When I came on to the staff of neighborbee in October of 2008 as the theatre columnist I had no idea that just nine months later I’d be this immersed in the Off-Off Broadway community. But here I am, 29 weeks, 32 shows and 25 reviews later … writing not just for this site but for The Fab Marquee as well (go check it out!) … and thrilled to be part of a mechanism every week which (I hope) gets people off the couch, out of their homes and into these charming, cozy, sometimes unpredictably configured independent theatres. I love knowing I play a part in helping to get audiences out there in order to watch amazingly talented performers break new ground with never-before-seen plays, or bring the classics alive again for a whole new generation of theatre-goers. I’ve been lucky enough to see a bit of both in these last nine months and have enjoyed virtually every single performance I’ve reviewed. And you know, even the clunkers have a charm all their own, and can sometimes stay with me far longer than expected, just like that other indispensable New York linchpin that can be an equal hit-or-miss: the pushcart hot dog. But I digress.
On Monday night I attended the New York Innovative Theatre Awards 2009 Nominee Announcement celebration and was able to share in the joy of everyone who gives their life to The Theatre. I mingled with actors, directors, designers of sound, stage and light, writers, publicists, musicians, other reviews, and all the plus ones (including my own) who help keep the first group afloat by supporting them emotionally, spiritually, and whatever-else-is-necessary-to-get-by-ly.
The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation was created to bring recognition to the great work being done in New York City’s Off-Off-Broadway, to honor its artistic heritage, and to provide a meeting ground for this extensive community. The organization advocates for Off-Off-Broadway and recognizes the unique and essential role it plays in contributing to American and global culture. The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation believes that publicly recognizing excellence in Off-Off-Broadway will expand audience awareness and appreciation of the full New York theatre experience.
To be able to stand shoulder to shoulder (or, in my case, shoulder to elbow … actors are TALL!) with these talented people was a real thrill for me, and I look forward to rejoining everyone at the Fashion Institute on September 21st for the 5th Annual IT Awards Ceremony to be able to applaud the recipients in person.
This year’s nominees were selected from a pool of approximately 2,850 artists; nominees include 142 individual artists, 49 different productions and 38 theatre companies. They are:
Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role
William Apps IV
Amerissiah, The Amoralists Theatre Company
Nicoye Banks
The High Priestess of Dark Alley, Billie Holiday Theatre
Roy Clary
McReele, Conflict of Interest Theater Company
Clint Morris
Like You Like It, The Gallery Players
Jeffrey Plunkett
All the Rage, Manhattan Theatre Source / Dark Brew Productions
Chris Thorn
Most Damaging Wound, The Production Company
Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role
Ivanna Cullinan
The Granduncle Quadrilogy: Tales from the Land of Ice, Piper McKenzie
Brynn Curry
Like You Like It, The Gallery Players
Phyllis Johnson
Blue Before Morning, terraNOVA Collective
Maura McNamara
The Real Thing, T. Schreiber Studio
Constance Parng
Lee/gendary, HERE Arts Center
Aura Vence
The High Priestess of Dark Alley, Billie Holiday Theatre
Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role
Julian Elfer
Twelfth Night, Or What You Will, T. Schreiber Studio
Jaron Farnham
Still the River Runs, Zootopia Theatre Company
Steve French
Still The River Runs, Zootopia Theatre Company
Jason Howard
Universal Robots, Manhattan Theatre Source/Dark Brew Productions
David Ian Lee
