Inaugural STAGE RAW THEATRE AWARDS Winners Are Announced!

April 14, 2015...It was an awards show born in a moment of relevance. An electrified contingent of professional Los Angeles Intimate theater companies and their friends sold out Los Angeles theatre Center to support the first-everSTAGE RAW THEATRE AWARDS. Picking up where the LA WEEKLY Awards, left off, and hosted by the Celebration Theatre and the hilarious duo of Alec Mapa and Parvesh Cheena, it was a night to celebrate the best of 99-seat theatre and a rallying cry against the Equity proposal and referendum that is currently being voted on. Impassioned speeches were given by Steven Leigh Morris and Bill Raden to open the show, followed by an introduction of the original plaintiffs in the Equity wars of 30 years ago who all received a standing ovation. One of those plaintiffs, Gary Grossman, gave a rousing speech as he presented the "Queen of the Angels" award to Rebecca Metz, who brought down the house with her heartfelt message of community and standing up for what is right in the face of adversity. The emotion in the room was palpable from start to finish and it was a fitting start to a tradition that it sure to last for decades to come!

The award recipients for the 2014 STAGE RAW Awards are as follows:

Fight Choreography

Ahmed Best, Backyard, Echo Theater Company

Video/Projection Design

Hana S. Kim, The Ugly One, Ensemble Studio Theatre/L.A.

Queen of the Angels

Adaptation

Aaron Posner, Stupid f-ing Bird, Circle X Theatre Company and Theatre @ Boston Court

Playwriting

Benjamin Brand, Taste, Sacred Fools Theater Company

Sound Design

Christopher Moscatiello, Penelope, Rogue Machine

Career Achievement

Lighting Design

Pablo Santiago, The Brothers Size, The Fountain Theatre

Costume Design

Jenny Foldenauer, Everything You Touch, Theatre @ Boston Court and Rattlestick

Playwrights Theater

Set Design

DeAnne Millais, Taste, Sacred Fools Theatre Company

Production Design

Everything You Touch, Theatre @ Boston Court and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater

Two Person Performance

Donal Thoms-Cappello and Chris L. McKenna, Taste, Sacred Fools Theater Company

Supporting Female Performance

Kelli Anderson, One in the Chamber, 6140 Productions/Theatre Planners

Supporting Male Performance

Joel Polis, My Name Is Asher Lev, The Fountain Theatre

Male Comedy Performance

Hugo Armstrong, The Behavior of Broadus, Burglars of Hamm and Sacred Fools

Theater Company

Female Comedy Performance

Ann Noble, The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia, LGBT's Davidson/Valenti Theatre

Solo Performance

Ben Moroski, The Wake, Theatre Asylum

Comedy Ensemble

The Ugly One, Ensemble Studio Theatre/L.A.

Ensemble

The Wedding Band, The Anteaus Company

Original Music

Matt Almos, Brendan Milburn and Burglars of Hamm, The Behavior of Broadus,

Burglars of Hamm and Sacred Fools Theater Company

Choreography

Ken Roht, The Behavior of Broadus, Burglars of Hamm and Sacred Fools Theater

Company

Leading Female Performance

Cara Pifko, O Réjane, Bootleg Theatre

Leading Male Performance

David Selby, A Delicate Balance, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble

Musical Direction

John Ballinger, The Behavior of Broadus, Burglars of Hamm and Sacred Fools Theater Company

Comedy Direction Award

Stuart Gordon, Taste, Sacred Fools Theater Company

Direction Award

Jessica Kubzansky, Everything You Touch, Theater @ Boston Court and Rattlestick

Playwrights Theater

Musical of the Year Award

The Behavior of Broadus, Burglars of Hamm and Sacred Fools Theater Company

Revival Production Of The Year Award (of a 20th- or 21st-century work)

Wedding Band, The Antaeus Company

Production Of The Year Award

Everything You Touch, Theatre @ Boston Court and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater