TheatreSquared’s pioneering work to receive highest award for off-Broadway theatre

Special Obie Award to be presented by the

American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards

Recognition honors Russian Troll Farm, by Sarah Gancher, developed at T2’s Arkansas New Play Festival and premiered in 2020

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS—February 27, 2023—TheatreSquared’s innovative work while in-person gatherings were suspended will be recognized with a special award at the 66th Obie Awards tonight, Monday, February 27, 2023 at Terminal 5 in New York City. The recognition acknowledges the theatre’s pioneering virtual co-production of Russian Troll Farm, a New York Times Critics’ Pick and “Best of the Year” selection. The ceremony—the first after a three-year hiatus—is presented by the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards. 

“The judges reviewed over 400 productions over the last three seasons,” the Wing announced in its 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.”

The recognition is the first Obie Award for a theatre in the state of Arkansas.

TheatreSquared supported playwright Sarah Gancher in developing Russian Troll Farm at the all-virtual 2020 Arkansas New Play Festival in June of that year, just months after in-person performances were indefinitely postponed. In October, the company joined forces with Theater Works Hartford, in association with The Civilians, to co-produce the new play’s world premiere, directed by Jared Mezzocchi and Elizabeth Williamson. The play will receive a live, in-person production beginning this week with the same directing team at Geva Theatre Center in New York. 

Sanctuary City, by Martyna Majok, the next production in TheatreSquared’s season which begins performances March 1, will also be honored at the ceremony with a Playwriting Award. Tickets for TheatreSquared’s upcoming performances through April 9 can be purchased by calling (479) 777-7477 or by visiting theatre2.org.

The 2023 Obie Awards are co-chaired by Obie-winning Director and Producing Artistic Leader David Mendizábal and veteran theatre critic Melissa Rose Bernardo. The judges panel includes actor & fight choreographer Dave Anzuelo, scenic designer Wilson Chin, Obie-winning playwright Haruna Lee, Obie-winning director & playwright Lisa Peterson, and Obie-winning actor Heather Alicia Simms.

For tickets and other information, visit www.ObieAwards.com. The Obie Awards will be livestreamed for viewers who cannot attend in person on the Wing’s YouTube channel.

About TheatreSquared

TheatreSquared’s signature offering of bold new plays in an intimate setting has driven its growth to become the state’s largest theatre, welcoming more than 80,000 community members to 350 performances and events each year. The company offers a unique audience experience of immersive, professional productions in an intimate setting. Its work has been recognized with critical acclaim by The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, NPR’s All Things Considered, and the American Theater Wing, founder of the Tony Awards. The playwright-led company is one of mid-America’s leading laboratories for new work, having launched more than 70 new plays. Notable collaborators have included Bryna Turner, Candrice Jones, José Cruz Gonzáles, Sarah Gancher, The Kilbanes, Mary Kathryn Nagle, Anne García-Romero, Rachel Lynett, Tony Meneses, Lisa D’Amour, Qui Nguyen, Mona Mansour, Karen Zacarías, and many others. TheatreSquared’s remarkable expansion—with a twentyfold increase in audience in just the past decade—parallels the emergence of its home region in the northwest corner of Arkansas as a booming population center and destination for American art. Offering far-reaching access and education programs and an open-all-day gathering space, The Commons Bar/Café, TheatreSquared remains rooted in its founding vision, that “theatre—done well and with passion—can transform lives and communities.” 

Major funding for the TheatreSquared Season 17 is provided by the Walton Family Foundation; the Walmart Foundation; the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation; the Windgate Foundation; the Shubert Foundation; the Tyson Family Foundation; the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage; the National Endowment for the Arts; Bob and Becky Alexander; Jane Hunt; Margaret and Dick Rutherford; Barbara Shadden; the John & Robyn Horn Foundation; Todd Simmons and Melissa Hall Simmons; and Simmons Foods.

Marketing support for TheatreSquared Season 17 is provided by Experience Fayetteville, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Fayetteville Flyer, 3W Magazine, CitiScapes, KUAF, MailCo USA, and NWA Daily.