Groff, Nottage, Sondheim, Cromer & More Win 2009 OBIE Awards

Actor Jonathan Groff, director David Cromer, playwright Lynn Nottage and composer Stephen Sondheim were among the winners of the 2009 Village Voice OBIE Awards, celebrating off-Broadway excellence. The awards were presented on May 18 at Webster Hall, hosted by Martha Plimpton and Daniel Breaker.

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