2015 Innovative Theater Award Winners Announced!
By: BWW News Desk Sep. 21, 2015
On Monday, September 21, 2015 The Innovative Theatre Foundation, the organization who for the past 11 years has been dedicated to celebrating Off-Off-Broadway, announced the 2015 recipients at its annual event. Celebrating eleven years and thousands of nominees, the New York Innovative Theatre awards took place at Mason Hall at Baruch Performing Arts Center. If you missed the show, you can watch it here: www.nyitawards.com/live.
The 2015 New York Innovative Theatre Award Nominees represent 145 individual nominees, 57 productions and 55 theatre companies. In the past 11 years, the IT Awards have honored nearly 2,000 artists, 550 productions and 500 companies.
Host was Jason Kravits (ADA Richard Bay on ABC's Emmy Award Winning Drama "The Practice"), presenters included luminaries from the theatre community: K. Todd Freeman (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), Peter Aguero (Moth StorySLAM host), Ray Klausen (production designer), Stanley Allen Sherman, Andrew Block (TDF), Ben Stanton (lighting designer, Fun Home), San Kusnetz (sound designer), Jon Goldstein (composer), Marshall W. Mason (Circle Repertory Company founder), David Auburn (playwright), David Greenspan (playwright and actor), Mindy Cooper Grenke (director, choreographer, performer), Igor Goldin (director), Vallejo Gantner (PS 122), Alice Ripley (actress), Woodie King Jr. (New Federal Theater), and various members of the Off-Off Broadway Community.
Special awards were presented in the following categories:
Artistic Achievement Award Recipient: Marshall W. Mason
Ellen Stewart Award: HERE Arts Center
Caffé Cino Fellowship Award: Theatre 167
Doric Wilson Independent Playwright Award: Andrea Alton
Outstanding Stage Manager: Juni Li
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE
** Much Ado About Nothing, Smith Street Stage, Inc.
Olivia Caputo, Michael Vincent Carrera, Mary Cavett, John Patrick Doherty, Austin Durant, Maxwell Eddy, Patrick Harvey, Alexandra Henrikson, Jonathan Hopkins, David Pegram, Lauren Pennline, Georgina Richardson, Sam Rosenberg, Will Sarratt, Kim Taff, Sophia Tupy, Corey Whelihan**
And If You Lose Your Way, or A Food Odyssey, Lauren Rayner Produtions
Maha Chehlaoui, Nick Choksi, Damon Daunno, Rachel Rusch, Josh Sauerman, Terrell Donnell Sledge, Leah Walsh
The Believers, The Storm Theatre
Christopher Bellant, Laura Bozzone, Joe Danbusky, Ted McGuinness, Patrick Melville, Taylor Anthony Miller
Run For Your Wife, The Gallery Players
Joseph Cassese, Michael Hardart, Emily Hooper, Graciany Miranda, Joshua Nicholson, Timothy Park, Maria Silverman, James Swanson
Short Life of Trouble, Wandering Bark Theatre Company
John C. Egan, Gregory Isaac, Sheila Joon, Suzy Kohane, Michael Markham, Joseph Mitchell Parks, Valerie Redd, Brendan Spieth, Andy Talen
Topography, Broken Box Mime Theater
Becky Baumwoll, Dinah Berkeley, Géraldine Dulex, David Jenkins, Tasha Milkman, Marissa Molnar, Joel Perez, Leah Wagner, Joshua Wynter, Matt Zambrano
OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
** Sylvia Milo
The Other Mozart, Little Matchstick Factory **
The Bullpen, Eric Krebs Theatrical Management, Inc
Christopher J. Domig
Dirt, Sea Dog Theater
Subverted, Dominique Fishback
Tanya O'Debra
The Ultimate Stimulus, Felipe Ossa
Lucie Pohl
Hi, Hitler, Great Pretender Productions
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE
** Dan McVey
Pretty Babies, Elsinore County **
Joseph Cassese
Run For Your Wife, The Gallery Players
The Ghost, Bottoms Dream
In The Bones, Astoria Performing Arts Center
Ted McGuinness
The Believers, The Storm Theatre
Kentucky Cantata, Go In Her Room Productions
Matt Pepitone
Erik, The Rising Sun Performance Company in association with FRIGID New York
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE
** Mel House
In The Bones, Astoria Performing Arts Center **
Once Upon a Bride There Was a Forest, Flux Theatre Ensemble
Eboni Flowers
Miss Julie, August Strindberg Repertory Theatre
Sweet, Sweet Spirit, Manhattan Theatre Works
Noelle McGrath
Philadelphia, Here I Come!, T. Schreiber Studio
Merrily We Roll Along, Astoria Performing Arts Center
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE
The Temple, or Lebensraum, Tin Drum Productions in Association with MozzleStead**
Joe Danbusky
The Believers, The Storm Theatre
In The Bones, Astoria Performing Arts Center
Christopher Heard
Pretty Babies, Elsinore County
Taylor Anthony Miller
The Believers, The Storm Theatre
Night, The New Stage Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A LEAD ROLE
** Emily Koch
In The Bones, Astoria Performing Arts Center **
Temple of the Souls, MultiStages
Stacy Lynn Gould
Fiction, Play.Sing.Give.
