Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress

Obie Award for Best Actress
Awarded forBest Performance by an Actress in a Off-Broadway or Off-Off Broadway production
LocationUnited States New York City
Presented byThe Village Voice
Websitehttp://www.obieawards.com/ Edit this on Wikidata

The Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress is an annual award presented jointly by The Village Voice and the American Theatre Wing in recognition of achievements in Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway theatre productions in New York City. The awards were established in 1956 by The Village Voice.

The award has no nominees and there is no set number of winners per year. Each performance listed by year below was given an award and they are listed in no particular order. The award can be for a lead or supporting performance and in a play or musical, and can recognize an actress for collective performances in more than one production during the same season. On occasion, the Obie Awards committee will give an actress an award "for sustained excellence of performance", recognizing their ongoing contributions.

In 2014, Sydney Lucas became the youngest winner in Obie history, at age 10.[1]

1950s

Year Winners Play / Musical Character
1956 Peggy McCay Uncle Vanya Sofia
Shirlee Emmons The Mother of Us All Susan B. Anthony
Nancy Wickwire The Cherry Orchard Varya
Julie Bovasso The Maids Claire
Frances Sternhagen The Admirable Bashville Lydia Carew
1957 Betty Miller Exiles Beatrice
Marguerite Lenert The House of Breath Granny Ganchion
Colleen Dewhurst The Taming of the Shrew & The Eagle Has Two Heads & Camille Kate / The Queen / Marguerite Gautier
Jutta Wolf Exiles Bertha
1958 Grania O'Malley Guests of the Nation Kate O'Connell
Nydia Westman Endgame Nell
Anne Meacham Garden District Catharine Holly
Tammy Grimes Clerambard The Flounder
1959 Nancy Wickwire A Clearing in the Woods Virginia
Kathleen Maguire The Time of the Cuckoo Leona Samish
Anne Fielding Ivanov Sasha
Rosina Fernhoff Fashion & The Geranium Hat Gertrude / Anne-Betty

1960s

Year Winners Play / Musical Character
1960 Eileen Brennan Little Mary Sunshine Mary Potts
Patricia Falkenhain Peer Gynt & Henry IV, Part 1 The Greenclad Woman / Doll Tearsheet
Elisa Loti Come Share My House
Nancy Marchand The Balcony Irma
1961 Joan Hackett Call Me By My Rightful Name Chris
Gerry Jedd She Stoops to Conquer Kate Hardcastle
Surya Kamari The King of the Dark Chamber Queen Sudarshana
Anne Meacham Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler
1962 Ruth White Happy Days Winnie
Sudie Bond Theatre of the Absurd Nell
Barbara Harris Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You Rosalie
Rosemary Harris The Tavern & The School for Scandal & The Seagull Virginia / Lady Teazle / Nina
Vinnette Carroll Moon on a Rainbow Shawl Sophia
1963 Olympia Dukakis A Man's a Man Leocadia Begbick
Madeleine Sherwood Hey You, Light Man! Lula Roca
Jacqueline Brookes Six Characters in Search of an Author The Step/Daughter
Anne Jackson The Typists & The Tiger Sylvia Payton / Gloria Fiske
Colleen Dewhurst Desire Under the Elms Abbie Putnam
1964 Gloria Foster In White America Claudette Nevins
Marian Seldes The Ginger Man Miss Frost
Lee Grant The Maids Solange
Joyce Ebert The Trojan Women Andromache
Estelle Parsons Next Time I'll Sing to You & In the Summer House Lizzie / Gertrude Eastman Cuevas
Diana Sands The Living Premise in Living Color Various Characters
1965 Sada Thompson Tartuffe Dorine
Rosemary Harris Judith & Man and Superman & War and Peace Judith / Violet Robinson / Natasha Rostova
Margaret DePriest The Place for Chance Various Characters
Frances Sternhagen The Room & A Slight Ache Rose / Flora
1966 Clarice Blackburn The Exhaustion of Our Son's Love Sara Calendar
Florence Tarlow Red Cross & Istanbul & A Beautiful Day The Maid / – / Various Characters
Jane White Coriolanus & Love's Labour's Lost Volumnia / Princess of France
Mari-Claire Charba Birdbath Velma Sparrow
Sharon Gans Soon Jack November
Gloria Foster Medea Medea
1967 Bette Henritze Measure for Measure & The Long Christmas Dinner & Queens of France & The Displaced Person & The Rimers of Eldritch & All's Well That Ends Well Mariana / Ermengarde / Mademoiselle Pointevin / Mrs. Shortley / Mary Windrod / Mariana
1968 Peggy Pope Muzeeka Evelyn Landis
Mari Gorman The Memorandum & Walking to Waldheim Maria / Zelda Sher
Billie Dixon The Beard Harlow
1969 Arlene Rothlein The Poor Little Match Girl Girl
Julie Bovasso Gloria and Esperanza Gloria B. Gilbert
Judith Malina Antigone Antigone

