FRESH FRUIT FESTIVAL Award Winners Announced

The Fresh Fruit Festival - now in its 18th year - celebrating the spirit of pride and survival, of history and progress, of a freedom and creativity which allows for respect and equality for all people - presents its annual Awards event. Awards are presented for Outstanding performance and technical work during the past season of the Fresh Fruit Festival. Community Awards are also presented to people and organizations who enrich the LGBT community through education, advocacy, and service.

For the second time this year, the courageous Fresh Fruit Festival celebrates and commemorates some of the finest in LGBTQ independent theatre in New York. "we were so impressed with the caliber of art at this year's summer festival, that we moved the awards ceremony up by more than six months," says Louis Lopardi, the executive director of the Fresh Fruit Festival, who has been leading the charge for almost 20 years. He continued to say that the Festival is looking for new staff and sponsors for this event and for the entire season. Currently helping steer the ship is Frank Calo, the founder of the format which predated all major New York theatre festivals.

The All Out Arts 17th annual Awards of Distinction (the Fresh Fruit Festival awards) will be Monday November 18, 2019 with a reception starting at 6:30 pm with the ceremony starting at 7:00 p.m. at Bowery Poets Club, 308 Bowery, New York City

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

OUTSTANDING MUSICAL: Metropolitan (Tom Picasso & Mikey Rosenbaum)

OUTSTANDING PLAY: Head First (Dennis Bush)

OUTSTANDING ONE-ACT: Once Begun (Tim Aumiller & Scott Schneider)

OUTSTANDING SOLO SHOW: The Knife Cuts Both Ways (Cecilia Gentili)

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION: Lester Thomas Shane (Head First)

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING & VIDEO DESIGN: David Haan & Tom Picasso (Metropolitan)

OUTSTANDING SET & COSTUME DESIGN: Parlor Tricks (Emily Rose Parman)

OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE in a PLAY: Kalia Lay (Parlor Tricks)

OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE in a PLAY: Cooper Koch (Head First)

OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE in a PLAY: Austin Larkin (Head First)

OUTSTANDING FEATURED PERFORMANCE in a PLAY: Kyra Adams (Parlor Tricks)

OUTSTANDING FEATURED PERFORMANCE in a PLAY: Terence Montgomery (Parlor Tricks)

OUTSTANDING FEATURED PERFORMER in a PLAY: Inji El Gammal (Bismillah)

OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE in a MUSICAL: Dillon Heape (Metropolitan)

OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE in a MUSICAL: Leigh Williams (Metropolitan)

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE: Lovebird Jamboree (Kathryn McConnell)

OUTSTANDING DANCE: French Trio (Jeff Davis)

OUTSTANDING DANCE: Marthagany (Jesse Factor)

SPECIAL DISTINCTION FOR STAGED READING: Night Visions (Frank Calo)

SPIRIT AWARD: Sarah Elisabeth Brown (Lovebird Jamboree)

AUDIENCE FAVORITE: Bill Bowers (All Over the Map)