With more and more tried-and-true revivals being staged on Broadway these days, much of New York's cutting-edge Off-Broadway theater scene tends to get overlooked.
Trying to remedy this unfortunate fact, the New York Innovative Theatre Awards held a gala, hosted by Julie Halston, on September 24th to announce the winners of their 2007 awards. Given annually to honor individuals and organizations who have achieved artistic excellence in Off-Off-Broadway theatre, the New York IT Awards recognize the unique and essential role Off-Off-Broadway plays in contributing to American and global culture, and believes that publicly recognizing excellence in Off-Off-Broadway theatre will expand audience awareness and appreciation of the full New York theatre experience.
The list of nominees and winners can be found below, or you can head over to nyitawards.com for more information.
In this exclusive video, Corine Cohen interviews host Julie Halston and several IT Awards Nominees!
WINNER: Boo Killebrew, Julia Lowrie Henderson, Ryan Purcell, Max Rosenak, Phillip Taratula and Daniel Walker Stowell (6969, CollaborationTown, A Theatre Company Inc.)
NOMINEES: * Lynn Berg, Audrey Crabtree and Aimee German -- Bouffon Glass Menajoree, Ten Directions * Laura Berlin Stinger, Abigail Browde, Sebastian Calderon-Bentin, Heather Christian, Sean Donovan, Emmitt George, Mike Mikos, Dan Safer, Orion Taraban and Randy Thompson -- Dancing Vs the Rat Experiment, La MaMa ETC in association with Witness Relocation * Mary Archias, Peter Blomquist, Jason Craig, Rod Hipskind, Jessica Jelliffe, Casey Opstad and Heather Peroni -- The Fall & Rise of The Rising Fallen, Banana Bag & Bodice * Adam Belvo, Tom Cleary, Micah Freedman, Marguerite French, Matthew Gray, Angus Hepburn, Megan Ketch, Christiaan Koop, Elena McGhee, Mick O'Brien and Andy Waldschmidt -- Mad Forest, QED Productions * Jose Cavazos, Catherine Correa, Tino del Casar, Nicole Hafner, Sara Hatfield, Markus Hirnigel, Denice Kondik, Kaylin Lee Clinton, Sarah Lemp, Florencia Minniti, Fabiyan Pemble-Belkin, Monica Risi, Paula Roman, Gabriele Schafer and Jeanne Lauren Smith -- Some Historic, Some Hysteric, New Stage Theatre Company
Outstanding Solo Performance
WINNER: Mike Houston (The Ledge, eavesdrop)
NOMINEES: * Dan Carbone -- Kingdom of Not, Kaliyuga Arts * Joe Curnutte -- Thinking Makes It So, Examined Man Theatre * Deborah Louise Ortiz -- Changing Violet, Dangerous Curves Productions/Shetler Studios * Jonathan Tindle -- Maud - The Madness by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Phoenix Theatre Ensemble
Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role
WINNER: Joe Plummer (As You Like It, poortom Productions)
NOMINEES: * Michael Crane -- West Moon Street, Prospect Theater Company * Jon Frazier -- Urinetown, The Musical, The Gallery Players * Jay T. Johnson -- I Wish You A Boat, Ward Studio Company * Brian Linden -- The Country Wife, HoNkBarK! and Vital Theatre * Julian James Mohammed -- fuckplays, Working Man's Clothes * Alex Webb -- West Moon Street, Prospect Theater Company
Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role
WINNER: Boo Killebrew (6969, CollaborationTown, A Theatre Company Inc.)
NOMINEES: * Christine Brumbaugh -- I Wish You A Boat, Ward Studio Company * Jocelyn Greene -- West Moon Street, Prospect Theater Company * Denice Kondik -- Some Historic, Some Hysteric, New Stage Theatre Company * Jennifer McGuire -- Better Living, T. Schreiber Studio * Suzan Perry -- Strom Thurmond Is Not A Racist/Cleansed, The Immediate Theater Company
Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role
WINNER: Max Rosenak (6969, CollaborationTown, A Theatre Company Inc.)