1970s

‡ – indicates the performance was also nominated for a Tony Award (any of Actress in a Play or Musical, Featured Actress in a Play or Musical) after transferring to Broadway
Year Winners Play / Musical Character
1970 Rue McClanahan Who's Happy Now? Faye Precious
Sada Thompson The Effect of Gamma Rays Beatrice Hunsdorfer
Roberta Maxwell A Whistle In the Dark Betty Carney
Pamela Payton-Wright The Effect of Gamma Rays Matilda "Tillie" Hunsdorfer
Fredricka Weber The Last Sweet Days of Isaac Ingrid / Alice
1971 Ruby Dee Boesman and Lena Lena
Margaret Braidwood Saved Mary
Joan MacIntosh Commune Big Time Clementine
Susan Batson AC/DC Sadie
1972 Elizabeth Wilson Sticks and Bones Harriet
Jeanne Hepple The Reliquary of Mr. and Mrs. Potterfield Chloe Potterfield
Marilyn Chris Kaddish Naomi Livergant Ginsberg
Kathleen Widdoes The Beggar's Opera Polly Peachum
Salome Bey Love Me, Love My Children Various Characters
Marilyn Sokol The Beggar's Opera Lucy Lockit
1973 Alice Playten National Lampoon Lemmings Various Characters
Jessica Tandy Not I The Mouth
Mari Gorman The Hot l Baltimore Jackie
Lola Pashalinski Corn Lola-Lola
Roxie Roker The River Niger Mattie Williams
1974 Barbara Barrie The Killdeer Sparky
Loretta Greene The Sirens Pepper
Barbara Montgomery My Sister, My Sister Mama
Elizabeth Sturges When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? Angel
Conchata Ferrell The Sea Horse Gertrude Blum
Zypora Spaisman Stempenyu
1975 Cara Duff-MacCormick Craig's Wife Harriet Craig
Tovah Feldshuh Yentl Yentl
Priscilla Smith Fragments of a Greek Trilogy Medea / Electra / Andromache
Tanya Berezin The Mound Builders D. K. Eriksen
1976 Crystal Field Day Old Bread
Kate Manheim Rhoda in Potatoland Rhoda
Pamela Payton-Wright Jesse and the Bandit Queen Belle Starr
June Gable The Comedy of Errors Adriana
Priscilla Smith The Good Woman of Szechwan Shen Te
Joyce Aaron Academics
Priscilla Lopez A Chorus Line Diana Morales
1977 Marian Seldes Isadora Duncan Sleeps with the Russian Navy Isadora Duncan
Jo Henderson Ladyhouse Blues Liz
Lucinda Childs Einstein on the Beach Various Characters
Anne De Salvo Gemini Lucille Grande
Roberta Maxwell Ashes Anne
Lola Pashalinski Der Ring Gott Farblonjet Brunnhilda
Margaret Wright A Manoir A Woman in White
1978 Swoosie Kurtz Uncommon Women and Others Rita Altabel
Kaiulani Lee Safe House
Alma Cuervo Uncommon Women and Others Holly Kaplan
Nell Carter Ain't Misbehavin Nell
1979 Mary Alice Julius Caesar & Nongogo Portia / Queeny
Elizabeth Wilson Taken in Marriage Aunt Helen
Constance Cummings Wings Emily Stilson

