A Strange Loop, Heroes of the Fourth Turning & More Honored with 2020 Obie Awards

The winners of the 65th Annual Obie Awards, which honor achievement off and off-off Broadway, have been announced. Comedian, actor and writer Cole Escola hosted the pretaped ceremony, which took place virtually on July 14 after being postponed. Both Michael R. Jackson's A Strange Loop and Will Arbery's Heroes of the Fourth Turning were honored with Obie Awards for Playwriting; both production's creative teams and ensembles were honored with a Special Citation.

Performance wins include Liza Colón-Zayas and Elizabeth Rodriguez for Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven, Emily Davis for Is This A Room, Edmund Donovan for Greater Clements, April Matthis for Toni Stone, Joe Ngo for Cambodian Rock Band and Deirdre O'Connell for Dana H. 

A complete list of winners is below.

Playwriting

• Will Arbery, Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Playwrights Horizons)
• Haruna Lee, Suicide Forest (Ma-Yi Theater Company, Bushwick Starr)
• Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop (Playwrights Horizon, Page 73)

Directing

• Kenny Leon, Much Ado About Nothing (The Public Theater)
• JoAnne Akalaitis, MUD/Drowning (Mabou Mines, Weathervane Productions, The Days and Nights Festival)
• Whitney White, Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (WP Theater, Second Stage, by special arrangement with Benjamin Simpson and Joseph Longthorne)
• Les Waters, Sustained Excellence in Directing

Choreography

• Camille A. Brown, Sustained Excellence in Choreography

Performance

• Liza Colón-Zayas & Elizabeth Rodriguez, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven (Atlantic Theater, LAByrinth Theater Company)
• Emily Davis, Is This A Room (Vineyard Theatre)
• Edmund Donovan, Greater Clements (Lincoln Center Theater)
• April Matthis, Toni Stone (Roundabout Theatre)
• Joe Ngo, Cambodian Rock Band (Signature Theatre)
• Deirdre O'Connell, Dana H. (Vineyard Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Center Theatre Group)

Design

• Yu-Hsuan Chen, Set Design, Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (WP Theater, Second Stage, by special arrangement with Benjamin Simpson and Joseph Longthorne)
• Mikhail Fiksel, Sound Design, Dana H.  (Vineyard Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Center Theatre Group) & Cambodian Rock Band (Signature Theatre)
• Andrea Hood, Costume Design, Public Works (The Public Theater)
• Arnulfo Maldonado, Sustained Excellence in Set Design
• Jen Schriever, Sustained Excellence in Lighting Design

Special Citations

• Michael Feingold, longtime Village Voice theater critic, for his work as a leading voice in theater criticism, his advocacy on behalf of off and off-off Broadway and his 43 years of dedication to the Obie Awards, including 12 as the Obie Chairman. The Obies will establish a special citation to be given annually in Feingold’s name.
• The creative team and ensemble of A Strange Loop (Playwrights Horizons, Page 73): Antwayn Hopper, James Jackson, Jr., L Morgan Lee, John-Michael Lyles, John-Andrew Morrison, Larry Owens, Jason Veasey, Elijah Caldwell (Ensemble), Stephen Brackett (Director), Raja Feather Kelly (Choreographer), Arnulfo Maldonado (Scenic Design), Montana Levi Blanco (Costume Design), Jen Schriever (Lighting Design), Alex Hawthorn (Sound Design), Cookie Jordan (Hair, Wig, and Makeup Design), Charlie Rosen (Orchestrations), Rona Siddiqui (Music Director) and Michael R. Jackson (Vocal Arrangements)
• The creative team and ensemble of Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Playwrights Horizons): Jeb Kreager, Julia McDermott, Michele Pawk, Zoë Winters, John Zdrojeski (Ensemble), Laura Jellinek (Set Design), Sarafina Bush (Costume Design), Isabella Byrd (Lighting Design), Justin Ellington (Sound Design) and Danya Taymor (Director)
• David Cale for playwrighting and performance, We’re Only Alive For A Short Amount of Time (The Public Theater)
• Dave Malloy, Or Matias and Hidenori Nakajo for their collaboration on the music and sound of Octet (Signature Theatre)
• David Neumann and Marcella Murray for the creation and performance of Distances Smaller Than This Are Not Confirmed (Advanced Beginner Group, Abrons Arts Center, Chocolate Factory Theater, Mabou Mines)
• Tina Satter for conception and direction, Is This A Room (Vineyard Theatre)
• Alexandria Wailes for Sustained Excellence as an Artist and Advocate
• AAPAC (Asian American Performers Action Coalition) for advocacy in the field of equity, diversity and inclusion

Institutional Recognition

• National Black Theatre for Sustained Excellence in Production and continued Advocacy on behalf of Black Artists
• Page 73 for Providing Extraordinary Support for Early Career Playwrights
• The Tank for Providing Extraordinary Support for Emerging Artists

Lifetime Achievement Awards

• Vinie Burrows
• Tim Sanford

The 2020 Obie Awards were co-chaired by Obie-winning scenic designer Rachel Hauck and choreographer Sam Pinkleton, with Michael Feingold serving as an advisor in the role of Chairman Emeritus.