Estelle Parsons Will Receive Lifetime Achievement Obie at 2014 Awards

Oscar winner and The Velocity of Autumn Tony nominee Estelle Parsons will receive the Lifetime Achievement Obie at the 59th annual Village Voice Obie Awards, which will be presented on May 19 at Webster Hall. The ceremony, which honors outstanding achievement in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway, will be co-hosted by Tamara Tunie (The Library) and Hamish Linklater (Shakespeare in the Park’s upcoming Much Ado About Nothing).

In addition to The Velocity of Autumn, Parsons has appeared on Broadway in Nice Work If You Can Get It and has earned Tony nominations for The Seven Descents of Myrtle, And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little, Miss Margarida’s Way and Morning’s at Seven. She received an Oscar for her portrayal of Blanche Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde.

The 2014 Obie Awards will also feature a special performance from the Lucille Lortel, New York Drama Critics' Circle and Outer Critics Circle Award-winning musical Fun Home, which is eyeing a move to Broadway. Presenters for the evening will include 2014 Tony nominees Lena Hall, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Andy Karl and Kelli O’Hara, as well as Betsy Aidem, Harvey Fierstein, David Bar Katz, Cristin Milioti, Lily Rabe and Stephen Trask.

Unlike most awards, the Obies do not publicize nominations or employ rigid categories. As previously announced, this year’s judging panel will include Tony winner Tonya Pinkins, Voice chief theater critic Michael Feingold, Voice critic Alexis Soloski, musical theater writer Kristen Childs, La MaMa director of programming Nicky Paraiso, writer Michael Sommers and fight director Rick Sordelet.