1980s

‡ – indicates the performance was also nominated for a Tony Award (any of Actress in a Play or Musical, Featured Actress in a Play or Musical) after transferring to Broadway
Year Winners Play / Musical Character
1980 Lindsay Crouse Reunion & Dark Pony & The Sanctity of Marriage Carol Mindler / Daughter / Wife
Hattie Winston Mother Courage and Her Children & The Michigan Yvette Pottier / –
Elizabeth Franz Sister Mary Ignatius Explains & The Actor's Nightmare Sister Mary Ignatius / Sarah Siddons
Dianne Wiest The Art of Dining Elizabeth Barrow Colt
Madeleine le Roux la Justice
1981 Meryl Streep Alice in Concert Alice
Michele Shay Meetings Jean
Mary Beth Hurt Crimes of the Heart Meg MaGrath
Mary McDonnell Still Life Cheryl
1982 Carole Shelley Twelve Dreams Dorothy Trowbridge
Irene Worth The Chalk Garden Miss Madrigal
Christine Estabrook Pastorale Rachel
E. Katherine Kerr Cloud Nine Ellen / Mrs. Saunders
1983 Glenn Close The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs Albert Nobbs
Christine Baranski A Midsummer Night's Dream Helena
Ruth Maleczech Hajj The Woman
1984 Kathy Baker Fool for Love May
Ruth Maleczech Through the Leaves Annette
Pamela Reed for sustained excellence of performance
Sheila Dabney Sarita Sarita
Dianne Wiest Serenading Louie & Other Places Gabby / Deborah
1985 Laurie Metcalf Balm in Gilead Darlene
Frances Foster for sustained excellence of performance
Meredith Monk for sustained excellence of performance
1986 Norma Aleandro About Love and Other Stories About Love Various Characters
Jill Eikenberry Lemon Sky & Life Under Water Ronnie / Jinkx
Elizabeth Wilson Anteroom Fay Leland
Kathryn Pogson Aunt Dan and Lemon Lemon
Helen Stenborg Talley & Son Netta Talley
Elisabeth Welch Time to Start Living Various Characters
Swoosie Kurtz The House of Blue Leaves Bananas Shaughnessy
1987 Robin Bartlett The Early Girl Jean
Dana Ivey Driving Miss Daisy Daisy Werthan
Laura Hicks On the Verge Alexandra Cafuffle
Gcina Mhlope Born in the RSA Sindiswa
Clarice Taylor Moms Moms Mabley
1988 Kathy Bates Frankie and Johnny Frankie
Yvonne Bryceland The Road to Mecca Miss Helen
Tina Shepard The Three Lives of Lucie Cabrol Lucie Cabrol
Gordana Rashovich A Shayna Maidel Lusia Weiss Pechenik
Lauren Tom American Notes Pauline
Peggy Shaw Dress Suits to Hire Deeluxe
Amy Irving The Road to Mecca Elsa Barlow
1989 Kathy Najimy The Kathy and Mo Show: Parallel Lives Various Characters
Irene Worth for sustained excellence of performance
Nancy Marchand The Cocktail Hour Ann
Gloria Foster The Forbidden City Molly Hoffenburg
Mo Gaffney The Kathy and Mo Show: Parallel Lives Various Characters

