MITF Announces Complete List of 2008 Award Winners

The 2nd Annual Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival (MITF) Awards were held Friday, September 5, 2008 at the Bleecker Street Theatre, located at 45 Bleecker Street, where winners were announced in 33 separate categories.

The musical OPA!, part of the MITF Commercial Division, was the top winner of the evening, taking home five awards. Coming in second in the overall totals was the tuner Cleopatra: A Life Unparalleled  and the drama The Wendy Complex, with four awards apiece. Picking up three MITF Awards each were the musical Love, Incorporated (also part of the MITF Commercial Division), the comedy Prince Trevor Amongst The Elephants, the drama Bubby's Shadow, and a collection of one-acts under the umbrella title Directors’ Reality. Flies in the Snuffbox, a collection of one-acts by Anton Chekhov, received two awards.

"The MITF Awards are our way of thanking and acknowledging the various shows that were part of the 2008 Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival," noted MITF founder and executive producer John Chatterton. (Chatterton also emceed the Awards show.) "I also want to thank the MITF staff for having the wherewithal to check out the 60 shows we put on this year in order to come up with the winners announced tonight."

In addition to the winners in the various categories (all chosen by the MITF staff), Chatterton handed out several Producer’s Awards (one to each show that sold the most tickets in its particular venue), as well as an MITF Congeniality Award, which came with a cash prize of $250.00.  The Producer’s Awards total $1750.00.

Several shows from the Festival also provided the entertainment for the evening. Love, Incorporated and Cleopatra: A Life Unparalleled  performed musical numbers from their respective productions, while comedies Prince Trevor and Kidnapping Laura Linney presented segments from their shows for the audience’s amusement.

A complete list of the 2008 MITF Award winners follows:

 
Outstanding Overall Production of a Commercial Division Production

OPA! produced by Double Play Connections and Wild Bird Productions; Book by Mari Carras and Laurel Ollstein; Lyrics by Mari Carras and Nicholas Kitsopoulos; Music by Nicholas Carras and Nicholas Kitsopoulos; Directed by Spiro Veloudos; Choreography by Wendy Waring; Musical Direction by Micah Young; Scenic Design by Anne Allen Goelz; Costume design by Holly Cain; Lighting Design by Dan Weingarten; Sound Design by Bridget O'Connor; Asst. Choreography by Margaret Liston; Assistant Musical Direction by Tim Rosser; Stage Managed by Lori Lundquist; Performed by Demetrios Bonaroa, Joseph Callari, Michael Dionissiou, Carolee Goodgold, Abigail Hardin, Jan Leslie Harding, Michael Alan Jacobs, Deborah Litwak, Costa Nicolas, Patrick Riviere, Eric Ruben, Louis Michael Sacco, and Natasha Tabandera.

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical

Love, Incorporated produced by Tzipora Kaplan in association with Katherine Heberling. Book, Music and Lyrics by Marc Castle; Musical Direction, Arrangements and Orchestrations by Philip Kirchman; Directed by Igor Goldin; Scenic/Props Design by Tony Zimbardi; Lighting Design by Rebecca Makus; Costume Design by Hunter Kaczorowski; Sound Design by Quentin Chiappetta; Stage Managed by Nick Tochelli; Performed by Jennifer Blood, Jonathan Rayson, Hollis Scarborough, and Tally Sessions.

Outstanding Overall Production of a Short Play, One-Act, or Monologue

“The Claw of the Schwa” from Directors Reality produced by Small Pond Entertainment; Written by Zach Udko; Directed by Michael Schwartz; Performed by Lija Fisher, Ari Brand and Maggie Surovell.

Outstanding Overall Production of a Solo Show

Sacred is the New Profane produced by The Distillery and Cheryl Harnest; Written by Cheryl Harnest; Directed by Jeremy Bloom, Costume design by Tilly Grimes; Lighting and Sound Design  by Ellen Rosenberg; Performed by Cheryl Harnest.

Outstanding Overall Production of a Revival (previously published script)
Flies in the Snuffbox produced by Tonic Productions in association with Carolyn Stone and Melissa Condren; Written by Anton Chekhov; Directed and Translated by Dustin Condren; Stage Managed by Emily Schreiber; Performed by Daryl Brown, Thomas Debacker; Rick Delaney, Rhett Henckel, Letitia Lange, Victoria Levin, and Chance Mullen.

Outstanding Overall Production of a New Comedy Play (previously unpublished script)
Prince Trevor Amongst The Elephants produced by Cross-Eyed Bear Productions; Written and Directed by Duncan Pflaster; Costume Design by David Withrow; Lighting Design by Kevin B. Ploth; Original Music Composition by Adam Rabin; Fight Choreography by Chris C. Cariker; Performed by Eric C. Bailey, Christopher C. Cariker, Patricia Comstock, Jon Crefeld, Keith Patrick Dunn, Carols Rafael Fernandez. Paula Galloway, Clara Barton Green, Jason Alan Griffen, Kelly Nichols, Luke Strandquist and Jess Cassidy White.

