The Obie Awards, short for Off-Broadway Theater Awards, are annual awards bestowed by the newspaper %20%20%20The%20Village%20Voice%20is%20a%20New%20York%20City-based%20weekly%20newspaper%20featuring%20investigative%20articles%2C%20analysis%20of%20current%20affairs%20and%20culture%2C%20arts%20reviews%20and%20events%20listings%20for%20New%20York%20City.%20... The Village Voice on %20%20%20%20For%20other%20usages%20see%20Theatre%20(disambiguation)%20%20Theater%20(American%20English)%20or%20Theatre%20(British%20English%20and%20widespread%20usage%20among%20theatre%20professionals%20in%20the%20US)%20is%20that%20branch%20of%20the%20performing%20arts%20concerned%20with%20acting%20out%20stories%20in%20front%20of%20an%20audience%20using%20combinations%20of%20speech%2C%20gesture%2C%20music%2C%20dance%2C%20sound%20and%20spectacle%20%26%238212... theater artists performing in %20%20%20This%20is%20an%20article%20about%20New%20York%20City%3B%20see%20also%20%20%20NYC%2C%20%20%20New%20York%2C%20and%20%20%20New%20York%2C%20New%20York.%20%20%20%20%20%20%20... New York City. Due to the prominence of New York in %20%20%20The%20United%20States%20of%20America%20%26%238212%3B%20also%20referred%20to%20as%20the%20United%20States%2C%20the%20U.... United States theater, the Obies have become the most prestigious theater awards in the U.S. next to the %20%20What%20is%20popularly%20called%20the%20Tony%20Award%5CxAE%20but%20is%20formally%20the%20%5CAntoinette%20Perry%20Award%5C%20is%20an%20annual%20American%20award%20celebrating%20achievements%20in%20theater%2C%20including%20musical%20theater.%20... Tony Awards; the Tonys are given to %20%20%20Note%20on%20spelling%3A%20While%20most%20Americans%20use%20%5Cer%5C%20(as%20per%20American%20spelling%20conventions)%2C%20the%20majority%20of%20venues%2C%20performers%20and%20trade%20groups%20for%20live%20theatre%20use%20%5Cre.%5C%20%20... Broadway productions, while the Obies cover everything else.

The Voice began the awards in %20%20%20%20%201956%20is%20a%20leap%20year%20starting%20on%20Sunday.%20(... 1956 under the direction of theater critic Jerry Tallmer. Originally, only %20%20%20Off-Broadway%20refers%20to%20plays%20or%20musicals%20performed%20in%20New%20York%20City%20in%20smaller%20theatres%20than%20Broadway%2C%20but%20larger%20than%20Off-Off-Broadway%2C%20productions.%20... Off-Broadway productions were eligible for Obies; in %20%20%201964%20was%20a%20%20%20leap%20year%20starting%20on%20Wednesday%20(link%20will%20take%20you%20to%20calendar).%20%20%20... 1964 the Voice began including %20%20%20Off-Off-Broadway%20refers%20to%20plays%20or%20musicals%20performed%20in%20New%20York%20City%20in%20smaller%20theatres%20than%20Broadway%20or%20still%20professional%20Off-Broadway%20productions.%20... Off-Off-Broadway productions.

Award categories include %20%20%20%20For%20legal%20meaning%20of%20acting%2C%20see%20Acting%20(law).%20%20... Performance, %20%20%20A%20theatre%20director%20oversees%20and%20orchestrates%20the%20mounting%20of%20a%20play%20by%20unifying%20various%20endeavors%20and%20aspects%20of%20production.%20... Direction, Best Production, %20%20%20%20Design%20as%20a%20process%20can%20take%20many%20forms%20depending%20on%20the%20object%20being%20designed%20and%20the%20individual%20or%20individuals%20participating.%20... Design, Special Citations, Sustained Achievement, and Lifetime Achievement. Not every category is awarded every year. The Voice also awards annual Obie Grants to selected companies, and a Ross Wetzsteon Grant, named after its former theater editor.

External link

• Village Voice Obies page (http://www.villagevoice.com/obies/)