Celebrating 15 years and the 2019 Award Nominees

New York, NY: On Monday, July 29, 2019, The New York Innovative Theatre Awards, announced the 2019 nominees for the annual Off-Off-Broadway awards. The It Awards have celebrated the vibrant and creative theatre community for the past 15 years.  The official announcement took place at (Le) Poisson Rouge by six celebrated artists and producers from the community including: Jazmyn Arroyo, Jennifer Betite Yen, Iyvon Edebiri, Chris Ignacio, Ashley Rogers, and Erez Ziv. 

This year’s nominees include 147 individual artists and 64 productions presented by 73 theatre companies. Over the past 15 years, the It Awards have honored over 2,600 artists, 750 productions and over 725 Indie Theatre companies.

“It's remarkably nourishing to receive recognition from the larger New York Indie Theatre community, which feels like a continuation of the work we started with our production,” said Alexis Roblan who is nominated for Outstanding Original Full-Length Script for Red Emma and the Mad Monk.

“Fifteen years is a big milestone for our organization, and we are making the most of it. We are looking forward to sharing some amazing surprises over the next few months,” said Executive Director Shay Gines.

The 2019 New York Innovative Theatre Awards Ceremony will take place in September. Watch our twitter account for details to be announced soon @nyitawards.

Press photos and information about the event are available at www.nyitawards.com and from our press agent Katie Rosin at 917-512-2626 and pr@nyitawards.com.

List of the 2019 New York Innovative Theatre Awards Nominees Follows:

 
2019 New York Innovative Theatre Awards Nominees

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE

Alex & Eugene
Isle of Shoals Productions, Inc.
Aja Downing, Reggie Herold, Katherine Leidlein, Joseph M. Mace, Rori Nogee, Noah Pyzik, Jae Shin, Anna Stefanic, Brittany Zeinstra

Hamlet (What Dreams May Come)
Ript Theater Company in association with The Secret Theatre
Lindsay Alexandra Carter, Ade Otukoya, Chauncy Thomas, Nathan Winkelstein

The Maids
The Seeing Place Theater
Erin Cronican, Christine Redhead, Gaia Visnar

Plan G
Randomly Specific Theatre
Allan Hayhurst, Lauren LeBeouf, Tiffany May McRae, Sarah Misch, Larry Phillips, Forrest Weber

Spring Awakening
Gallery Players
Taylor Bloom, Aaron Braden, Harrison Bryan, Jacob Anthony Cain, Brendan Charles, Osborn Focht, Nick Godfrey, Gaby Greenwald, Nathaniel Gregory, Mikaela Kafka, Raquel Kahn, Isabella King, Thomas Kuklenski, Nicole Lopez, Gaby Mank, Tyler Moscaritola, Mariela Flor Olivo, Amanda Starr

Who Am I This Time? (And Other Conundrums Of Love)
Wise Fish Theater Collective in association with Martina Bonolis & Meghan Ginley
Zach Gamble, Meghan Ginley, Robin Johnson, Kent Koren, Franco Pedicini, Isabel Shill, Stephen Zuccaro


OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE

Amie Cazel
Pregnant Pause
Good Pilgrim

Kim Katzberg
Dad in a Box
Eat a Radish Productions

Larry Phillips
The Art of Acting: A Master Class with Fozzie Bear
Larry Phillips

Laura Sisskin Fernandez
You Hold a Pole Everday
Playful Substance

 
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE

Bruce Barton
Hamlet
Hudson Warehouse in association with Susane Lee

Daniel Burns
She Calls Me Firefly
Parity Productions in association with New Perspectives Theatre Company

Connor Chaney
The Harrowing of Hell
American Theatre of Actors in association with Collectio Musicorum, Inc.

