Merritt Wever, who played Sonya in the production, has appeared in The Illusion (Signature Theatre); Hater (Ice Factory); What Then (Clubbed Thumb), among many other Off-Broadway productions. Michael Shannon, who played Astrov, can be seen as Nelson Van Alden on HBO’s "Boardwalk Empire"; he also recently made his Broadway debut in Grace. The award was established by Equity member Joe A. Callaway "to encourage participation in the classics and non-profit theatre and honors the best performance in a professional production of a classic play (one written prior to 1920) in the New York metropolitan area." It includes a $1,000 check plus an engraved plaque for each recipient; the awards will be presented at Equity’s Eastern Regional Membership Meeting Jan. 11, 2013.

The judges panel included Joe Dziemianowicz, Daily News; Adam Feldman, Time Out NY; Harry Haun, Playbill; and David Rosenberg, Back Stage.

Previous recipients of the Callaway Award include Kate Burton, Frank Langella, Laura Linney, Lily Rabe, Liev Schreiber and, in 2011, Danai Gurira and Derek Smith.