The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots, The Gallery Players on association with Engine37
August Schulenburg
8 Little Antichrists, Flux Theatre Ensemble
Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role
Katrina Foy
Stomp and Shout (an’ Work it All Out), Babel Theatre Project
Soomi Kim
Lee/gendary, HERE Arts Center
Jan Maxwell
Scenes from an Execution, Potomac Theatre Project
Nedra McClyde
Miss Evers’ Boys, Red Fern Theatre Company
Kate Middleton
Avow, The Cardinal Group
Elyse Mirto
Any Day Now, Writer’s Forum at Manhattan Theatre Source
Outstanding Ensemble
Christopher Borg, Jeffrey Cranor, Kevin R. Free & Eevin Hartsough
(Not) Just A Day Like Any Other, New York Neo-Futurists
Kether Donohue, Phyllis Johnson, Jenny Maguire, Chris McKinney, Flaco Navaja & Jennifer Dorr White
Blue Before Morning, terraNOVA Collective
Bard Goodrich, Ken Matthews, Megan McQuillan, Michael Solomon, Michael Szeles & Chris Thorn
Most Damaging Wound, The Production Company
Laura Butler, Drae Campbell, Dawn Eshelman, Connie Hall, Ikuko Ikari, Hana Kalinski, Eunjee Lee, Mark Lindberg, Alanna Medlock, Jy Murphy, Jorge Alberto Rubio, Maureen Sebastian and Magin Shantz
Oph3lia, HERE Arts Center
Geraldine Bartlett, Brian D. Coats, Katrina Foy, William Jackson Harper, Khris Lewin, Carolyn McCandlish, Joe Mullen, Frank Rodriguez, Christopher Rubin, Jeremy Schwartz, Joe Sullivan & Andrew Zimmerman
Stomp and Shout (an’ Work it All Out), Babel Theatre Project
Joe Basile, Jill Beckman, Christopher Borg, Jeffrey Cranor, Cara Francis, Kevin R. Free, Ryan Good, Alicia Harding, Eevin Hartsough, Sarah Levy, Erica Livingston, Jacquelyn Landgraf, Rob Neill, Lauren Parish, Joey Rizzolo & Justin Tolley
Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind, New York Neo-Futurists
Esther Barlow, Jennifer Gordon Thomas, Jason Howard, David Lamberton, David Ian Lee, Michelle O’Connor, Ridley Parson, Nancy Sirianni, Tarantino Smith & Ben Sulzbach
Universal Robots, Manhattan Theatre Source/Dark Brew Productions
Outstanding Solo Performance
Martin Dockery
The Surprise, soloNOVA Arts Festival
Leigh Evans
Traces, soloNOVA Arts Festival
Jeff Grow
Creating Illusion, soloNOVA Arts Festival
Abena Koomson
Cozi Sa Wala: Magic Words, soloNOVA Arts Festival
Micia Mosely
Where My Girls At?, Nursha in association with soloNOVA Arts Festival
Una Aya Osato
Recess, FRIGID Festival
Outstanding Choreography/Movement
Keith Andrews
Like You Like It, The Gallery Players
Edward Elefterion
Shadow of Himself, Rabbit Hole Ensemble
Leigh Evans
Traces, soloNOVA Arts Festival
Soomi Kim & Airon Armstrong
Lee/gendary, HERE Arts Center
Austin McCormick
The Judgement of Paris, Company XIV
Stefanie Smith
The Selfish Giant, Literally Alive Children’s Theatre
Outstanding Costume Design
Michelle Beshaw
The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius, Lovers and Spyes and about Their Untymelie End while Sitting in a Small Room at the Correctional Facility in Ossining, N.Y., GOH Productions
Emily Morgan DeAngelis
Angel Eaters, Flux Theatre Ensemble
Olivera Gajic
The Judgement of Paris, Company XIV
Hunter Kaczorowski
Like You Like It, The Gallery Players
Becky Lasky
Stomp and Shout (an’ Work it All Out), Babel Theatre Project
Karen Ann Ledger
Twelfth Knight, or What You Will, T. Schreiber Studio
Outstanding Lighting Design
Lucrecia Briceno
Lee/gendary, HERE Arts Center
Ian W. Hill
The Granduncle Guadrilogy: Tales from the Land of Ice, Piper McKenzie
Andrew Lu
Still the River Runs, Zootopia Theatre Company
Jennifer Rathbone
Angel Eaters, Flux Theatre Ensemble
Federico Restrepo
The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius, Lovers and Spyes and about Their Untymelie End while Sitting in a Small Room at the Correctional Facility in Ossining, N.Y., GOH Productions
Bruce Steinberg
Blue Before Morning, terraNOVA Collective
Outstanding Sound Design
Dan Biachi
Dracula, Radiotheatre