Jessica Kitchens
No One Loves Us Here, New Light Theater Project
Donkey Punch, Ivy Theatre Company
Kathryn Rossetter
Mr. Landing Takes a Fall, Slightly Altered States
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY/MOVEMENT
** Isaac Bush
The Mountain, The Circle Theater of New York **
Broken Box Mime Theater
Topography, Broken Box Mime Theater
Jessica Burr
Lying, Blessed Unrest
Mary Cavett
Much Ado About Nothing, Smith Street Stage, Inc.
Maxine Montilus
The Taste of It, Ballybeg
Ildiko Nemeth
Night, The New Stage Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR
** Isaac Byrne
In Vestments, Theatre 4the People **
The Other Mozart, Little Matchstick Factory
The Human Symphony, New York Neo-Futurists
Ildiko Nemeth
Night, The New Stage Theatre Company
Matt Torney
The Twelfth Labor, Loading Dock Theatre Company
Zoë Watkins
Fiction, Play.Sing.Give.
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
The Law of Return, Newsom Zipoy Productions **
Simon Cleveland
The Twelfth Labor, Loading Dock Theatre Company
Subverted, Dominique Fishback
Night, The New Stage Theatre Company
Barbara Samuels
R & J & Z, Hard Sparks
Morgan Zipf-Meister
The Temple, or Lebensraum, Tin Drum Productions in Association with MozzleStead
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
** Debbi Hobson
Unmentionables, Nylon Fusion Collective **
Magdalena Dabrowska &Miodrag Guberinic
The Other Mozart, Little Matchstick Factory
Within the Law, Metropolitan Playhouse
Ásta Bennie Hostetter
The Essential Straight & Narrow, The Mad Ones
Ben Philipp
The Temple, or Lebensraum, Tin Drum Productions in Association with MozzleStead
Marla Speer
Temple of the Souls, MultiStages
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
** Carolyn Mraz
The Twelfth Labor, Loading Dock Theatre Company **
The Law of Return, Newsom Zipoy Productions
Talk Radio, Variations Theatre Group
Kathryn Kawecki
The Taste of It, Ballybeg
Anna Sroka
The Other Mozart, Little Matchstick Factory
Sandy Yaklin
The Temple, or Lebensraum, Tin Drum Productions in Association with MozzleStead
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN
The Temple, or Lebensraum, Tin Drum Productions in Association with MozzleStead **
The Other Mozart, Little Matchstick Factory
Jeremy J Lee
The Law of Return, Newsom Zipoy Productions
Medea & The Furies, Phoenix Theatre Ensemble
John Emmett O'Brien & Scott Stauffer
Subverted, Dominique Fishback
Kyra Sims
The Human Symphony, New York Neo-Futurists
OUTSTANDING INNOVATIVE DESIGN
** Stephanie Cox-Williams
(Gore & Blood Effects)
R & J & Z, Hard Sparks **
Laia Cabrera,Isabelle Duverger& Ildiko Nemeth
(Projection Design)
Night, The New Stage Theatre Company
(Projection Design)
Doubles Crossed: The Ballad of Rodrigo, Funny...Sheesh Productions
Rock Star Karaoke
(Live Band Karaoke)
Twelfth Night or, Sir Toby Belch's Lonely Hearts Club Cabaret, Three Day Hangover
Marla Speer
(Mask Design)
Temple of the Souls, MultiStages
Jaime Vallés
(Video Design)
In The Bones, Astoria Performing Arts Center
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MUSIC
** Phyllis Chen & Nathan Davis
The Other Mozart, Little Matchstick Factory **
Andy Evan Cohen
Unmentionables, Nylon Fusion Collective