Desmond Dutcher
Mary, Mary
Retro Productions

David Leeper
Stupid Fucking Bird
Stripped Scripts

Jacob Lewis Lovendahl
Experimenting with Katz
New Ambassadors Theatre Company in association with Julia Botero

Federico Mallet
Eight Tales of Pedro
The Secret Theatre

Scott McCord
The Head Hunter
One Shot Deal


OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE

Maybe Burke
Red Emma and the Mad Monk
The Tank & Emma Orme

Adiagha Faizah
You Wouldn't Expect
American Bard Theater Company

Melissa Glasgow
A Chorus Line
Gallery Players

Meghan E. Jones
Mary, Mary
Retro Productions

Meredith M. Sweeney
Catch the Sparrow
Isle of Shoals Productions, Inc.

Jo Vetter
The Poor of New York
Metropolitan Playhouse

Yokko
Shinka
Ren Gyo Soh


OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE

Adam Belvo
The Brutes
spit&vigor in association with Jay Michaels Arts & Entertainment

Harrison Bryan
Spring Awakening
Gallery Players

Braeson Herold
Worse Than Tigers
The Mill in association with New Ohio Theatre

Milo Longenecker
The Fantastical Dangerous Journey of Q
Rebel Playhouse in association with 14th Street Y

Vinnie Penna
Twelfth Night
Boomerang Theatre Company

Olivier Renaud
Stupid Fucking Bird
Stripped Scripts

Evan Teich
Assassins
The Secret Theatre

Ronnie Williams
Man Frog and Other People
Necessary I. T. E. M. S. Project


OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A LEAD ROLE

Heather E. Cunningham
Mary, Mary
Retro Productions

Naomi Lorrain
Entangled
The Amoralists

Lori Elizabeth Parquet
Operating Systems
Flux Theatre Ensemble

Mahima Saigal
Queen
Astoria Performing Arts Center

Lisa Strum
whatdoesfreemean?
Nora's Playhouse in association with The Tank

Shannon Marie Sullivan
Worse Than Tigers
The Mill in association with New Ohio Theatre

Gaia Visnar
The Maids
The Seeing Place Theater


OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY/MOVEMENT

Shiloh Goodin
Spring Awakening
Gallery Players

Eddie Gutierrez
A Chorus Line
Gallery Players

Alex Johnson
Alex & Eugene
Isle of Shoals Productions, Inc.

Joey McKneely
Shadows, a dance musical
Go Joe Enterprises

Shoko Tamal
The Tempest
The Secret Theatre

Yoshiko Usami
Shinka
Ren Gyo Soh


OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR

Adam Knight
Stupid Fucking Bird
Stripped Scripts

Katie Lindsay
Red Emma and the Mad Monk
The Tank &Emma Orme

Lauren A Shields
Assassins
The Secret Theatre

Sara Thigpen
Twelfth Night
Boomerang Theatre Company

Owen Thompson
The Tempest
The Secret Theatre

Yoshiko Usami
Shinka
Ren Gyo Soh


OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN

Annie Garrett-Larsen
And Then There Were None
The Secret Theatre

Asa Lipton
Alex & Eugene
Isle of Shoals Productions, Inc.

Anthony Logan Cole
The Tempest
The Secret Theatre

Kia Rogers
Operating Systems
Flux Theatre Ensemble

Kia Rogers
Real
Rodrigo Nogueira in association with The Tank

Cha See
Honors Students
Tavine Productions


OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

Michelle Beshaw
Duke Oldřich & Washerwoman Božena, the True Story
GOH Productions in association with Czechoslovak American Marionette Theatre

Sarah Marie Dixey
Hamlet (What Dreams May Come)
Ript Theater Company in association with The Secret Theatre

Julia Kulaya
Experimenting with Katz
New Ambassadors Theatre Company in association with Julia Botero

Marissa L. Menezes
Once Upon a Mattress
Gallery Players

Ben Philipp
Mary, Mary
Retro Productions

Yunzhu Zeng
Where Is My Maple Town
MapleTown Production Company


OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN

Matthew Carlin
Worse Than Tigers
The Mill in association with New Ohio Theatre

Jack Cunningham & Rebecca Cunningham
Mary, Mary
Retro Productions

Gabriel Firestone
Whirlwind
Jordan's Play Lab in association with Rebecca Crigler & Barn Owl, LLC

