By: Maria Esteves – May 26, 2010
The 55th Annual 2010 Village Voice OBIE Awards honoring Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway theater exceptional achievements of 2009-2010, co-hosted by Tony Award winners Michael Cerveris and Anika Noni Rose (2001 OBIE Award winner, Eli's Comin') were held at the historical Webster Hall ballroom, New York, Monday, May 17, 8:00 pm. The ceremony included special performances by cast members of Eleven-Time Tony Award nominee Broadway musical FELA! (2009 OBIE Award winner). The After Party immediately followed featuring Tony Award nominee Brooklyn based afrobeat band ANTIBALAS. Attendees included theater professionals, past Obie winners and nominees, performing artists, recording artists, sponsors, producers, and special guests.

55th Village Voice OBIE Performance for Sustained
Excellence Award winner WENDELL PIERCE, left, with
publicist Gail Parenteau, Parenteau Guidance PR.

55th Village Voice OBIE Awards, producer Edward Tyler
Nahem, right, and performer Saycoh Sengbloh, “FELA.”

55th Village Voice OBIE Awards, FELA cast members, from left-right, Chanon, Nicole, Sahr, Aimee, Elesea, and Hettie.

55th Village Voice OBIE Performance Award winner, JONATHAN
HAMMOND, “The Boys in the Band,” left, with playwright
Mart Crowely.

55th Village Voice OBIE Performance Award winner,
LAURIE METCALF, “A Lie of the Mind.”

55th Village Voice OBIE Performance Award winner, MARC
DAMON JOHNSON, “The ‘Brother/Sister’ Plays.”

55th Village Voice OBIE Sustained Excellence of Lighting Design
Award winner, TYLER MICOLEAU.

55th Village Voice OBIE Special Citation Award winner, GAETAN
VOURCH, “L’Effet de Serge.”

55th Village Voice OBIE Best Design and Music Award winners, St. Ann’s Warehouse staff member Laura Roumanos and marketing director Bill
Updegraff, accepted the awards on behalf of NEIL MURRAY, MALCOLM RIPPETH, GEMMA CARRINGTON, and JON DRISCOLL, “Brief Encounter.”

55th Village Voice OBIE Special Citation Award winners, from left-right, RICK BURKHARDT, DAVE MALLOY, RACHEL CHAVKIN, and ALEC DUFFY, “Three Pianos.”

55th Village Voice OBIE Playwriting Award winner,
ENDA WALSH, “The New Electric Ballroom.”

55th Village Voice OBIE Ross Wetzsteon Award winner, founding
artistic producer Melanie Joseph, THE FOUNDRY THEATRE.

55th Village Voice OBIE Sustained Achievement Award winner,
actor/playwright DAVID GREENSPAN.

55th Village Voice OBIE Best Design and Music Award winner,
STEPHIN MERRITT “Coraline.”

55th Village Voice OBIE Best Design and Music Award winner,
ARIANE MNOUCHKINE & THEATRE DU SOLEI, ‘Les Ephemeres.’

55th Village Voice OBIE Special Citation Award winner, TAYLOR
MAC, “The Lily’s Revenge.”

55th Village Voice OBIE Grant Award winner, vice chairman Janice Savin
Williams, left, and board chairman Charles J. Hamilton, Jr.,
HARLEM SCHOOL OF THE ARTS.