As usual, no nominees and no categories were announced; the OBIE committee, chaired by Village Voice drama critic Michael Feingold, chose the winners. Presenters included Anne Hathaway, Brian d'Arcy James, Gavin Creel, John Shea, Karen Olivo, Kate Mulgrew, Marc Kudisch and Nilaja Sun.
A complete list of winners follows:
Best New American Play
Ruined by Lynn Nottage
Performance
Francois Battiste, The Good Negro Public Theater
Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Russell Gebert Jones, Ruined Manhattan Theater Club
Kevin T. Carroll, sustained excellence of performance
Jonathan Groff, Prayer for My Enemy Playwrights Horizons and The Singing Forest Public Theater
Birgit Huppuch, Telephones Foundry Theatre
Aaron Monaghan, The Cripple of Inishmaan Atlantic Theater Co.
Sahr Ngaujah, Fela! 37 Arts
Lorenzo Pisoni, Humor Abuse Manhattan Theater Club
James Sugg, Chekhov Lizardbrain Pig Iron Theatre Company
John Douglas Thompson, Othello Theatre for a New Audience
Music and Lyrics
Stephen Sondheim, Road Show Public Theater
Directing
David Cromer, Our Town Barrow Street Theatre
Katie Mitchell, The Waves National Theatre of Great Britain/Lincoln Center Great Performances
Ken Rus Schmoll, Telephone Foundry Theatre
Design
Toni-Leslie James, sustained excellence of costume design Wig Out, Vineyard Theatre
David Korins, sustained excellence of set design Why Torture Is Wrong, Public Theater
Special Citations
Sarah Benson director and Louisa Thompson set designer, Blasted Soho Rep
David Esbjornson director and Christian Camargo actor, Hamlet Theatre for a New Audience
Lifetime Achievement Award
Earle Hyman
The Ross Wetzsteon Award
HERE Arts Center
OBIE Grants $10,000 divided equally
The Classical Theatre of Harlem, The Chocolate Factory, Lark Play Development Center