Cincinnati Theater Recognition Programs Combine Forces

Cincinnati's two theater awards and recognition programs - the Acclaim Awards, supported by The Cincinnati Enquirer, and the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards for Theater, supported by CityBeat - announced today that they will combine forces for the 2010-2011 Season and beyond. The strengthened Acclaims program, with an added element now called the "Cincinnati Theater Awards" (CTAs), begins with the start of the new season.

CityBeat's Rick Pender and the Enquirer's Jackie Demaline will both be personally involved in the program, serving on judging panels and as members of the Acclaim Awards executive committee, which will manage the awards process and the annual May recognition event.

Acclaim chair Demaline, Enquirer theater critic, said, "Both the Acclaims and Cincinnati Entertainment Awards have been committed to recognizing so many things that are outstanding about Cincinnati theater - the artists, the educators, the professionals, the amateurs - and to reaching out to the entire regional community to become a part of it. By sharing an evening of celebration with the addition of the CTAs, the Acclaims are hoping to ensure a credible and sustainable program for the future that will help keep Cincinnati theater in the spotlight locally, regionally and even nationally."

Pender, CityBeat theater critic, adds, "The CEAs were established in 1997 using public voting and a panel of critics to heighten awareness of the fine theater scene we have in Cincinnati. CityBeat is proud to have presented this program for 14 years, but the time is right to come together with the Acclaims for a strong, coherent program that will benefit the entire theater community." The Theater CEAs evolution into the CTAs adds a new element to the Acclaims that perpetuates CityBeat program's long-standing, publicly voted recognition.

The Acclaim Awards, which began in 2004, maintain a substantial volunteer base of theater practitioners. They will continue a through-the-season recognition of excellent theater and the annual recognition event in May, handing out an Acclaim award to the winner in each of multiple categories covering performers, technical aspects and overall productions.

Acclaims recommendations during the theater season will be the nomination mechanism for awards, which will then be decided by the panelists. Other elements of the Acclaims - including the recognition of outstanding theatre educators and "Rising Stars," as well as grants for local guest Equity artists and individual theatre artists - will be continued.

The CTA aspect of the Acclaims will invite public input for favorite performers and productions in 10 categories focusing on nominees involved in community theater and university theater - nominations will offer choices in those two arenas for favorite actor, favorite actress, favorite musical and favorite play. Two additional, open-ended categories will ask the public to nominate and vote for their favorite play and musical of the season from any theater.

The Cincinnati Entertainment Awards originally combined recognition of local theater and local music in one annual event between 1997 and 2004, when the CEAs evolved into separate theater and music programs. The final CEA theater awards will be presented on Sunday, Aug. 29, at Know Theatre to honor Greater Cincinnati's 2009-2010 theater season. The music CEAs will continue to hold its annual recognition program in November.

The next Acclaim Awards program (the first that will combine the Acclaims and CTAs) is scheduled for Monday, May 23, 2011 at the Aronoff Center's Jarson-Kaplan Theater.

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