Lily Guerin
The Year of the Solar Eclipse
Kyoko & Ezra

Daniel Hogan
Friendly's Fire
The Rising Sun Performance Company in association with the Theatre at the 14th Street Y

Matthew D. McCarren
Goodbody
The Crook Theater Company

Tim McMath
Cannibal Galaxy: a love story
Between Two Boroughs Productions


OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN

Beata Bocek
Duke Oldřich & Washerwoman Božena, the True Story
GOH Productions in association with Czechoslovak American Marionette Theatre

Margaret Montagna
Queen
Astoria Performing Arts Center

John Salutz
Red Emma and the Mad Monk
The Tank & Emma Orme

Aj Surasky
Worse Than Tigers
The Mill in association with New Ohio Theatre

Jeanne Travis
Honors Students
Tavine Productions

Fan Zhang
Cannibal Galaxy: a love story
Between Two Boroughs Productions


OUTSTANDING INNOVATIVE DESIGN

Hao Bai, Eric Marciano & Ildiko Nemeth 
for Projection Design
Electronic City
The New Stage Theatre Comapny

Yana Birykova 
for Projection Design
Cannibal Galaxy: a love story
Between Two Boroughs Productions

Magnus Pind Bjerre 
for Video Design
The Neurology of the Soul
Untitled Theater Co. No. 61

Raquel Cion, Maia Cruz Palileo, & Kim Katzberg
for Video Design
Dad in a Box
Eat a Radish Productions

Sarah George & Sonya Plenefisch
for Properties Design
Whirlwind
Jordan's Play Lab in association with Rebecca Crigler & Barn Owl, LLC

John J.A. Jannone
for Video Design
The Female Role Model Project
Transforma Theatre, Inc.

Keo X-Men
for Graffiti Design
This Is Modern Art
Blessed Unrest


OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MUSIC

Karen Bishko, Maxim Moston, & Edison Woods
Shadows, a dance musical
Go Joe Enterprises

Beata Bocek
Duke Oldřich & Washerwoman Božena, the True Story
GOH Productions in association with Czechoslovak American Marionette Theatre

Luis D'Elias
Eight Tales of Pedro
The Secret Theatre

Joe Jung
A Midsummer Nights Dream
Smith Street Stage

Teresa Lotz
Red Emma and the Mad Monk
The Tank & Emma Orme

Francesco Santalucia
MacBeth
First Maria Ensemble


OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SHORT SCRIPT

Eliza Bent
The Beyoncé
Adjusted Realists

Kathleen Jones
Pregnant Pause
Good Pilgrim

Kim Katzberg
Dad in a Box
Eat a Radish Productions

Teresa Lotz
She Calls Me Firefly
Parity Productions in association with New Perspectives Theatre Company

Larry Phillips
The Art of Acting: A Master Class with Fozzie Bear
Larry Phillips

Carrie Robbins
The Dragon Griswynd
Days of the Giants LLC


OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL FULL-LENGTH SCRIPT

Emily J Daly
#yourmemorial
Pigeonholed

Gabriel Jason Dean & Charly Evon Simpson
Entangled
The Amoralists

Tori Keenan-Zelt
Truth/Dare
Project Y Theatre Company

Dorothy Lyman
In The Bleak Midwinter
Stuffed Olive, Inc. 

