On June 6, the seventh annual Otto Rene Castillo Awards for Political Theatre were held at the All Stars Project’s 42^nd Street center. 150 people gathered to celebrate the achievements of seven distinguished political theater artists and cultural organizations from around the world. They included:  The Carpetbag Theatre, Compagnie du Dahut Synthetique, The Culture Project, Dell’Arte International, Epic Theatre Center, the Flea Theater and the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.

The 2005 Otto Award recipients, presenters and staff.

Upon receiving his Otto Award in 2000, the Tony-award-winning playwright and director Mario Fratti exclaimed: “To receive an award for political theatre in Europe is not so unusual. Everyone is doing political theatre... But to receive an award for political theatre in America is a miracle!”  Mr. Fratti, is one of the more than 30 individuals and cultural organizations that have won an Otto since the award’s inception in 1999. Since the Ottos’ second year, the awardees have been invited to recommend other organizations and artists as nominees for the following year’s awards.  In this way each year’s recipients join the Awards Committee and help to expand the Otto community.  Over the years that community has included such diverse groups as the Nuyorican Poets Café (1999), the National Black Theatre Festival (2000), the Bread and Puppet Theater (2001), Mass Transit Street Theater & Video (2002), the San Francisco Mime Troupe (2003) and Touchstone Theatre (2004).  In addition, well known artists like Heiner Müller (posthumously, 1998-99), Laurence Holder (1998-99), Laurie Anderson (2002), Kathleen Chalfant (2004) and Robert Wilson (2004) have been honored for their work.