On July 19, 2010, The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation, the organization dedicated to celebrating Off-Off-Broadway, announced the 2010 nominees at its annual sold-out event.

The Happiest Medium salutes all the nominees this year, as well as all the other fantastic actors and ensembles whose names are not on this list but whose hard work and amazing ability makes it easy for me to get out there, week after week, and do my job.  Off-Off Broadway has given me some of the riches theatre experiences I’ve ever had – voices of new playwrights have been illuminated for me, brilliant actors have been showcased for me, and innovated directors have taken dusty chestnuts and held them up in a new way for me.  There’s nothing like Off-Off Broadway – I’m proud to call myself a member of its ranks.

An so, without further delay, I give you this year’s nominees.   To read any of the THM reviews (where applicable) click the appropriate show links.  No links means (sadly) no review.  I have also included The Fab Marquee reviews where applicable.

2010 Nominees:

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE

Christine Rebecca Herzog, Itsuko Higashi, Jubil Khan, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks

Kaela Crawford, Julia Giolzetti, Caitlin Mehner, Alison Scaramella, Stephanie Strohm, Pink!, Down Payment Productions

Marc Bovino, Joe Curnutte, Michael Dalto, Stephanie Wright Thompson, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones
Jenny Bennett, Melissa D. Brown, John Graham, John J. Isgro, Courtney Kochuba, Kyle Minshew, Amanda Nichols, Katherine Nolan Brown, Jed Peterson, Sean Reidy, Miranda Shields, Douglas Taurel, Nate Washburn, The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company

Joie Bauer, David Bishins, Gina Nagy Burns, James Patterson, Chris Skeries, Harris Yulin, Janet Zarish, The Glass House, Resonance Ensemble

Daniel Abeles, Craig Jorczak, Jacob Murphy, Anna O’Donoghue, Laura Ramadei, Claire Siebers, Too Little Too Late, Red Elevator Productions

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE

Dan Berkey, Remission, terraNOVA Collectives soloNOVA Arts Festival

Michael Graves, The Report of My Death, One Armed Man, Inc. in association with Oracle Theatre, Inc. and Faux-Real Theatre Company

David Harrell, A Little Potato and Hard to Peel, ADH Enterprises

Erin Markey, Puppy Love: A Stripper’s Tail, terraNOVA Collectives soloNOVA Arts Festival

Brian McManamon, It or Her, terraNOVA Collectives soloNOVA Arts Festival

Avery Pearson, Monster, Really Sketchy and terraNOVA Collectives soloNOVA Arts Festival

Jesse Zaritt, Binding, Theatre C and terraNOVA Collectives soloNOVA Arts Festival

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE

Michael Cyril Creighton, MilkMilkLemonade, The Management & Horse Trade Theater Group

Amir Darvish, Psych, Cake Productions

Kyle Haggerty, The Hypochondriac, the cell theatre company

Douglas Scott Sorenson, The Hypochondriac, the cell theatre company

Evan Thompson, Loyalties, Unity Stage Company

Paco Tolson, The Brokenhearteds, I Mean! Productions

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE

Jess Barbagallo, MilkMilkLemonade, The Management & Horse Trade Theater Group

Nikole Beckwith, MilkMilkLemonade, The Management & Horse Trade Theater Group

Jessica Crandall, Agamemnon, LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club

Jennifer Harder, MilkMilkLemonade, The Management & Horse Trade Theater Group

Elaine O’Brien, Granada, Polybe + Seats

Anna O’Donoghue, Too Little Too Late, Red Elevator Productions

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE

Frank Anderson, The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse

Marc Bovino, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones

Joe Curnutte, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones

Christopher Domig, A Mysterious Way, Firebone Theatre
John Halbach, Children At Play, CollaborationTown

