2017 Elliot Norton Awards Celebrates Alternative Acts Theme & Announce Guest of Honor Cherry Jones

The Boston Theater Critics Association has announced that the 35th annual Elliot Norton Awards will feature the theme ALTERNATIVE ACTS, celebrating the Boston area's theater community, future artists, and the importance of the arts in our country. Two-time Tony Award-winning actress Cherry Jones will be the Guest of Honor at the much-anticipated annual event, which will be held on Monday, May 15, 2017 at 7 PM, at the Huntington Theatre Company's BU Theatre. A portion of the evening's proceeds will be donated to the Boston Arts Academy to support the region's next generation of artists.

The ceremony will feature musical performances by nominees and the Boston Arts Academy, the awarding ofThe Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence, surprise appearances and a post-ceremony party. Tickets for the celebratory evening are on sale at the Boston Theatre Scene Box Office, at www.BostonTheatreScene.com or by calling (617) 933-8600.

In announcing ALTERNATIVE ACTS, the Guest of Honor, and the donation to the Boston Arts Academy, Joyce Kulhawik, President of The Boston Theater Critics Association, stated," This is an artistic homecoming for our guest of honor! Cherry's roots are right here in this community and she has always been an extraordinary voice for freedom of expression. This is especially important now in a climate where the contributions of artists are being devalued and the NEA is being threatened with extinction. We are also inviting our musical nominees to perform in a way that addresses the importance of art in our world. Finally we believe that it is crucial to nurture future artists, so this year we are making a donation to support the Boston Arts Academy, whose students will take the stage along with our professional performers!"

Cherry Jones most recently made her West End debut in the triumphant revival of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie which has garnered seven Olivier Award nominations, including a nomination for Cherry for Best Actress. Cherry last appeared on Broadway also in THE GLASS MENAGERIE which originated at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she is a founding member and where earlier in her career she appeared in more than 25 productions including Twelfth Night, The Three Sisters and The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Broadway and Off-Broadway: Doubt (Tony, Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle and Obie Awards), Lincoln Center Theater's production of The Heiress (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards); Pride's Crossing (Drama Desk Award); When We Were Young and Unafraid; The Baltimore Waltz (Obie Award); Faith Healer; Flesh and Blood; Imaginary Friends; A Moon for the Misbegotten(Tony Award nomination); Angels in America; Our Country's Good (Tony Award nomination); and Roundabout Theatre Company's productions of Mrs. Warren's Profession, Major Barbara and The Night of the Iguana. Television: President Allison Taylor in "24" (Emmy Award), "What Makes a Family," "Awake," season two and three of "Transparent" on Amazon, "Mercy Street," the mini-series 11/22/63, and the upcoming Sally Potter film THE PARTY." Film: Ocean's Twelve, Cradle Will Rock, The Horse Whisperer, The Perfect Storm, Erin Brockovich, Signs, The Village, Mother and Child, Swimmers, I Saw the Light, and Whiskey Tango Foxtrotopposite Tina Fey.

Special and honored guests at the awards in past years comprise a Who's Who of distinguished artists who have graced Boston's stages, including: Lea DeLaria, Mary Louise Wilson, Olympia Dukakis, Chita Rivera, Tommy Tune, Al Pacino, Edward Albee, Brian Dennehy, August Wilson, Julie Harris, Sir Ian McKellen, Lynn Redgrave, and Jason Robards.

The Elliot Norton Awards are presented annually by The Boston Theater Critics Association (Don Aucoin, Jared Bowen, Terry Byrne, Carolyn Clay, Iris Fanger, Jeremy Goodwin, Joyce Kulhawik, Kilian Melloy, Bob Nesti, and Ed Siegel) to honor the outstanding productions,

directors, designers, and performers that audiences have seen on Greater Boston stages throughout the year.

The Elliot Norton Awards are named for the eminent Boston theater critic Elliot Norton, who remained an active supporter of drama, both locally and nationally, until his death in 2003 at the age of 100. The Boston theater community carries on his legacy and can be proud of its remarkable growth at a time in our nation's history when the arts are struggling to survive.

The 35th annual Elliot Norton Awards will be held at the Huntington Theatre Company's BU Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave., Boston, on Monday, May 15 at 7 PM. Tickets are priced at $35.00; savvy shoppers will take advantage of $10 off the regular ticket price (available through May 1), using the code NORTIES10. Tickets are on sale at the Boston Theatre Scene Box Office, at www.bostontheatrescene.com or by calling (617) 933-8600.