The 51^st Annual Village Voice Obie Awards, Off Broadway's highest honor, were handed out last tonight at the Skirball Center on the campus of New York University in a ceremony hosted by Lili Taylor and Eric Bogosian presented by S. Epatha Merkerson, Christine Ebersole, Edward Hibbert, Douglas Carter Beane, Phylicia Rashad and Oskar Eustis.

 

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

 

The highlight of the awards was the Lifetime Achievement honor given to academic Eric Bentley, 90, for his untiring service to the theater.

 

 

PERFORMANCE

S. Epatha Merkerson  for her performance  Birdie Blue

 

Ari Fliakos for his performance Poor Theater: A Series of Simulacra

 

Scott Shepherd  for his performance  Poor Theater: A Series of Simulacra

 

Gary Wilmes  for his performance  Red Light Winter

 

Dana Ivey for her performance  Mrs. Warren's Profession

 

Christine Ebersole for her performance  Grey Gardens

 

Euan Morton  for his performance  Measure for Pleasure

 

Lois Smith  for her performance  The Trip to Bountiful

 

Edwin Lee Gibson  for his performance  The Seven

 

Sherie Rene Scott  for her performance  Landscape of the Body 

 

Julie White    for her performance  The Little Dog Laughed

 

Peter Francis James  for his performance  Stuff Happens

 

Byron Jennings  for his performance  Stuff Happens

 

Marin Ireland  for her performance  Cyclone

 

Michael Cumpsty  for his performance  Hamlet

 

Reed Birney  Sustained Excellence of Performance

 

Meg MacCary  for her performance  What Then

 

 

DIRECTION

Daniel Sullivan  for his direction  Stuff Happens

 

John Clancy for Sustained Excellence of Direction

 

 

PLAYWRITING

Rolin Jones  Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow

 

Martin McDonagh  The Lieutenant Of Inishmore

 

DESIGN

Anita Yavich  Sustained Excellence of Costume Design

 

Allen Moyer   Sustained Excellence of Set Design

 

NTUSA  Design of  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

Ross Wetzsteon Memorial Award- 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)