Harris Yulin, The Glass House, Resonance Ensemble

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A LEAD ROLE

Elizabeth A. Davis, Emily, An Amethyst Remembrance, Firebone Theatre

Elyse Mirto, Next Year in Jerusalem, WorkShop Theater Company

Susan Louise O’Connor, Children At Play, CollaborationTown

Tanya O’Debra, Radio Star, Horse Trade Theater Group and Tanya O’Debra

Kristen Vaughan, The Desk Set, Retro Productions

Stephanie Wright Thompson, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY/MOVEMENT

Nina Ashe, Manhattanpotamia IV, The Hyperion Theatre Project

Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble

Austin McCormick, Le Serpent Rouge, Company XIV

Christine O’Grady, Children of Eden, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Kim Weild, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks

Jesse Zaritt, Binding, terraNOVA Collectives soloNOVA Arts Festival

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR

Daniel Brodie and Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble

Heather Cohn, The Lesser Seductions of History, Flux Theatre Ensemble

Lila Neugebauer, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones

Alex Roe, The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse

Brian Smith, Pink!, Down Payment Productions

Kim Weild, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN

Tim Cryan, Welcome to the Woods, The International Theatre Laboratory Workshop

Charles Foster, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks

Gina Scherr, Le Serpent Rouge, Company XIV

Joel Silver, Pink!, Down Payment Productions

John Tees III, Down Range, Delano Celli Productions

Christopher Weston, The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

Stephanie Alexander, Pink!, Down Payment Productions

Brooke Berry and Mark Mears, Psych, Cake Productions

Olivera Gajic, Le Serpent Rouge, Company XIV

Viviane Galloway, The Desk Set, Retro Productions

Julianne Kroboth, Craven Monkey and The Mountain of Fury, Piper McKenzie

Lisa Zinni, Killing Women, kef theatrical productions

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN

Daniel Brodie, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble

Rebecca Cunningham, The Desk Set, Retro Productions

Michael P. Kramer, Children of Eden, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Zane Pihlstrom, Snow White, Company XIV

Brian Scott, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks

Amanda Stephens, Pink!, Down Payment Productions

OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN

The Broken Chord Collective, Thunder Above, Deeps Below, Second Generation Productions, Inc.

Stowe Nelson, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones

Shane Rettig, Alice in Slasherland, Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company

Philip Rothman, Proof, Tongue in Cheek Theater Productions

Jeanne Travis, The Desk Set, Retro Productions

Mark Valadez, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Performance Lab 115

OUTSTANDING INNOVATIVE DESIGN

C. Andrew Bauer, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks

Daniel Brodie, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble

Heather E. Cunningham and Casandera M.J. Lollar, The Desk Set, Retro Productions

Daniel Heffernan, The Glass House, Resonance Ensemble

Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble

Zane Pihlstrom, Snow White, Company XIV

Matt Tennie, Alice in Slasherland, Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company

David Valentine, Alice in Slasherland, Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MUSIC

Michael Kosch, The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse

Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble

Andrew Mauriello, Radio Star, Horse Trade Theater Group and Tanya O’Debra

Carl Riehl, Laika Dog in Space, New York Neo-Futurists

Colonna Sonora, ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore, Toy Box Theatre Company

Mark Valadez, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Performance Lab 115

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SHORT SCRIPT

Lorraine Cink, Emilias Wish in The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company

Cheryl L. Davis, BMW in The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company

Amy Herzog, Christmas Present in Too Little Too Late, Red Elevator Productions

ML Kinney, What If… in The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company

Bethany Larsen, The Third Date in The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company

Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL FULL-LENGTH SCRIPT

James Comtois, Infectious Opportunity, Nosedive Productions

Stacy Davidowitz, Pink!, Down Payment Productions

Ashlin Halfnight, Balaton, Electric Pear Productions

Adam Kraar, Empire of the Trees, Wizard Oil Productions

Tanya O’Debra, Radio Star, Horse Trade Theater Group and Tanya O’Debra

Crystal Skillman, The Vigil or The Guided Cradle, Impetuous Theater Group & The Brick Theater