1990s

‡ – indicates the performance was also nominated for a Tony Award (any of Actress in a Play or Musical, Featured Actress in a Play or Musical) after transferring to Broadway
Year Winners Play / Musical Character
1990 Lillias White Romance in Hard Times Hennie
Mary Shultz for sustained excellence of performance
Isabell Monk Lear Gloucester
Jean Stapleton The Birthday Party & Mountain Language Meg Bowles / Elderly Woman
Ruth Maleczech Lear Lear
Danitra Vance Spunk Various Characters
Pamala Tyson Imperceptible Mutabilities in the Third Kingdom Veronica / Us-seer / Aretha / Mrs. Smith
Karen Evans-Kandel Lear Edna
Marcia Jean Kurtz The Loman Family Picnic & When She Danced Doris Loman / Miss Belzer
Elżbieta Czyżewska Crowbar
1991 Kathleen Widdoes Tower of Evil Margaret of Burgundy
Joan Copeland The American Plan Eva Adler
Jan Leslie Harding Sincerity Forever Furball #2
Anne Pitoniak Pygmalion Mrs. Higgins
Jodie Markell Machinal The Young Woman
Stockard Channing Six Degrees of Separation Ouisa Kittredge
Angela Goethals The Good Times are Killing Me Edna Arkins
Eileen Atkins A Room of One's Own Virginia Woolf
1992 Lynne Thigpen Boesman and Lena Lena
Cherry Jones The Baltimore Waltz Anna
S. Epatha Merkerson I'm Not Stupid Mother
Deborah Hedwall Sight Unseen Patricia
Laura Esterman Marvin's Room Bessie
Ofelia Gonzales for sustained excellence of performance
Randy Danson for sustained excellence of performance
Anna Deavere Smith Fires in the Mirror Various Characters
1993 Jane Alexander The Sisters Rosensweig Sara Goode
Míriam Colón for sustained excellence of performance
Frances Conroy The Last Yankee Patricia Hamilton
Hallie Foote Nightingale & Spring Dance Annie Gayle Long
Ellen Parker for sustained excellence of performance
Linda Stephens Wings Emily Stilson
1994 Myra Carter Three Tall Women A
Judith Ivey The Moonshot Tape Diane
Holly Hughes for sustained excellence of performance
Alice Playten First Lady Suite Mamie Eisenhower / Lady Bird Johnson
Carolee Carmello Hello Again The Young Wife
Anna Deavere Smith Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 Various Characters
Gail Grate The America Play Lucy
Claudia Shear Blown Sideways Through Life Various Characters
1995 Mary Beth Peil The Naked Truth & A Cheever Evening & Missing Persons Nan Bemiss / Various Characters / Addie Pencke
Linda Lavin Hotline & Central Park West Dorothy / Carol
Kristine Nielsen Dog Opera Madeline Newell
Eileen Atkins Vita and Virginia Virginia Woolf
Barbara Eda-Young Slavs! Mrs. Domik / First Babushka
Felicity Huffman The Cryptogram Donny
Joanna Adler The Boys in the Basement
Camryn Manheim Missing Persons Gemma Calabrese
Vanessa Redgrave Vita and Virginia Vita Sackville-West
1996 Mary Louise Wilson Full Gallop Diana Vreeland
Uta Hagen for sustained excellence of performance
Terri Klausner Bed and Sofa Ludmilla
Adina Porter Venus Mrs. Sartje Baartman / The Venus Hottentot
Lisa Gay Hamilton Valley Song Veronica Jonkers
Virginia Rambal The Elf Lady & Troy of America Angela / -
Kathleen Chalfant for sustained excellence of performance
Marty Pottenger City Water Tunnel #3 Various Characters
1997 Karen Evans-Kandel Peter and Wendy The Narrator
Mary-Louise Parker How I Learned to Drive Li'l Bit
Tsai Chin Golden Child Eng Siu-Yong
Jennifer Dundas Good as New Maggie
Sharon Scruggs The Trojan Women Cassandra
Ching Valdes-Aran Flipzoids Aying
Joanne Camp for sustained excellence of performance
1998 Adriane Lenox Dinah Was Mama Jones
Marie Mullen The Beauty Queen of Leenane Maureen Folan
J. Smith-Cameron As Bees In Honey Drown Alexa Vere de Vere
Lea DeLaria On the Town Hildy Esterhazy
Yvette Freeman Dinah Was Dinah Washington
Elizabeth Marvel Misalliance & Thérèse Raquin Lina Szczepanowska / Thérèse Raquin
Mary Testa On the Town ‡ Madame Maude P. Dilly
& From Above Roz
Kate Valk for sustained excellence of performance
Joan MacIntosh More Stately Mansions Deborah Harford
Heather Gillespie Mamba's Daughters Hagar
Karen Finley The American Chestnut Various Characters
1999 Kristine Nielsen Betty's Summer Vacation Mrs. Siezmagraff
Swoosie Kurtz The Mineola Twins Myra / Myrna
Kathleen Chalfant W;t Vivian Bearing
Viola Davis Everybody's Ruby Ruby McCollum
Mina Bern for sustained excellence of performance
Peggy Shaw Menopausal Gentleman Various Characters
Carmelita Tropicana for sustained excellence of performance
Lisa Kron 2.5 Minute Ride Lisa

