Arturo Luís Soria Earns Obie Award for Performance in “Ni Mi Madre”

Arturo Luís Soria has landed the mother of all honors…

The Brazilian, Ecuadorian and Dominican American actor is among the recipients of the 66th Obie Awards, which honor Off and Off-Off Broadway productions.

Arturo Luís SoriaSoria will be recognized for his performance in Ni Mi Madre, which he performed at the downtown theatre company Rattlestick Playwrights Theater.

Soria stars in his solo show about the stormy relationship between a Brazilian woman and her queer son. Steeped in the tradition of Umbanda ritual, and featuring the music of Gloria Estefan, Cher and Maria BethâniaNi Mi Madre examines themes of family, citizenship and identity as a queer Latino.

The play, which began as an improvisational one act, was developed into a full-length presentation through the partnership of Rattlestick Directing Fellow Danilo Gambini.

Presented by the American Theatre Wing, the Obies will be handed out Monday evening in a ceremony at Manhattan’s Terminal 5 venue. Sustained and Lifetime Achievement winners will accept their awards during the ceremony, while remarks of all other winners will premiere on the American Theatre Wing’s YouTube channel.

“For this OBIES, the judges reviewed over 400 productions over the last three seasons including digital and audio works made during the pandemic,” said Heather Hitchens, President & CEO, in a statement. “We look forward to finally gathering in person to celebrate the artistic excellence and resilience of the amazing artists and theatre companies that make up the Off- and Off-Off- Broadway community.­­”

Here is the complete list of Obies winners:

BEST NEW AMERICAN PLAY

  • Sanaz Toossi, English (Atlantic Theater Company, Roundabout Theatre Company)

PLAYWRITING

  • Martyna Majok, Sanctuary City (New York Theater Workshop)

DIRECTION

  • Taylor Reynolds, Man Cave (Page 73) and Tambo & Bones (Playwrights Horizons)
  • Awoye Timpo, Wedding Band (TFNA) and her work as founder of Classix
  • Matt Ray (Music Direction and Composition) The Hang (HERE)

SUSTAINED ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING

  • Saheem Ali, Nollywood Dreams (MCC); Merry Wives (The Public); Romeo y Julieta (The Public); and Fat Ham (The Public | National Black Theater – NBT)
  • David Brimmer, Wolf Play (SoHo Repertory)

PERFORMANCE

  • Stephanie Berry and Lizan Mitchell, On Sugarland (NYTW)
  • Brittany Bradford, Wedding Band (Theatre For a New Audience)
  • Kara Young, Twelfth Night (Classical Theatre of Harlem)
  • Arturo Luís Soria, Ni Mi Madre (Rattlestick)

SUSTAINED ACHIEVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE

  • Billy Eugene Jones for On Sugarland (NYTW) and Fat Ham (The Public)
  • Andrea Patterson, for Cullud Wattah (Public Theater); Confederates (Signature); and Seize the King (The Classical Theatre of Harlem)

DESIGN

  • Reza Behjat (Lighting Design), for English (Atlantic Theater Company, Roundabout Theatre Company) and Wish You Were Here (Playwrights Horizons)

SUSTAINED ACHIEVEMENT IN DESIGN

  • Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew (Lighting Design) for Cullud Wattah (The Public), Oratorio for Living Things (Ars Nova), The Nosebleed (Lincoln Center Theater), Golden Shield (MTC), Snow in Midsummer (CSC), Fairycakes (Greenwich House), and What You Are Now (EST)
  • Nikiya Mathis (Hair and Wig Design) for Nollywood Dreams (MTC)
  • Machine Dazzle (Set and Costume Designer)

SPECIAL CITATIONS

  • Heather Christian (Composer, Vocal Arrangements, Orchestration); Ben Moss (Music Director, Orchestration); Nick Kourtides (Sound Design); and the musical team of Oratorio For Living Things (Ars Nova)
  • Creative Team and Ensemble of Fat Ham (The Public) James Ijames (Playwright), Saheem Ali (Director); Maruti Evans (Set Design); Dominique Fawn Hill (Costume Design); Stacey Derosier (Lighting Designer); Mikaal Sulaiman (Sound Design); Darrell Grand Moultrie (Choreographer); Earon Chew Nealey (Hair and Wig Design); Skylar Fox (Illusions Design); Nikki Crawford, Chris Herbie Holland, Billy Eugene Jones, Adrianna Mitchell, Calvin Leon Smith, Marcel Spears, and Benja Kay Thomas (ensemble)
  • Creative Team and Ensemble of English (The Atlantic Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company) Knud Adams (Directing), Marsha Ginsberg (Set Design), Enver Chakartash (Costume Design), Reza Behjat (Lighting Design), Sinan Refik Zafar (Sound Design) Tala Ashe, Ava Lalezarzadeh, Pooya Mohseni, Marjan Neshat, and Hadi Tabbal (Ensemble)
  • Aya Ogawa for the Creation, Writing, and Direction of The Nosebleed (Lincoln Center Theater | Japan Society)
  • Qween Jean (Costume Designer) for Corsicana (Playwrights Horizons), Soft (MCC), Wedding Band (TFNA), Black No More (The New Group), The Fever (Audible | The New Group), What To Send Up When it Goes Down (Playwrights Horizons), and Semblance (NYTW)
  • Digital+Virtual+Hybrid Production: Michael Breslin, Patrick Foley, Ariel Sibert, Cat Rodríguez and Rory Pelsue (Creators, Writers, Director) in collaboration with David Bengali (Video Designer) Circle Jerk (Fake Friends and Jeremy O. Harris)
  • Laurie Woolery (Director) and Shaina Taub (Music and Lyrics) for their collaboration in the adaptation of As You Like It (The Public)
  • Alex Edelman (Creator and Performer), Just For Us (Mike Birbiglia | Greenwich House Theater)
  • Digital+Virtual+Hybrid Production: Modesto Flako Jimenez (Creator and Writer) Taxilandia (Oye Group | NYTW | Bushwick Starr | The Tank)
  • Digital+Virtual+Hybrid Production: Sarah Gancher (Writer), Jared Mezzocchi and Elizabeth Williamson (Directors) Russian Troll Farm (The Civilians, Theater Works Hartford, and TheatreSquared)
  • Richard Nelson (Playwright), for the completion and producing of The Rhinebeck Panorama

