Tony Awards nominees “The Humans” and “Eclipsed” both scored trophies at the Off Broadway-centric Obie Awards, which gave its top playwriting prize to Rajiv Joseph’s “Guards at the Taj.”
“Guards” won for new American play, while its two lead actors, Omar Metwally and Arian Moayed, earned a performance award. The title also was one of the big winners at the 2016 Lucille Lortel Awards.
Other Obies for playwriting went to Stephen Karam, whose “The Humans” (pictured above) played Off Broadway prior to its Tony-nominated Broadway run, as well as to Lucas Hnath (“The Christians,” “Red Speedo”) and to the creators of buzzy musical “Dear Evan Hansen” (Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul).
Among the acting award winners were Tony nominee Lupita Nyong’o and the entire cast of “Eclipsed” (which, like “The Humans,” also originated Off Broadway before moving to Broadway), “Dear Evan Hansen” lead Ben Platt and Tony-nominated “Humans” cast member Jayne Houdyshell.
Founded by the Village Voice and now co-presented by the American Theater Wing (which also co-produces the Tony Awards), the 61st annual Obies were handed out May 23 at downtown venue Webster Hall.
The full list of 2016 Obies Awards follows:
PLAYWRITING
Lucas Hnath, The Christians (Playwrights Horizons) and Red Speedo (New York
Theatre Workshop)
Stephen Karam, The Humans (Roundabout Theatre Company)
Musical Theater
Steven Levenson (book), Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (music & lyrics), Dear Evan
Hansen (Second Stage Theatre)
DIRECTION
Rachel Chavkin, The Royale (Lincoln Center Theater)
Michael Leibenluft, I’ll Never Love Again (Bushwick Starr)
PERFORMANCE
Khris Davis, The Royale (Lincoln Center Theater)
Emily Donahoe, The Christians (Playwrights Horizons)
Georgia Engel, John (Signature Theatre Company)
Ensemble, Eclipsed (The Public Theater): Pascale Armand, Akosua Busia, Zainab Jah, Lupita Nyong’o, Saycon Sengbloh
Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans (Roundabout Theatre Company)
Omar Metwally and Arian Moayed, Guards at the Taj (Atlantic Theater Company)
Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen (Second Stage Theatre)
Lucas Caleb Rooney, Red Speedo (New York Theatre Workshop)
Tamara Tunie, Familiar (Playwrights Horizons)
DESIGN
Rachel Hauck, Sustained Excellence of Set Design
Jason Lyons, Sustained Excellence of Lighting Design
James Ortiz, Puppet Design, The Woodsman (New World Stages)
Bray Poor, Sustained Excellence of Sound Design
Kaye Voyce, Sustained Excellence of Costume Design
SPECIAL CITATIONSL COLLABORATION
Annie Baker (playwright), Sam Gold (director), and the design team of John
(Signature Theatre Company): Mark Barton (lighting), Ásta Bennie Hostetter (costumes), Mimi Lien (set), Noah Mease (props), Bray Poor (sound)
Dominique Morisseau (playwright) and Ruben Santiago-Hudson (director), Skeleton
Crew (Atlantic Theater Company)
OBIE GRANTS ($4,000 prize to each theater)
Bedlam Theatre
Noor Theatre
Prospect Theatre Company
THE ROSS WETZSTEON AWARD ($3,000 prize)
NAATCO/National Asian American Theatre Company
BEST NEW AMERICAN PLAY ($1,000 prize)
Guards at the Taj by Rajiv Joseph (Atlantic Theatre Company)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Carmen de Lavallade
A.R. Gurney