2000s

‡ – indicates the performance was also nominated for a Tony Award (any of Actress in a Play or Musical, Featured Actress in a Play or Musical) after transferring to Broadway
Year Winners Play / Musical Character
2000 Eileen Heckart The Waverly Gallery Gladys Green
Debra Monk The Time of the Cuckoo Leona Samish
Cynthia Hopkins Another Telepathic Thing The Narrator
Elizabeth Marvel A Streetcar Named Desire Blanche Dubois
Lynne Thigpen Jar the Floor Lola
Charlayne Woodard In the Blood Hester
Lola Pashalinski Gertrude and Alice Gertrude Stein
Deb Margolin for sustained excellence of performance
Dominique Dibbell Jet Lag Lincoln
2001 Mary-Louise Parker Proof Catherine
Pamela Isaacs Newyorkers Various Characters
Jackie Hoffman The Book of Liz Various Characters
Janie Dee Comic Potential Jacie Triplethree
Stephanie Berry The Shaneequa Chronicles Shaneequa
Marian Seldes for sustained excellence of performance
2002 Elaine Stritch Elaine Stritch At Liberty Elaine
Martha Plimpton Hobson's Choice Maggie Hobson
Yvette Ganier Breath, Boom Prix
Linda Emond Homebody/Kabul The Homebody
Juliana Francis Maria del Bosco Maria
2003 Rosemary Harris All Over The Wife
Fiona Shaw Medea Medea
2004 Jayne Houdyshell Well Ann Kron
Viola Davis Intimate Apparel Esther
Lili Taylor Aunt Dan and Lemon Lemon
Zilah Mendoza Living Out Ana Hernandez
Tonya Pinkins Caroline, or Change Caroline Thibodeaux
Sarah Jones Bridge and Tunnel Various Characters
Lisa Emery Iron Fay
Maude Mitchell Maybou Mines DollHouse Nora Helmer
2005 Elizabeth Marvel Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler
Rosemary Allen Good Samaritans Rosemary
Mercedes Ruehl Woman Before a Glass Peggy Guggenheim
Cherry Jones Doubt Sister Aloysius Beauvier
Deirdre O'Connell for sustained excellence of performance
Vivienne Benesch Going to St. Ives Cora Gage
LaChanze Dessa Rose Dessa Rose
L. Scott Caldwell Going to St. Ives Mary N'Kame
2006 Lois Smith The Trip to Bountiful Carrie Watts
Sherie Rene Scott Landscape of the Body Rosalie
Julie White The Little Dog Laughed Diane
Dana Ivey Mrs. Warren's Profession Kitty Warren
Christine Ebersole Grey Gardens Edith Bouvier Beale
Meg MacCary What Then Diane
S. Epatha Merkerson Birdie Blue Birdie Blue
Marin Ireland Cyclone Erin
2007 Roslyn Ruff Seven Guitars Vera
Nina Hellman Trouble in Paradise Lily
Betsy Aidem for sustained excellence of performance
Nancy Opel My Deah My Deah Hedgepeth / Lillie V
Donna Lynne Champlin The Dark at the Top of the Stairs Cora Flood
Nilaja Sun No Child Various Characters
2008 Veanne Cox for sustained excellence of performance
Rebecca Wisocky Amazons and Their Men The Frau
Lisa Gay Hamilton Ohio State Murders Suzanne Alexander
Kate Mulgrew Iphigenia 2.o Clytemnestra
Heidi Schreck Drum of the Waves of Horikawa Various Characters
2009 Birgit Huppuch Telephone Miss St
Quincy Tyler Bernstine Ruined Salima
Saidah Arrika Ekulona Ruined Mama Nadi

