The winners of the 67th annual Obie Awards were recently announced, with several notable Columbia theatre artists on the list. Honoring the past year’s best work on Off and Off-Off Broadway, the Obie Awards are presented annually by the American Theatre Wing and are considered the highest honor non-Broadway theatre can receive. This year, the American Theatre Wing chose to forgo their typical ceremony and bestow winners with grants ranging from $1,000-5,000 to support the creation of new work.
Directing alum Shayok Misha Chowdhury ’16 received an Obie Award for Direction for his play Public Obscenities, produced by Soho Rep and National Asian American Theatre Company. Written and directed by Chowdhury, the play follows Choton, a translator of Bangla and English, who returns home with his boyfriend to find his grasp of language isn’t everything when confronted with an unexpected discovery. Previously, the play was awarded a Sloan Commission, and since its run at Soho Rep has transferred to TFANA’s Polonsky Shakespeare Center.
Also recognized for her work in directing, Tara Ahmadinejad ’14 received an Obie Awards Special Citation for Grief Hotel, honoring her collaboration with playwright Liza Birkenmeier. The piece grew from their work together in Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks program, and will be presented at the Public Theatre from March to April 2024 as part of Clubbed Thumb’s residency at the Public.
The Dominican Artists Collective (DAC), co-founded by Acting alum Andres Santiago Pina ’19 and Playwriting alum Paola Alexandra Soto ’20, with Acting alum Merlixse Ventura ’22 working as creative producer, received a selective Obie Award Theatre Grant. Founded in 2019, DAC is a collective of passionate storytellers who seek to work collaboratively to dismantle systemic oppression and empower artists through personal storytelling.
More information about the Obie Awards and the full list of winners can be found here.