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

  • Ping Chong (Director, Choreographer, Video + Installation Artist, and Founder of Ping Chong and Company)
  • Anne Bogart (Director and co-Founder of SITI Company)
  • Ralph Lee and Casey Compton (Artistic and Managing Director, Mettawee River Theatre Company)

THEATRE COMPANIES

  • The Sol Project
  • Theatre in Quarantine
  • See Lighting Foundation
  • Anticapitalism for Artists

ROSS WETZSTEON AWARD

  • The Classical Theatre of Harlem

MICHAEL FEINGOLD AWARD

  • Maestra Music

Miranda’s Musical “Hamilton” Wins Seven Drama Desk Awards

Lin-Manuel Miranda is celebrating a little excess drama

The 35-year-old Puerto Rican composer, rapper, lyricist, and actor’s latest project, the musical Hamilton, won seven Drama Desk awards including best new musical, on Sunday night.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

In addition to taking home one of the night’s the top honors, Miranda picked up three individual awards: Outstanding Music, Outstanding Lyrics and Outstanding Book of a Musical.

Hamilton, which won’t be eligible for the Pulitzer Prize or Tony Award nominations until next season, is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton.

First presented at the Public Theater, Hamilton already had won the best musical award from the New York Drama Critics Circle, the OBIEs, the Lucille Lortel, the Outer Critics Circle and the Off-Broadway Alliance.

The show’s prize-winning juggernaut comes in advance of its July transfer to Broadway.

Unlike the Tony Awards, which are limited to Broadway productions, the Drama Desk, which comprises writers and editors from publications that cover theater, considers shows that opened off-Broadway as well.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Outstanding Play
Simon Stephens, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Musical
Hamilton 

Outstanding Revival of a Play
The Elephant Man

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
The King And I

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Alex Sharp, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Helen Mirren, The Audience

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Robert Fairchild, An American In Paris

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Kristin Chenoweth, On the Twentieth Century

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Todd Freeman, Airline Highway

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Annaleigh Ashford, You Can’t Take It With You

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Christian Borle, Something Rotten!

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton

Outstanding Director of a Play
Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Thomas Kail, Hamilton

Outstanding Choreography
Christopher Wheeldon, An American In Paris 

Outstanding Music
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

Outstanding Lyrics
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

Outstanding Orchestrations
Christopher Austin, An American In Paris

Outstanding Music in a Play
Arthur Solari & Jane Shaw, Tamburlaine The Great 

Outstanding Revue
Just Jim Dale 

Outstanding Set Design
Bob Crowley, An American In Paris

Outstanding Costume Design
Catherine Zuber, Gigi 

Outstanding Lighting Design
Paule Constable, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Projection Design
Finn Ross, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical
Nevin Steinberg, Hamilton

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play
Ian Dickinson (for Autograph), The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Solo Performance
Benjamin Scheuer, The Lion 

Unique Theatrical Experience
Queen of the Night

Special Awards:

Outstanding ensemble, A. R. Gurney’s The Wayside Motor Inn: Kelly AuCoin, Jon DeVries, Quincy Dunn-Baker, Rebecca Henderson, Marc Kudisch, Jenn Lyon, Lizbeth Mackay, David McElwee, Ismenia Mendes and Will Pullen.

Bess Wohl, the Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award: For establishing herself as an important voice in New York theater, and having a breakthrough year with the eclectic American Hero, Pretty Filthy and Small Mouth Sounds.

John Douglas Thompson: For invigorating theater in New York through his commanding presence, classical expertise, and vocal prowess in Tamburlaine the Great and The Iceman Cometh.

Ensemble Studio Theatre: For its unwavering commitment to producing new works by American playwrights since 1968.

Andy Blankenbuehler: For his inspired and heart-stopping choreography.