Planet Connections Theatre Festivity Awards Come to Cherry Lane This Weekend; Nominees Announced!

Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, New York's premiere socially conscious-eco-friendly theatre festival, caps off its latest season with its annual awards ceremony on Sunday, August 14, at 7pm, at the Cherry Lane Theatre, located at 38 Commerce Street.

The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity Awards honor those productions and individuals that demonstrated artistic excellence and environmental responsibility at this year's Festivity, which took place from June 13-July 10 at The Paradise Factory in New York City.

Tickets for the event are $25.00 and can be purchased though OvationTix at 866 811-4111. The nominees and winners are selected by members of the Planet Connections staff.

"2016 was a very good year for Planet Connections, both in terms of the quality of works we presented as well as in overall attendance," noted Brock H. Hill, the company's Artistic Director. "I'm also happy to report that general awareness of the Festivity and its mission is steadily increasing as we received more media coverage this year than ever before. The upcoming award ceremonies serve as a way to acknowledge those performers and productions that had a hand in these successes."

A complete list of the nominees for this year's Planet Connections Awards follows:

Planet Activist Award

Step1 Theatre Project (Who Am I ) for hosting Who Are You? A 24-Hour Pride Fest benefitting the Audre Lorde Project

The Pink Hulk, raising funds and awareness for Mary's Place By The Sea

A Light In the Dark, raising funds and awareness for KittyKind

Hope You Get to Eleven or What Are We Going to Do About Sally?, raising funds and awareness for National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Cupcake Lady Productions (Imaginary Friends!) for working with Candle Lighters in costume for Charity Event

Greener Planet Award

Gideon - for its eco-friendly set design

Flow - for recycled materials used for set and props

Conservation Theater - for addressing green issues and offering practicAl Green alternatives to the audience in their piece

Congeniality Award

Valerie David, The Pink Hulk

Amber Crawford, A Light in the Dark

Bruce A. Kraemer, Gideon

Outstanding Overall Production of a New Play

A Light In the Dark

Gideon

Helvetica

The Chaplin Plays

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical/Play with Music

Ambition

Nix

The Golden Smile

The Social Avenger

Outstanding Overall Production of a Revival or Adaptation

Antigone

Drones

Ribs

Who Am I

Outstanding Overall Production of a Short Play or One-Act

"Occasionally Nothing" from Say Hello, Wave Goodbye: 3 Plays of Verbal Bondage

"The Case of the Absurdly Tall and Wholly Unnecessary Tower in Queens" from Imaginary Friends!

"Saitama" from Blankets and Bedtime: 3 Restless Plays

"Some Dreams" from A Madness of One-Acts Plays

Outstanding Overall Production of an Evening of One-Acts

A Madness of One-Act Plays

Blankets and Bedtime: 3 Restless Plays

Imaginary Friends!

Say Hello, Wave Goodbye: 3 Plays of Verbal Bondage

Outstanding Overall Production of a Solo Show

A Stopping Place

Hope You Get to Eleven or What Are We Going to Do About Sally?

Pilgrim Notes

The Pink Hulk

Outstanding Overall Production of a Staged Reading

d4rkly your retrorockets fl4re

Defence

Digna

Red Emma

Suicide by Wife

Outstanding Playwriting of a New Script

Will Coleman, Helvetica

Darci Faye, Infinitely Yours

Judith Leora, Gideon

Don Nigro, The Chaplin Plays

Wendy Mae Shelton, A Light In the Dark

Outstanding Book of a new Musical or Play with Music

Ambition

Nix

The Golden Smile

The Social Avenger

Outstanding Music & Lyrics

Ambition

Nix

The Golden Smile

Outstanding Playwriting of a One-Act/Short Form

Erik Champney, "Sparkler" from Blankets and Bedtime: 3 Restless Plays

Cecilia Copeland, "Some Dreams" from A Madness of One-Act Plays

Penny Jackson, "Bowery Street Blues" from A Madness of One-Act Plays

Glory Kadigan, "Superstars" from A Madness of One-Act Plays

Natalie Menna, "Occasionally Nothing" from Say Hello, Wave Goodbye: 3 Plays of Verbal Bondage

Outstanding Playwriting of a Staged Reading

Francesco Andolfi, Defence

Lynda Crawford, Familiar Strangers

Patricia Davis, Digna

Maxine Kern, Red Emma

Joel Krantz for the book of Ocean in a Teacup

Susan Jennifer Polese, Suicide by Wife

Outstanding Direction of a Play or Musical

Melody Erfani, Antigone

Roi Escudero, Flow

Joan Kane, Gideon

Lori Kee, A Light in the Dark

Ran Xia, Disability

Outstanding Direction of a Solo Show

Caroline Faustine, Pilgrim Notes

Scott Illingworth, Hope You Get to Eleven or What Are We Going to Do About Sally?

Padraic Lillis, The Pink Hulk

Arpita Mukherjee, How to Succeed as an Ethnically Ambiguous Actor

Clara Pagone, A Stopping Place

Outstanding Direction of a One-Act/Short Play

Laura Mae Baker, "The Case of the Absurdly Tall and Wholly Unnecessary Tower in Queens" from Imaginary Friends!

