2008 Obie Award winners announced

The winners of the 53rd Annual Obie Awards were announced yesterday evening (19 May) at a ceremony held at Webster Hall in Manhattan. The Obie's have been honoring the Off-Broadway community since 1956 and are considered Off-Broadway's highest honor.

The event was hosted by Elizabeth Marvel and Bill Camp, and the presenters of the awards included Jonathan Groff, Priscilla Lopez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Marisa Tomei, Julie White and Bradley Whitford.

The lifetime acheivemet award was presented to Adrienne Kennedy.

The judging panal was chaired by Village Voice Theatre Critic and Obie Chairperson Michael Feingold. His fellow judges included Alexis Soloski, Mark Blankenship, Jeremy Gerard, Robert O'Hara, Neil Patel and Helen Shaw. Clint Allen serves as secretary to the committee.

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The winners of the 2008 Obie Awards are:
There are no nominations or categories for the Obies.

Performance:

• LisaGay Hamilton: Sustained Excellence of Performance
• Kate Mulgrew: The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
• Francis Jue: Sustained Excellence of Performance
• Rebecca Wisocky: Stories Left to Tell
• Joel Hatch: Adding Machine
• Heidi Schreck: Trouble in Paradise
• Veanne Cox: Sustained Excellence of Performance
• Sean McNall: My Deah
• Ensemble: Passing Strange: de'Adre Aziza, Daniel Breaker, Eisa Davis, Colman Domingo, Chad Goodridge, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Stew

Direction

• Krum: Krzysztof Warlikowski
• Adding Machine: David Cromer

Playwriting

• Dividing the Estate: Horton Foote
• Yellow Face: David Henry Hwang

Design

• Adding Machine: Takeshi Kata (Set Design), Keith Parham (Lighting Design)
• Untitled Mars: Peter Ksander (Scenic Design)
• The Slug Bearers Of Kayrol Island: Ben Katchor (Drawings); John Findlay & Jeff Sugg (Set and Projection Design); Russell H. Champa (Lighting Design)
• Jane Greenwood: Sustained Excellence of Costume Design
• David Zinn: Sustained Excellence of Costume and Set Design

Special Citation

• Nature Theater of Oklahoma: No Dice
• David Greenspan: The Argument
• Ensemble and director Judith Malina: The Brig

BEST NEW THEATRE PIECE ($1,000 prize)

• Stew, Heidi Rodewald, Annie Dorsen: Passing Strange

The Ross Wetzsteon Memorial Award ($2,000 prize)

• Cherry Lane Theatre Mentor Project

Lifetime Achievement

• Adrienne Kennedy

OBIE Grants (Totaling $10,000)

• Keen Company ($5,000)
• Theater of a Two-Headed Calf ($5,000)