Bowl EP and David Greenspan Among Obie Winners

Oghenero Gbaje and Essence Lotus in Bowl EP,
Obie Award winner for Best New Play.
Credit: Carol Rosegg

Bowl EP, Nazareth Hassan's play about two wanna-be rappers set in an empty swimming pool made into a skateboarding park, and performer-playwright David Greenspan were among the winners of the 69th annual Obie Awards, announced on NY-1 by Frank DiLella and Michael Urie on Jan. 31. Bowl EP was named Outstanding New Play and won for its three-person Ensemble Cast and Greenspan won two awards--for his performance as part of the ensemble of Prince Faggot and for the solo show I'm Assuming You Know David Greenspan. He previously won six Obies.

Originally presented by the Village Voice newspaper, the Obies are now presented by the American Theater Wing who also co-presents the Tonys. The Obies honor excellence in Off and Off-Off-Broadway theater. Instead of a ceremony, the Wing presents winners with cash grants totaling more than $250,000. A private reception for the winners will be held on Feb. 23. 

David Greenspan in I'm Assuming You Know
David Greenspan.
Credit: Ahron R. Foster

This year's judging panel comprised Stephanie Berry, Modesto "Flako" Jimenez, Jonathan McCrory, Santiago Orjuela-Laverde, Aya Ogawa, Barbara Samuels, and Whitney White, led by co-chairs Wilson Chin and Ryan J. Haddad. More than 300 productions were evaluated.

View the full list of winners below:

Outstanding New Play
Nazareth Hassan, Bowl EP

Playwriting
Morgan Bassichis, Can I Be Frank?
Sarah Gancher, The Wind and the Rain: A story about Sunny's Bar

Directing
Sam Pinkleton, ta-da! and Can I Be Frank?
abigail jean-baptiste, Chiaroscuro
Paul Lazar, The Barbarians

Sustained Achievement in Directing
David Herskovits, Show/Boat: A River
Whitney White, Walden and Liberation

Performance
Bulbul Chakraborty, Rheology
Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Well, I'll Let You Go
Crystal Lucas-Perry, Pericles: A Public Works Concert Experience and The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar)
Stephanie Weeks, Show/Boat: A River

Sustained Achievement in Performance
Paul Sparks, Grangeville
Stephanie Berry, The Gospel At Colonus

Design
Afsoon Pajoufar (Sets), Five Models in Ruins, 1981 and Cold War Choir Practice
Kate McGee (Lighting), Bowl EP, Suppose Beautiful Madeline Harvey, and The Beastiary
Frank J. Oliva (Sets), Well, I'll Let You Go, Danger and Opportunity, and A Knock on the Roof

Sustained Achievement in Design
Cha See (Lighting), Five Models in Ruins, 1981, ta-da!, Liberation, Trophy Boys, Hold Me in the Water, Show/Boat: A River, Babe, and In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot
David Bengali (Video), We Live in Cairo , Joy, and Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole

Special Citations
On The Rocks Theatre Co. for the Concept and Creation, The Beastiary
Ensemble of Bowl EP: Felicia Curry, Oghenero Gbaje, and Essence Lotus
Troy Anthony (Music and Lyrics) Pericles: A Public Works Concert Experience
Ensemble of Prince Faggot: Rachel Crowl, K. Todd Freeman, David Greenspan, Mihir Kumar, John McCrea, and N'yomi Allure Stewart
Mona Pirnot (Playwright), David Greenspan (Performer), and Ken Rus Schmoll (Director), I'm Assuming You Know David Greenspan
Mehr Theatre Group for the Creation, Blind Runner

Lifetime Achievement
Carmelita Tropicana
Kate Valk

Theatre Grants
Urban Bush Women (UBW)
The Apothetae
New Federal Theatre (NFT)
¡OYE! Group
Waterwell

Ross Wetzsteon Award
Pregones / Puerto Rican Traveling Theater

Michael Feingold Awards
John Del Gaudio

Morgan Jenness Award
Nicky Paraiso