Winners of 51st Annual Village Voice Obie Awards Named

The 51st Annual Village Voice Obie Awards were awarded on May 15 at a ceremony, hosted by Lili Taylor and Eric Bogosian, at the Skirball Center on the campus of New York University. The Obies not only honor work on specific shows, but frequently recognize sustained excellence in the craft of theater.

The Judges for this season were Lynn Nottage, Didi O'Connell, David Herskovits, Eduardo Machado, Marc Robinson, Village Voice critics Michael Feingold and Alexis Soloski and Village Voice theater editor Jorge Morales.

Here is a complete list of the winners:

Performance
S. Epatha Merkerson, Birdie Blue
Ari Fliakos, Poor Theater: A Series of Simulacra
Scott Shepherd, Poor Theater: A Series of Simulacra
Gary Wilmes, Red Light Winter
Dana Ivey, Mrs. Warren's Profession
Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens
Euan Morton, Measure for Pleasure
Lois Smith, The Trip to Bountiful
Edwin Lee Gibson, The Seven
Sherie Rene Scott, Landscape of the Body
Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed
Peter Francis James, Stuff Happens
Byron Jennings, Stuff Happens
Marin Ireland, Cyclone
Michael Cumpsty, Hamlet
Reed Birney for Sustained Excellence of Performance
Meg MacCary , What Then

Direction
Daniel Sullivan, Stuff Happens
John Clancy for Sustained Excellence of Direction

Playwrighting
Rolin Jones, Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow
Martin McDonagh, The Lieutenant Of Inishmore

Design
Anita Yavich for Sustained Excellence of Costume Design
Allen Moyer for Sustained Excellence of Set Design
NTUSA, Abacus Black Strikes Now

Special Citations
Nikkole Salter, In the Continuum
Danai Gurira, In the Continuum
Robert O'Hara, In the Continuum
Adam Rapp, Red Light Winter
Jane Moss, Jon Nakagawa, Ricky Ian Gordon and Doug Varone, Orpheus and Euridyce
Hunter Bell, Jeff Bowen & Michael Berresse, [title of show]

The Ross Wetzsteon Memorial Award $2000 Grant
Soho Repertory Theater

Lifetime Achievement
Eric Bentley

Emerging Theater Grants
Edge Theater Company $3000
Red Bull Theater $3000
Billie Holiday Theatre $3000

Emerging Playwright Grants
Rinne Groff $1000
Neena Beber $1000