Off-B'way Update: Obies on NY-1

Obie judge/Costume designer
Dede Ayite

The Obie Awards, presented for distinguished work in Off- and Off-Off-Broadway theater will forgo their usual ceremony and will present their 67th annual prizes instead on NY-1's On Stage program with Emmy winner Frank DeLella hosting on Sat. Jan. 27 at 7:30 pm. The awards were originally presented by the Village Voice and are now under the aegis of the American Theater Wing. Since the Wing is saving money by not staging a ceremony, the awards will be accompanied by grants ranging from $1,000-$5,000. Select winners will be announced in the categories of Playwriting, Direction and Performance for the 2022-23 Off and Off-Off-Broadway season. There will also be an in-depth look at the Obies' history and appearances by Tony Award nominee and Obie Award winner Kara Young (Purlie Victorious, Cost of Living); President and CEO of The American Theatre Wing Heather Hitchens; and Tony & Obie Award-winning playwright and librettist David Henry Hwang, who is also a former Chair of The American Theatre Wing.

The Obie Judges Committee includes: Obie-and Drama Desk winning and Tony Award-nominated costume designer Dede Ayite; acclaimed scenic designer Wilson Chin; writer and Grammy Award winner Ty Defoe; Broadway’s first Black intimacy coordinator & Obie Award winner Ann C. James; Obie Award-winning playwright Haruna Lee; actor, writer and performance artist Florencia Lozano; and Obie Award-winning performance artist Carmelita Tropicana; and is co-chaired by Obie-winning director David Mendizábal and veteran theater critic Melissa Rose Bernardo.  The judges thoroughly evaluated over 300 productions, engaged in thoughtful discussions, and, through their votes, selected the recipients.
 
“We are truly excited about this next iteration of The Obies because it genuinely reflects the ethos of the Awards as well as the Off & Off Off Broadway movements – which is to continuously evolve and meet the moment,” says Heather Hitchens. “The grants and our relationship with Spectrum News NY1 will provide meaningful support, and more effective, nationwide promotion for these incredible artists, innovators, and theater companies.”
 
The official 67^th Obie Awards season includes shows that opened between September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2023. 

When I worked for Back Stage, I used to attend the Obie ceremony, usually at the Ritz nightclub in the East Village and hosted with style by the late Voice theater critic Michael Feingold and before him by the Voice's theater editor Ross Wetzsteon. It was one of the most highly-anticipated events of the theater season. There were no nominees, only winners and no one knew in advance if there were getting an award, so their surprise was genuine. Plus since they weren't on TV, they could talk as long as they wanted to. There was a loose-unfettered atmosphere and a sense of the downtown, avant-garde community celebrating the different and innovative. Feingold wrote the articulate speeches for the presenters which were free of the usual bland award-show banter and full of insights into the winners' craft. Presenter Elaine Stricth actually stopped in the middle of her presentation to Cherry Jones for her performance in Doubt and declared with awe, "This is well-written." It's great the Obies are continuing, but I will miss the wild spirit of the live ceremony.