Outstanding Overall Production of a New Drama Play (previously unpublished script) Bubby's Shadow produced by White Rabbit Theatre  and Mo Pula Productions; Written by Andrew Rothkin; Directed by Ramona Pula; Scenic Design by Yveyi, Costume Design by Isabelle Fields, Lighting Design by  Duane Pagano, Sound Design by Alan Kanevsky; Stage Managed by Krista Sarubbi, Assistant Directed by Amada Anderson; Props Design by Anna Umansky, Production Assistance by Nick Santasier; Program Design by Ron Idra; Performed by Noura  Jost, Yury Lomakin, Natasha Malinsky, Eric Percival, Stewart Schneck, Caroline  Samaan and Randi Sobol.

Outstanding Overall Production of a Staged Reading
Raggedy Ann & Andy: Music and Lyrics by Joe Raposo; Book and Direction by Jenny Greeman and Elliot Lanes

Outstanding Direction
(Tie)
Maura Farver for the direction of Sympathetic Division,
and
Lisa Rothe for the direction of Couldn't Say

Outstanding Choreography 
(Tie)
Jeremy Bloom for The Wendy Complex,
Merete Muenter for They Walk Among Us

Outstanding Playwriting for a New Script, Play or Book of a Musical

Monica Bauer for The Higher Education of Khalid Amir,
and
Duncan Pflaster for Prince Trevor Amongst the Elephants
 
Outstanding Music & Lyrics
Mari Carras, Nicholas Carras and Nicholas Kitsopoulos for OPA!

Outstanding Scenic Design
Steph Tucci for The Wendy Complex
 
Outstanding Lighting Design
Brian Tovar for The Wendy Complex

Outstanding Costume Design
(Tie)
Katie Gunning for Writer's Block,
and
Cheryl E. Kemeny, Debra Poruban, Elizabeth Lyons, Alexandrea Kemeny for Cleopatra: A Life Unparalleled 
 
Outstanding Sound Design
Nathan Lemoine for 10-Speed Revolution
 
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play
(Tie)
Carlos Rafael Fernandez for the role of Prince Trevor in Prince Trevor Amongst the Elephants, and
Eric Percival for the role of Jonny in Bubby’s Shadow

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play
Heidi J. Dallin for the role of Hillary Clinton in Hillary and Monica: The Winter of Her Discontent

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play
Larry Floyd for the role of Jack Washington in Jump Jim Crow
 
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play
(Tie)
Jenn Boehm for the role of Buffalo Calf in Ghost Dancers,
and
Jill Leithauser for the role of Owen in childhood Montana

 Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
(Tie)
Ben Hersey for the role of Jimmy Chen in Penang,
and Charles J. Roby for the role of Frank in Zen and The Art of Doing Nothing

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
(Tie)
Randi Sobol for the role of Bubby in Bubby's Shadow,
and
Maria Portman Kelly for the role of Mary in Out of Control

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical
Jonathan Rayson for the role of Casey in Love, Incorporated

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical
Cidalia Alves for the role of Mardian in Cleopatra: A Life Unparalleled 

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical
Tally Sessions for the role of Landon/Bragg/Various in Love, Incorporated

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical
(Tie)
Jenn Anaya for the role of Princess Aleysha in Eighty-1,
and
Jan Leslie Harding for the role of Xenia/Young Xenia in OPA!

Outstanding Actor in a One-Act
Ari Brand for the role of Ethan in “The Claw of the Schwa” from Directors’ Reality

Outstanding Actress in a One-Act
Barbara Mundy for the role of Woman in Striptease from Striptease into The Trip to Bahia Blanca
 
Outstanding Performance in a Solo Show
Lisa Ramirez for Exit Cuckoo

Outstanding Ensemble in a Play or Full Evening of One-Acts (Cast of 3 or more)
Chris Critelli, Philip Mutz, Alley Scott and Raisa Ellington for Kidnapping Laura Linney

Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical
Demetrios Bonaroa, Joseph Callari, Michael Dionissiou, Carolee Goodgold, Abigail Hardin, Jan Leslie Harding, Michael Alan Jacobs, Deborah Litwak, Costa Nicolas, Patrick Riviere, Eric Ruben, Louis Michael Sacco, and Natasha Tabandera for OPA!

Outstanding Postcard
The Wendy Complex

Outstanding Program
Cleopatra: A Life Unparalleled 

 

Producer's Awards

Cleopatra: A Life Unparalleled 

Produced by Crystal Theatre (June Havoc Theatre)

Directors’ Reality

Produced by Small Pond Entertainment (Where Eagles Dare Theatre)

Entwine

Produced by Husky Dog Productions and Eileen Trilli (Stage Left Theatre)

Flies in the Snuffbox

Produced by Tonic Productions and Practice Theatre (Dorothy Strelsin Theatre)

OPA!

Produced by Double Play Connections, LLC & Wild Bird Productions, Inc. (TBG Theatre)

Yom Kippur Produced by Dancing on the Moon Productions (MainStage Theatre)

 MITF Congeniality Award
81st Street Productions (for Writer’s Block)

 Additional Information on the MITF can be found at www.midtownfestival.org