NOMINEES: * Spencer Aste -- Rules of the Universe, Rising Phoenix Repertory * Matt DeAngelis -- The Flood, Prospect Theater Company * Keir Dullea -- Strings, The Open Book * Warren Kelley -- Strings, The Open Book * Mac Rogers -- The Adventures of Nervous-Boy (a penny dreadful), Nosedive Productions * Mark Setloc -- Never Tell, Broken Watch Theatre Company
Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role
WINNER: Susan Louise O'Connor (the silent concerto, Packawallop Productions, Inc.)
NOMINEES: * Virginia Baeta -- The Imaginary Invalid, Resonance Ensemble * Barret Doss -- Strom Thurmond Is Not A Racist/Cleansed, The Immediate Theater Company * Judith Hawking -- West Moon Street, Prospect Theater Company * Stephanie Janssen -- Israel Horovitz's New Shorts, Barefoot Theatre Company * Jessica Scholl -- Shangri La, Craig Bowley * Marnye Young -- Waxing West, East Coast Artists
Outstanding Choreography/Movement
WINNER: Dan Safer (Dancing Vs the Rat Experiment, La MaMa ETC in association with Witness Relocation)
NOMINEES: * John Hayden -- Hamlet, Orpheus Productions * Gabrielle Lansner -- Shangri La, Craig Bowley * Heidi Latsky -- Trophy Wife, La MaMa ETC in association with Watson Arts * Qui Nguyen -- The Kung Fu Importance of Being Earnest, The Brick Theater, Inc. * Wendy Seyb -- The Great Conjurer, Fluid Motion Theater & Film
Outstanding Director
WINNER: Daniel Talbott (Rules of the Universe, Rising Phoenix Repertory)
NOMINEES: * Eric Davis -- Bouffon Glass Menajoree, Ten Directions * Matthew Hopkins -- 6969, CollaborationTown, A Theatre Company Inc. * Padraic Lillis -- The Dirty Talk, Spare Change Productions, Inc * Davis McCallum -- West Moon Street, Prospect Theater Company * Anya Saffir -- Hamlet, Orpheus Productions
Outstanding Lighting Design
WINNER: Peter Hoerburger (The Present Perfect, The Operating Theater) NOMINEES: * Andrea Boccanfuso -- Picasso at the Lapin Agile, T. Schreiber Studio * Dusty Ray -- Never Tell, Broken Watch Theatre Company * Mike Riggs -- 6969, CollaborationTown, A Theatre Company Inc. * Jay Ryan -- Dancing Vs the Rat Experiment, La MaMa ETC in association with Witness Relocation * Tim Walsh -- Jitter, Ladylike Productions
Outstanding Costume Design
WINNER: David Withrow (Bug Boy Blues, The Looking Glass Theatre)
NOMINEES: * Pandora Andrea Gastelum -- Dancing Vs the Rat Experiment, La MaMa ETC in association with Witness Relocation * Karen Ann Ledger -- Picasso at the Lapin Agile, T. Schreiber Studio * Ramona Ponce -- Trophy Wife, La MaMa ETC in association with Watson Arts * Karl Ruckdeschel -- The Country Wife, HoNkBarK! and Vital Theatre * Naomi Wolff -- West Moon Street, Prospect Theater Company
Outstanding Set Design
WINNER: George Allison (Picasso at the Lapin Agile, T. Schreiber Studio)
NOMINEES: * Megan Biddle -- The Present Perfect, The Operating Theater * Michael Casselli -- Abandon, La MaMa ETC in association with Creation Production Company * Brian Garber -- The Country Wife, HoNkBarK! and Vital Theatre * Michael Paul Kramer -- A New Brain, Astoria Peforming Arts Center * Hal Tine -- Better Living, T. Schreiber Studio
Outstanding Sound Design
WINNER: Ryan Maeker & Tim Schellenbaum (Dancing Vs the Rat Experiment, La MaMa ETC in association with Witness Relocation)
NOMINEES: * Dan Bianchi -- Radiotheatre's The Haunting of 85 East 4th Street, Radiotheatre/Horsetrade * Andrew Eisele -- Better Living, T. Schreiber Studio * Brandon Lowry -- Shangri La, Craig Bowley * Ryan Maeker -- the silent concerto, Packawallop Productions, Inc. * Brandon Wolcott -- 6969, CollaborationTown, A Theatre Company Inc.