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE ART PRODUCTION

Binding, terraNOVA Collectives soloNOVA Arts Festival

Craven Monkey and The Mountain of Fury, Piper McKenzie

Diagnosis of a Faun, LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club

Haunted House, Vortex Theater Company

Manhattanpotamia IV, The Hyperion Theatre Project

Remission, terraNOVA Collectives soloNOVA Arts Festival

The Soup Show, New York Neo-Futurists

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL

Caroline, or Change The Gallery Players

Children of Eden, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Romance, Romance, The Active Theater

Rootless: La No-Nostalgia, terraNOVA Collectives soloNOVA Arts Featival

The Cradle Will Rock, Theater Ten Ten

Top of the Heap, The Gallery Players

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY

Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks

Pink!, Down Payment Productios

Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones

The Desk Set, Retro Productions

The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse

The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble

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• Cabaretion! The Innovative Theatre Foundation’s Gala Benefit Honors Christopher Durang
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• Two Turns Adaptation Of Henry James’ Novella Successfully Merges Theatre & Philanthropy
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• Entrevista: Heather Cunningham Of Retro Productions

On Monday, May 17th, the New York Innovative Theatre Foundation will be bringing down the house with a fabulous fundraising benefit at Caroline’s on Broadway – Cabaretion!. There will be food, open bar, and a line-up hosted by Jackie Hoffman that includes Taylor Mac among many other awesome performers;  but to top it off, the NYITF is honoring playwright Christopher Durang! That’s some serious fun!

What makes this event special, besides the fact that it’s honoring one my favorite playwrights, is that this is the first gala fundraiser that the ITF has done. It’s important, I think, for the Off-Off-Broadway community to come together and support a foundation whose sole purpose for the past six years of its existence has been to appreciate, celebrate, nurture, and help Off-Off-Broadway theatre thrive. The Innovative Theatre Foundation created the IT Awards, which offers everyone from actors and directors to sound designers, playwrights and producers the opportunity to have their own amazing award ceremony, recognizing the brilliant work that is done on stages all around New York City every day. To quote their site, the Innovative Theatre Foundation was created in part because “…publicly recognizing excellence in Off-Off-Broadway will expand audience awareness and appreciation of the full New York theatre experience.”

Somehow they find a way to fund this wonderful event every year. Besides the actual awards ceremony itself, you also have work going on all year long: keeping track of all of the shows that are done (or, that are registered by the producers); sending out judges to see the shows; and also keeping track of the votes that come in from audience members. The phrase “…And don’t forget to vote for our show at the New York IT Awards!” at the beginning or end (or both) of a show is a familiar one, said over and over in the Off-Off Theatre Community.

So…come on out to Cabaretion! and enjoy the food and THREE HOURS OF OPEN BAR for only $45 … enjoy the shwanky atmosphere of Caroline’s … get some raffle tickets!!!!! … enjoy the entertainment (Jackie Hoffman and Taylor Mac are awesome), honor playwright Christopher Durang’s accomplishments, and celebrate one of the most important threads that holds the Off-Off Broadway Community together – because they sure celebrate us.

Buy your Gala tickets NOW online or call 212-757-4100.

Related Posts:

• Monday Night Was The IT!
• IT Awards 2010: Off-Off Broadway Celebrates Its Achievements At Their Nominee Announcement Party
• Kathleen Warnock Goes To The Lilly Awards
• Bold, Brave, Bawdy – BUSTED

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

Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role

Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role

Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role

Outstanding Ensemble

Outstanding Solo Performance

Outstanding Choreography/Movement

Outstanding Costume Design

Outstanding Lighting Design

Outstanding Sound Design

Outstanding Set Design

Outstanding Director

Outstanding Original Music

Outstanding Full-Length Script

Outstanding Original Short Script

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

Related Posts:

• Cabaretion! The Innovative Theatre Foundation’s Gala Benefit Honors Christopher Durang
• Ye Elizabeths: Living Vicariously Because … (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Kathleen Warnock Goes To The Lilly Awards
• Stinky Flowers, Sweet Thoughts
• IT Awards 2010: Off-Off Broadway Celebrates Its Achievements At Their Nominee Announcement Party