Katie Down
Blue Before Morning, terraNOVA Collective
Austin McCormick
The Judgement Morning, terraNOVA Collective
Nick Moore
23 Knives, Resonance Ensemble
Chris Rummel
Twelfth Knight, Or What You Will, T. Schreiber Studio
Asa Wember
Angel Eaters, Flux Theatre Ensemble
Outstanding Set Design
George Allison
Twelfth Knight, or What You Will, T. Schreiber Studio
Jim Boutin
Coming, Aphrodite!, LaMaMa ETC in association with Watson Arts
Tristan Jeffers
Stomp and Shout (an’ Work it All Out), Babel Theatre Project
Michael P. Kramer
Ragtime, Astoria Performing Arts Center
Caleb Levengood
Angel Eaters, Flux Theatre Ensemble
Blair Mielnik
To Barcelona!, Ignited States Production Company
Outstanding Director
Geordie Broadwater
Stomp and Shout (an’ Work it All Out), Babel Theatre Project
Nat Cassidy
Any Day Now, Writer’s Forum at Manhattan Theatre Source
Gia Forakis
Blue Before Morning, terraNOVA Collective
Vit Horejs
The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius, Lovers and Spyes and about Their Untymelie End while Sitting in a Small Room at the Correctional Facility in Ossining, N.Y., GOH Productions
Matthew J. Nichols
Still the River Runs, Zootopia Theatre Company
Suzi Takahashi
Lee/gendary, HERE Arts Center
Outstanding Original Music
Drew Cutler
Still the River Runs, Zootopia Theatre Company
Mark Ettinger & Paul Foglino
Coming, Aphrodite!, LaMaMa ETC in association with Watson Arts
Kimmy Gatewood, Andy Hertz, Rebekka Johnson, Sarah Lowe & Jeff Solomon
The Apple Sisters, The Apple Sisters
Gerard Keenan
Angel Eaters, Flux Theatre Company
Dave Malloy
Beowulf-A Thousand Years of Baggage, Banana Bag & Bodice
Nick Moore
23 Knives, Resonance Ensemble
Outstanding Full-Length Script
Johnna Adams
Angel Eaters, Flux Theatre Ensemble
Derek Ahonen
Amerissiah, The Amoralists Theatre Company
James Carmichael
Stomp and Shout (an’ Work it All Out), Babel Theatre Project
Nat Cassidy
The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots, The Gallery Players in association with Enginge37
Kate McGovern
Blue Before Morning, terraNOVA Collective
Mac Rogers
Universal Roberts, Manhattan Theatre Source/Dark Brew Productions
Outstanding Original Short Script
Martin Dockery
The Surprise, soloNOVA Arts Festival
Ira Gamerman
Dated: A Cautionary Tale for Facebook Users, Elephants on Parade 2009, EBE Ensemble
Jeff Grow
Creating Illusion, soloNOVA Arts Festival
Kristen Kosmas
The Scandal!, The Management
Kitt Lavoie
[Pwnd], Perceptions, An Evening of One Acts, The Rising Sun Performance Company
Nico Vreeland
The Interview, Elephants on Parade 2009, EBE Ensemble
Outstanding Performance Art Production
Cirque du Quoi?!? Human Flight Productions, Inc. & Gramily Entertainment
Creating Illusion soloNOVA Arts Festival
Miss America LaMaMa ETC in association with Split Britches
Dracula Radiotheatre
Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind New York Neo-Futurists
Traces soloNOVA Arts Festival
Outstanding Production of a Musical
Coming, Aphrodite! LaMaMa ETC in association with Watson Arts
Like You Like It The Gallery Players
Ragtime Astoria Performing Arts Center
The 103rd Annual Performance of Ruddigore, or The Witch’s Curse, Presented by Murgatroyd’s Hospital for Mental Rehabilitation, Ruddy Gore Maine Theater 1010
The Apple Sisters The Apple Sisters
The Who’s Tommy The Gallery Players
Outstanding Production of a Play
Blue Before Morning terraNOVA Collective
Lee/gendary HERE Arts Center
Still the River Runs Zootopia Theatre Company
Stomp and Shout (an’ Work it All Out) Babel Theatre Project
Suspicious Package: an interactive noir The Fifth Wall
The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots The Gallery Players in association with Engine37
Universal Robots Manhattan Theatre Source/Dark Brew Productions
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Innovative Theatre Awards,
IT Awards,
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