanding Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim (Road Show)
Outstanding Set Design of a Play: David Korins (Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them)
Outstanding Solo Performance: Lorenzo Pisoni (Humor Abuse)
Unique Theatrical Experience: Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words
And Special Awards to:
Outstanding Ensemble Performances: The cast of The cast of The Cripple of Inishmaan
Forbidden Broadway
Atlantic Theater Company and artistic director Neil Pepe
TADA! Youth Theater

2009 Lucille Lortel Award Nominations

Outstanding Play:
Animals Out of Paper; Second Stage Theatre, Producer; Rajiv Joseph, Playwright

Becky Shaw; Second Stage Theatre, Producer; Gina Gionfriddo, Playwright

Ruined; Manhattan Theatre Club and Goodman Theatre, Producer; Lynn Nottage, Playwright

The Good Negro; The Public Theater in association with Dallas Theater Center, Producers; Tracey Scott Wilson, Playwright

The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928); New York Theatre Workshop and Elevator Repair Service, Producers; Text by William Faulkner, Created by Elevator Repair Service

Outstanding Musical:
Fela! A New Musical; Ruth and Stephen Hendel and Roy Gabay, Producers; Book by Jim Lewis and Bill T. Jones, Music and Lyrics by Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Add'l Music by Aaron Johnson and Jordan McLean, Add'l Lyrics by Jim Lewis.

My Vaudeville Man!; The York Theatre Company and Melanie Herman, Producers; Book by Jeff Hochhauser, Music by Bob Johnston, Lyrics by Bob Johnston and Jeff Hochhauser

Road Show; The Public Theater, Producer; Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by John Weidman

Saved; Playwrights Horizons in association with Elephant Eye Theatrical, Producers; Music and Lyrics by Michael Friedman, Book and Lyrics by John Dempsey and Rinne Groff

This Beautiful City; Vineyard Theatre, Producer; Composer and Lyricist Michael Friedman, Librettist Steve Cosson and Jim Lewis, Created by The Civilians

Outstanding Solo Show:
Humor Abuse; Manhattan Theatre Club, Producer; Created by Lorenzo Pisoni and Erica Schmidt, Performed by Lorenzo Pisoni

Sleepwalk With Me; Eli Gonda, Ryan Scott Warren, Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf, and Nathan Lane, Producers; Written and Performed by Mike Birbiglia


Outstanding Revival:
Enter Laughing, The Musical; The York Theatre Company, Producer; Book by Joseph Stein, Music and Lyrics by Stan Daniels, Based on the play Enter Laughing by Joseph Stein, from the novel by Carl Reiner.

Othello; Theatre for a New Audience, Producer; William Shakespeare, Playwright

Our Town; Scott Morfee, Jean Doumanian, Tom Wirtshafter, Ted Snowdon, Eagle Productions, Dena Hammerstein/Pam Pariseau, The Weinstein Company, Burnt Umber Productions, Producers; Thornton Wilder, Playwright

The Cripple of Inishmaan; Atlantic Theater Company and Druid Theatre Company, Producers; Martin McDonagh, Playwright

The Glass Cage; Mint Theater Company, Producer; J.B. Priestley, Playwright

Outstanding Director:
Arin Arbus, OthelloDavid Cromer, Our TownGarry Hynes, The Cripple of InishmaanKate Whoriskey, RuinedRobert Woodruff, Chair
Outstanding Choreographer:
Martha Clarke, Garden of Earthly DelightsBill T. Jones, Fela! A New MusicalJanet Miller, The Marvelous WonderettesLynne Taylor-Corbett and Shonn Wiley, My Vaudeville Man!Sergio Trujillo, Saved
Outstanding Lead Actor:
Ned Eisenberg, OthelloBrian d'Arcy James, Port AuthorityJosh Grisetti, Enter Laughing, The MusicalSahr Ngaujah, Fela! A New MusicalJohn Douglas Thompson, Othello
Outstanding Lead Actress:
Ellen Burstyn, The Little Flower of East OrangeSaidah Arrika Ekulona, RuinedCarmen M. Herlihy, crookedKellie Overbey, The Savannah DisputationAnnie Parisse, Becky Shaw
Outstanding Featured Actor:
Utkarsh Ambudkar, Animals Out of PaperFrancois Battiste, The Good NegroJohn McMartin, Saturn ReturnsAaron Monaghan, The Cripple of InishmaanThomas Sadoski, Becky Shaw
Outstanding Featured Actress:
Annika Boras, ChairKerry Condon, The Cripple of InishmaanLisa Emery, DistractedMamie Gummer, Uncle VanyaJuliet Rylance, Othello
Outstanding Scenic Design:
Beowulf Boritt, Animals Out of PaperMarina Draghici, Fela! A New MusicalRoger Hanna, The Glass CageJames Schuette, Wig Out!David Zinn, Chair
Outstanding Costume Design:
Marina Draghici, Fela! A New MusicalAnn Hould-Ward, Road ShowToni-Leslie James, Wig Out!Karen Perry, The First Breeze of SummerTheresa Squire, Rafta, Rafta…
Outstanding Lighting Design:
Christopher Akerlind, Garden of Earthly DelightsMark Barton, ChairLap Chi Chu, The Good NegroMarcus Doshi, OthelloJason Lyons, Mourning Becomes Electra
Outstanding Sound Design:
Quentin Chiappetta, Irena's VowJohn Gromada, Shipwrecked! An EntertainmentRobert Kaplowitz, Wig Out!Jane Shaw, The Widowing of Mrs. HolroydMatt Tierney, The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928)
Special Awards:
Edith Oliver Award for Sustained Excellence:
Ira Weitzman

Outstanding Body of Work:
The Lark Play Development Center

For more information about the awards, you can visit www.LortelAward.com