Cole Escola, Cats: 'The Jellicle Ball,' More Win 2025 Obie Awards | Playbill

Awards Cole Escola, Cats: 'The Jellicle Ball,' More Win 2025 Obie Awards

The American Theatre Wing presents the 68th annual Off-Broadway honors.

Cole Escola Vi Dang

Winners of the 68th Annual Obie Awards were revealed on NY1 by On Stage host Frank Dilella February 1, with Jeremy Tiang's Salesman之死 taking Outstanding New Play, Cole Escola for their performance in Oh, Mary!, the directing and choreography teams behind PPAC NYC's Cats: "The Jellicle Ball," and more among this year's honorees.

Presented by The American Theatre Wing, the Off-Broadway honors announce their winners without a ceremony to allow grants to be bestowed on each of the 35 winners, totaling $250,000. A private reception to toast the winners will be held February 10.

This year's judging panel comprised Aya Ogawa, David Greenspan, Diep Tran, Heather Alicia Simms, Modesto "Flako" Jimenez, Nikiya Mathis, Ryan K. Haddad, and Taylor Renolds, led by co-chairs Wilson Chin and Haruna Lee. More than 300 productions were evaluated.

“We are moved and encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response to the new structure of the Obie Awards, which we launched last year,” says American Theatre Wing President and CEO Heather Hitchens in a statement. “The artists honored today are a reflection of the incredible work that is being created and presented Off-Broadway and we are so thrilled that, with the support of an anonymous donor, we can provide the best and brightest of Off-Broadway with grants that go directly to the artists. We are also grateful to our friends at Spectrum News NY1, who continue to creatively and masterfully promote the work of the New York theatre community and beyond.”

View the full list of winners below:

Outstanding New Play
Jeremy Tiang, Salesman之死

    Playwriting
    Ife Olujobi, Jordans
    Ariel Stess, Kara & Emma & Barbara & Miranda

      Directing
      Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch (Direction), Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles (Choreography), Cats: "The Jellicle Ball"
      nicHi douglas (Direction and Choreography), (pray)
      Jack Serio, The Animal Kingdom and On Set With Theda Bara
      Tiffany Nichole Greene, Covenant

        Sustained Achievement in Directing
        Sarah Benson, Teeth and The Welkin

          Performance
          Cole Escola, Oh, Mary!
          Gabby Beans, Jonah
          Dianne Wiest and Johanna Day, Scene Partners
          Nathan Lee Graham, Orlando

            Sustained Achievement in Performance
            The Bengsons (Composing and Performing), The Keep Going Songs
            Greg Keller, Dig, Pre-Existing Condition, and Staff Meal

              Design
              Greg Corbino (Production Design), Snatch Adams & Tainty McCracken Present It's That Time of the Month
              Oana Botez (Costumes), Orlando (Signature Theatre Company)
              Stacey Derosier (Lights), Daphne, On Set With Theda Bara, The Animal Kingdom, The Refuge Plays, The Welkin, and United States V. Gupta

                Sustained Achievement in Design
                Adam Honoré (Lights), The Lonely Few, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, and I Can Get It For You Wholesale
                Jian Jung (Set), Staff Meal, The Following Evening, Zoetrope, and 9 Kinds of Silence

                  Special Citations
                  Ensemble of Cats: "The Jellicle Ball": Jonathan Burke, Baby Byrne, Tara Lashan Clinkscales, Antwayn Hopper, André De Shields, Sydney James Harcourt, Dava Huesca, Dudney Joseph Jr., Capital Kaos, Junior LaBeija, Robert “Silk” Mason, Shereen Pimentel, “Tempress” Chasity Moore, Primo, Xavier Reyes, Nora Schell, Bebe Nicole Simpson, Emma Sofia, Phumzile Sojola, Frank Viveros, Kendall Grayson Stroud, Garnet Williams, Teddy Wilson Jr., Shelby Griswold, and Dominique Lee

                  Raja Feather Kelly (Creator and Director) and Ensemble of The Fires: Beau Badu, Sheldon Best, Phillip James Brannon, Janelle McDermoth, Ronald Peet, Jon-Michael Reese, Jason Veasey, and Michelle Wilson

                  Milo Cramer (Book, Music, Lyrics, and Performance) and Morgan Green (Director), School Pictures

                  Normandy Sherwood (Production Design and Concept), Psychic Self Defense

                  The 1491s: Dallas Goldtooth, Sterlin Harjo, Migizi Pensoneau, Ryan RedCorn, and Bobby Wilson (Creators) and Ensemble of Between Two Knees: Rachel Crowl, Derek Garza, Justin Gauthier, Irma-Estel Laguerre, Shyla Lefner, Wotko Long, Jessica Ranville, James Ryen, John Scott-Richardson, Kholan Studi, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Sheila Tousey, and Ryan Anthony Williams

                  Becca Blackwell and Amanda Duarte (Creators) and Jess Barbagallo (Director), Snatch Adams & Tainty McCracken Present It's That Time of The Month

                    Lifetime Achievement
                    Charles Busch (Writer), Ibsen’s Ghost: An Irresponsible Biographical Fantasy
                    Kristin Marting, Founding Artistic Director Emeritus of HERE
                    Paul Zimet, Ellen Maddow, and Tina Shepard, The Following Evening and Shimmer and Herringbone

                      Theatre Grants
                      Criminal Queerness Festival (National Queer Theater)
                      Out of the Box Theatrics
                      Braata Productions
                      The 1/52 Project
                      Tectonic Theater Project

                        Ross Wetzsteon Award
                        Theater Mitu

                          Michael Feingold Award
                          3Views On Theate

                          For more information or to view the winners' recorded acceptance speeches, visit ObieAwards.com.

                           
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