Janet Bentley, "Sparkler" from Blankets and Bedtime: 3 Restless Plays

Ivette Dumeng, "Occasionally Nothing" from Say Hello, Wave Goodbye: 3 Plays of Verbal Bondage

Melissa Skirboll, Superstars

Outstanding Choreography - Fight or Dance

Valerie Mae Browne, Who Am I

Michael Hagins, The Renaissance Dueling Plays

Jordan Laroya, Infinitely Yours

Nick Neagle, Antigone

Tyler Thomas, Ribs

Outstanding Scenic Design

Roi Escudero, Flow

Clara Pagone, A Stopping Place

G. Warren Stiles, Gideon

Anastasia Romantsova, Ambition

Christina Watanabe, Antigone

Outstanding Lighting Design

Jake Fine, A Light In the Dark

Jason Fok, Drones

Lucky Gilbert Pearto, The Chaplin Plays

Kelly Schuster, Ribs

Christina Watanabe, Antigone

Outstanding Sound Design

Donghyuk Chang, A Light In the Dark

Andy Evan Cohen, The Chaplin Plays

Tom King, Helvetica

Adam Sherwin, The Renaissance Dueling Plays

Aaron Vega, Infinitely Yours

Outstanding Costume Design

Laura Mae Baker, Imaginary Friends!

Barbara Begley, Ambition

Roi Escudero, Flow

Janet Mervin, The Chaplin Plays

Kat Moreno, The Renaissance Dueling Plays

Outstanding Use of Projections, Special Effects, Performance Art, and/or Multimedia Event

Andy Even Cohen, Blankets and Bedtime: 3 Restless Plays

Roi Escudero & Valentin Ewan, Flow

Cupcake Lady Productions, Imaginary Friends!

Melissa Skirboll, A Madness of One-Act Plays

Tyler Thomas, Ribs

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play

Francesco Andolfi, Drones

Al Foote, A Light In the Dark

Sven Haabeth, Helvetica

Michael Hagins, Who Am I

Andrew Hutchenson, Infinitely Yours

Mike Maloney, Antigone

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play

Jill Biachini, A Light In the Dark

Ivette Dumeng, The Chaplin Plays

Briana Femia, Father-Daughter

Tatyana Kot, Flow

Liz Pegg, Helvetica

Deb Radloff, Infinitely Yours

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical or Play With Music

Andy McCain, The Golden Smile

Carlos Martin, Nix

Fynn Harne, The Golden Smile

Johnny Sederquist, The Social Avenger

Robert DiDomenico, The Golden Smile

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical or Play With Music

Darilyn Castillo, Nix

Jody Doo, The Golden Smile

Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin, Ambition

Amanda Mason, The Golden Smile

Patricia Sabulis, Ambition

Julian Trilling, The Social Avenger

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical or Play with Music

Anthony Amaral, The Social Avenger

Jody Hinkley, The Golden Smile

Dan Martin, The Social Avenger

Damian Norfleet, Nix

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical or Play with Music

Vanessa Blanchette, The Social Avenger

Laurel Caruso, Nix

Toni Martin, Nix

Yasmin Schancer, The Golden Smile

Jourdan Spuirill, The Social Avenger

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play

Patrick Falcon, Antigone

William Hochman, Drones

Mark Levy, The Renaissance Dueling Plays

Chris Sanchez, Helvetica

Jae Woo, Antigone

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play

Jazmyn Arroyo, The Renaissance Dueling Plays

Amber Crawford, A Light In the Dark

Amy Gaipa, Gideon

Amanda Klinikowski, The Illusion of Love

Yokko Usami, Antigone

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Musical, or One-Act/Short Play

Laura Mae Baker, Imaginary Friends!

Victoria Giambalvo, Disability

Adelyne Liu, "Saitama" from Blankets and Bedtime: 3 Restless Plays

Mary Monohan, Gideon

Mary Sheridan, Who Am I

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Musical or One-Act/Short Play

Vinnie Eden Ortega, Drones

Michael Rehse, Imaginary Friends!

Xavier Rodney, Imaginary Friends!

Cherng-Mao Sun, "Saitama" from Blankets and Bedtime: 3 Restless Plays

David Triacca, Superstars

Outstanding Lead Actor in a One-Act/Short Play

Peter Collier, "Occasionally Nothing" from Say Hello, Wave Goodbye: 3 Plays of Verbal Bondage

Max Meyers, "Sparkler" from Blankets and Bedtime: 3 Restless Plays

Parker Pogue, Superstars

Erik Ransom, "Screens" from Blankets and Bedtime: 3 Restless Plays

Imran Sheikh, Bowery Street Blue

Outstanding Lead Actress in a One-Act/Short Play

Molly Collier, Some Dreams

Rachel A. Collins, Some Dreams

Ellie Gossage, "Sparkler" from Blankets and Bedtime: 3 Restless Plays

Mariel Matero, Superstars

Meggy Hai Trang, "Saitama" from Blankets and Bedtime: 3 Restless Plays

Outstanding Actress in a Staged Reading

Annie McGovern, Whence You Came

Elizabeth Inghram, Defence

Heather Massie, Hedy! The Life and Inventions of Hedy Lamarr

Luciana Faulhaber, Suicide by Wife

Snit Deshpande, Ocean in a Teacup

Outstanding Actor in a Staged Reading

Hunter Canning, The Waiting Game

Neil Pritchard, Suicide by Wife

Marc Sinewy, The Waiting Game

William Oliver Watkins, Inside the Box

Peter Zielinski, Familiar Strangers

Outstanding Performance in a Solo Show

Valerie David, The Pink Hulk

Adin Lenahan, Pilgrim Notes

Padraic Lillis, Hope You Get to Eleven or What Are We Going to Do About Sally?

Stephen Powell, A Stopping Place

Zenobia Shroff, How to Succeed As an Ethnically Ambiguous Actor

Outstanding Ensemble in a Play, Musical, or Evening of One-Acts

The Cast of Antigone

The Cast of Blankets and Bedtime: 3 Restless Plays

The Cast of Gideon

The Cast of Helvetica

The Cast of Ribs

The Cast of Who Am I