Outstanding Original Music
WINNER: Leanne Darling (The Landlord, Toy Box Theatre Company)
NOMINEES: * Cormac Bluestone -- Hamlet, Orpheus Productions * Paul Foglino & Terry Waldo -- Trophy Wife, La MaMa ETC in association with Watson Arts * Andrew Ingkavet -- Abandon, La MaMa ETC in association with Creation Production Company * Genji Ito, Heather Paauwe, David Sawyer, Ben Sher, Michael Sirotta, Ellen Stewart & Yukio Tsuji -- Herakles Via Phaedra, La MaMa ETC * Peter Mills & Cara Reichel -- The Flood, Prospect Theater Company
Outstanding Original Full Length Script
WINNER: Saviana Stanescu (Waxing West, East Coast Artists)
NOMINEES: * Thomas Bradshaw -- Strom Thurmond Is Not A Racist/Cleansed, The Immediate Theater Company * Kirk Wood Bromley -- The Death of Griffin Hunter, Inverse Theater Company * Jason Craig -- The Fall & Rise of The Rising Fallen, Banana Bag & Bodice * Michael Puzzo -- The Dirty Talk, Spare Change Productions, Inc * Rob Urbinati -- West Moon Street, Prospect Theater Company
Outstanding Original Short Script
WINNER: Daniel Reitz (Rules of the Universe, Rising Phoenix Repertory)
NOMINEES: * Lynn Berg, Audrey Crabtree, Eric Davis & Aimee German -- Bouffon Glass Menajoree, Ten Directions * Justin Cooper -- Wood, fuckplays, Working Man's Clothes * Israel Horovitz -- Beirut Rocks, Israel Horovitz's New Shorts, Barefoot Theatre Company * Israel Horovitz -- The Hotel Play, Israel Horovitz's New Shorts, Barefoot Theatre Company * Casey Wimpee -- Arms and the Octopus, fuckplays, Working Man's Clothes
Outstanding Production of a Performance Art Piece
WINNER: Dancing Vs the Rat Experiment (La MaMa ETC in association with Witness Relocation)
NOMINEES: * Abandon -- La MaMa ETC in association with Creation Production Company * Changing Violet -- Dangerous Curves Productions/Shetler Studios * Radiotheatre's The Haunting of 85 East 4th Street -- Radiotheatre/Horsetrade * Some Historic, Some Hysteric -- New Stage Theatre Company * Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind -- New York Neo-Futurists
Outstanding Production of a Musical
WINNER: Urinetown (The Musical, The Gallery Players)
NOMINEES: * Greed: a Musical Love $tory -- The Brick Theater, Inc. * Happy End -- Theater Ten Ten * Shangri La -- Craig Bowley * The Flood -- Prospect Theater Company * Tock Tick -- Prospect Theater Company
Outstanding Production of a Play
WINNER: Bouffon Glass Menajoree (Ten Directions)
NOMINEES: * Rules of the Universe -- Rising Phoenix Repertory * Strom Thurmond Is Not A Racist/Cleansed -- The Immediate Theater Company * The Fall & Rise of The Rising Fallen -- Banana Bag & Bodice * The Imaginary Invalid -- Resonance Ensemble * West Moon Street -- Prospect Theater Company
