Heidi Schreck’s ‘What The Constitution Means To Me’ Wins Best Play Obie Award – Full Winners List
Heidi Schreck’s What the Constitution Means to Me has received the 2019 Obie Award for Best New American Play. The Obies, announced at a ceremony tonight, recognize Off and Off Off Broadway productions (Schreck’s play was staged last fall at the New York Theatre Workshop Off Broadway prior to its move to Broadway).
A 2019 Pulitzer Prize finalist, What the Constitution Means to Me has been nominated for two Tony Awards for its Broadway staging at the Helen Hayes Theatre: Best Play, and, for playwright-performer Schreck, Best Leading Actress/Play.
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Other winners at the 64th Annual Obie Awards, presented each year by The American Theatre Wing and The Village Voice, include Playwriting awards to Marcus Gardley, Madeleine George and Suzan-Lori Parks; Directing awards to Jo Bonney, Leigh Silverman, Stevie Walker Webb; and Performance awards to Mia Barron, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Cherise Boothe, Francis Jue, and Heather Alicia Simms.
See below for the complete list of winners.
As previously announced, James C. Nicola and Jeffrey Horowitz received Lifetime Achievement awards.
Tonight’s awards were presented in a ceremony at New York’s Terminal 5, hosted by Crazy Ex-Girlfriend creator and star Rachel Bloom. The Obies were created in 1955 by The Village Voice; although the publication ceased operations last August 31, archives are still available at the villagevoice.com.
Here are the winners of the 64th annual Obie Awards:
Best New American Play ($1,000 prize)
Heidi Schreck, What the Constitution Means to Me (New York Theatre Workshop)
Playwriting
Marcus Gardley, The House That Will Not Stand (New York Theatre Workshop)
Madeleine George, Hurricane Diane (New York Theatre Workshop)
Suzan-Lori Parks, White Noise (The Public Theater)
Directing
Jo Bonney, Sustained Excellence of Directing
Leigh Silverman, Sustained Excellence of Directing
Stevie Walker Webb, Ain’t No Mo’ (The Public Theater)
Performance
Mia Barron, Hurricane Diane (New York Theatre Workshop)
Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Sustained Excellence of Performance
Cherise Boothe, Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine (Signature Theatre Company)
Francis Jue, Wild Goose Dreams (The Public Theater)
Heather Alicia Simms, Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine (Signature Theatre Company) and By The Way, Meet Vera Stark (Signature Theatre Company)
Design
Dede M. Ayite, Sustained Excellence in Costume Design
Isabella Byrd, Lighting Design, Light Shining in Buckinghamshire (New York Theatre Workshop)
Palmer Hefferan, Sustained Excellence in Sound Design
Cookie Jordan, Sustained Excellence in Hair, Wigs, and Makeup
Clint Ramos, Set Design, Wild Goose Dreams (The Public Theater)
Louisa Thompson Sustained Excellence in Scenic Design
Special Citations
Clare Barron (Playwright) and Lee Sunday Evans (Director), Dance Nation (Playwrights Horizons)
Jordan E. Cooper for Playwrighting & Performance, Ain’t No Mo’ (The Public Theater)
Jackie Sibblies Drury (Playwright) and Lileana Blain Cruz (Director), Marys Seacole (LCT3)
The Cast and Creative Team, The Jungle (St. Ann’s Warehouse)
The Director and Creative Team, Oklahoma! (St. Ann’s Warehouse)
Obie Grants ($4,000 prize each)
The Movement Theatre Company
Target Margin Theater
WP Theater
The Ross Wetzsteon Award ($3,000 prize)
LCT3
Lifetime Achievement Award
James C. Nicola, Artistic Director, New York Theatre Workshop
Jeffrey Horowitz, Artistic Director and founder, Theatre For A New Audience
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