Dean Landon &Anika Paris
Temple of the Souls, MultiStages
Nick Luckenbaugh
Royal Fables, Libra Theater Company
John Anthime Miller
The Mountain, The Circle Theater of New York
Jacob Subotnick
Doubles Crossed: The Ballad of Rodrigo, Funny...Sheesh Productions
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SHORT SCRIPT
** Lisa Bruna
Invasion from Estrogenius: Andi's Night, manhattan theatre source **
I Have It from Estrogenius: Andi's Night, manhattan theatre source
Because You Are Good from The Vanguard, Metropolitan Playhouse
Brenton Lengel
Snow White Zombie from Estrogenius: Andi's Night, manhattan theatre source
Felipe Ossa
The Ultimate Stimulus, Felipe Ossa
Erica Saleh
To Ashley and Lauren from The Spring Fling: Anniversary, F*It Club
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL FULL-LENGTH SCRIPT
Donkey Punch, Ivy Theatre Company **
The Temple, or Lebensraum, Tin Drum Productions in Association with MozzleStead
Sara Fellini
In Vestments, Theatre 4the People
Sylvia Milo
The Other Mozart, Little Matchstick Factory
Anika Paris, Lorca Peress& Anita Velez-Mitchell
Temple of the Souls, MultiStages
Dry Land, Colt Coeur
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE ART PRODUCTION
** Night
The New Stage Theatre Company **
And If You Lose Your Way, or A Food Odyssey
Lauren Rayner Productions
The Black That I Am
Braata Productions
The Bullpen
Eric Krebs Theatrical Management, Inc
The Human Symphony
New York Neo-Futurists
The Listeners
The Brick Theater, Inc
Topography
Broken Box Mime Theater
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
** Merrily We Roll Along
Astoria Performing Arts Center **
A Christmas Carol - A New Musical
WorkShop Theater Company
Edward the Second
Isle of Shoals Productions, Inc.
Next to Normal
The Gallery Players
Pinwheel! a new musical
Random Access Theatre
The Singapore Mikado
Theater 2020
Temple of the Souls
MultiStages
OUTSTANDING PREMIERE PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
** In Vestments
Theatre 4the People **
Donkey Punch
Ivy Theatre Company
In The Bones
Astoria Performing Arts Center
The Law of Return
Newsom Zipoy Productions
The Other Mozart
Little Matchstick Factory
The Temple, or Lebensraum
Tin Drum Productions in Association with MozzleStead
The Twelfth Labor
Loading Dock Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
** Much Ado About Nothing
Smith Street Stage, Inc. **
The Butter and Egg Man
Retro Productions
Fiction
Play.Sing.Give.
R & J & Z
Hard Sparks
Talk Radio
Variations Theatre Group
Within the Law
Metropolitan Playhouse
The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation is a not-for-profit organization recognizing the great work of New York City's Off-Off-Broadway, honoring its artistic heritage, and providing a meeting ground for this extensive and richly varied community. The organization advocates for Off-Off-Broadway and recognizes the unique and essential role it plays in contributing to American and global culture. They believe that publicly recognizing excellence in Off-Off-Broadway will expand audience awareness and foster greater appreciation of the New York theatre experience. www.nyitawards.com
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