2010s

‡ – indicates the performance was also nominated for a Tony Award (any of Actress in a Play or Musical, Featured Actress in a Play or Musical) after transferring to Broadway
Year Winners Play / Musical Character
2010 Laurie Metcalf A Lie of the Mind Meg
Juliet Rylance As You Like It Rosalind
2011 Brenda Wehle The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide To... Clio
Charlayne Woodard The Witch of Edmonton Elizabeth Sawyer
Laurie Metcalf The Other Place Juliana
2012 Cherise Booth Milk Like Sugar Talisha
Mary Louise Wilson 4000 Miles Vera Joseph
Linda Lavin The Lyons Rita Lyons
Susan Parfour Tribes Sylvia
2013 Lois Smith for sustained excellence of performance
Frances Sternhagen for sustained excellence of performance
Eisa Davis for sustained excellence of performance
2014 Estelle Parsons for sustained excellence of performance
Johanna Day Appropriate Antoinette 'Toni' Lafayette
Marylouise Burke for sustained excellence of performance
Sydney Lucas Fun Home Small Allison Bechdel
Mia Katigbak Awake and Sing! Bessie Berger
2015 Brooke Bloom You Got Older Mae
April Matthis for sustained excellence of performance
2016 Emily Donahoe The Christians Jenny
Georgia Engel John Mertis Katherine Graven
Jayne Houdyshell The Humans Deirdre Blake
Tamara Tunie Familiar Marvelous
2017 Kecia Lewis Marie and Rosetta Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Heather MacRae Come Back, Little Sheba Lola Delaney
Amy Ryan Love, Love, Love Sandra
2018 Carrie Coon Mary Jane Mary Jane
Dame-Jasmine Hughes Is God Is Racine
Denise Gough People, Places & Things Emma
Jessica Hecht Admissions Sherri Rosen-Mason
2019 Cherise Booth Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine Undine Barnes Calles
Heather Simms Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine Grandma / Caseworker / Inmate / Dr.Khdair
Mia Barron Hurricane Diane Carol Fleischer
Quincy Tyler Bernstine for sustained excellence of performance

2020s

Year Winners Play / Musical Character
2020 April Mathis Toni Stone Toni Stone
Deirdre O'Connell Dana H. Dana Higginbotham
Elizabeth Rodriguez Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven Miss Rivera
Emily Davis Is This A Room Reality Winner
Liza Colón-Zayas Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven Sarge
Vinie Burrows for sustained excellence of performance
2021 Not presented due to extended closing of theatre productions during COVID-19 pandemic
2022 Stephanie Berry On Sugarland Evelyn
Brittany Bradford Wedding Band Julia Augustine
Kara Young Twelfth Night Viola
Lizan Mitchell On Sugarland Tisha
Andrea Patterson Cullud Wattah Ainee
2023 Maryann Plunkett Deep Blue Sound Ella
Zuleyma Guevara Sancocho Caridad
Marla Mindelle Titanique Celine Dion
Shannon Tyo The Comeuppance Kristina
Peggy Shaw for sustained excellence of performance
Lois Weaver for sustained excellence of performance
Nadine Malouf Montag Novella
Ariana Venturi Montag Faith

Winners of more than one award

Shown in order of receiving latest award.

3 Wins

2 Wins

References

Official website Edit this at Wikidata