Alexis Roblan
Red Emma and the Mad Monk
The Tank & Emma Orme

Madhuri Shekar
Queen
Astoria Performing Arts Center


OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE ART PRODUCTION

The 11th Dimension
ETdC Projects' Lab in association with Roi Escudero & Valentin Ewan

Arkham
Part of the 10th Annual H.P.Lovecraft Festival
Radiotheatre in association with Theatre At St.John's

Befuddled 101
Amnesia Wars Productions

Electronic City
The New Stage Theatre Company

The Harrowing of Hell
American Theatre of Actors in association with Collectio Musicorum, Inc.

now my hand is ready for my heart: intimate histories
LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club In Association with Mount Tremper Arts


OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL

Assassins
The Secret Theatre

Caroline, or Change
Astoria Performing Arts Center

A Chorus Line
Gallery Players

Into The Woods
Theater 2020

Red Emma and the Mad Monk
The Tank & Emma Orme

Spring Awakening
Gallery Players


OUTSTANDING PREMIERE PRODUCTION OF A PLAY

36 Juniper
Wrong House Productions

In The Bleak Midwinter
Stuffed Olive, Inc.

Queen
Astoria Performing Arts Center

Shinka
Ren Gyo Soh 

Whirlwind
Jordan's Play Lab in association with Rebecca Crigler & Barn Owl, LLC

Worse Than Tigers
The Mill in association with New Ohio Theatre


OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY

And Then There Were None
The Secret Theatre

Hamlet (What Dreams May Come)
Ript Theater Company in association with The Secret Theatre

The Maids
The Seeing Place Theater

Mary, Mary
Retro Productions

Stupid Fucking Bird
Stripped Scripts

The Tempest
The Secret Theatre
SAVE THE DATE
15th ANNUAL NEW YORK INNOVATIVE THEATRE
AWARDS CEREMONY
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER16, 2019
LOCATION: TBD


The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation is a not-for-profit organization recognizing the great work of New York City's Off-Off-Broadway, honoring its artistic heritage, and providing a meeting ground for this extensive and richly varied community. The organization advocates for Off-Off-Broadway and recognizes the unique and essential role it plays in contributing to American and global culture. They believe that publicly recognizing excellence in Off-Off-Broadway will expand audience awareness and foster greater appreciation of the New York theatre experience. www.nyitawards.com


Sponsors: Kampfire Films PR www.kampfirefilmspr.com; Kyden Machine Inc.  www.kydeninc.com; and contributions by Donn Russell www.donnrussellnantucketprints.com


For More Information, press pack, photos, EPK of previous Awards Show, please contact Press Agent: Katie Rosin 917-512-2626 or pr@nyitawards.com.# # #

Mistresses of Our Own Destinies

Contributed by Tanya O'Debra

Working in theater is for crazy people. Only the truly disturbed would hear the word “no” repeatedly, but decide that what they actually heard was “yes”. That’s doubly true for the Off-Off-Broadway community, which is made up of people who don’t have commercial looks or commercial ideas and who simply refuse to stop making work that doesn’t fit into the mainstream. This is an area where women are definitely crazier than men, because plays written by women are not produced even close to the rates of their male counterparts, and there are far fewer roles available to female actors (especially if you want to wear all your clothes and not cry to make up for a playwright’s lack of character development). And yet, here we all are. I’ve been around long enough to see Off-Off-Broadway basically crumble around me a couple times over at this point. But like a mischief of rats, we just scurry to the next available building.

I wrote my first play, Fuck You or Dead Pee-holes, an American Tale in Thirteen Acts, with a couple of friends from acting school. We put it up at the now defunct Present Company Theatorium in November of 2000. After our show closed, I worked the box office on and off until fate (and the rent being too damn high, and zoning) shut that space down in 2003. My heart broke a little every time I walked past that empty theater, and I’ll never forgive the apartment building that stands in its place. Unless, of course, they put a theater in the basement.

My partners and I took that same show to my first New York International Fringe Festival in 2001. Our venue was the chop shop next door to the Theatorium. It didn’t even have four walls. The staff put up a sheet of plastic to close off the space. Even with such a challenging venue, our show won an Excellence Award in Over-All Production. We thought we had been set up to fail, but the Off-Off Broadway community doesn’t work that way. We are used to dirty basements and all manner of less than ideal situations, so we can see the theatre beyond the theater. We can see beyond the dollar.

The Kraine picked us up for a five-week run after Fringe was over. Week two of that run was September 11th. The following week, as soon as people were allowed below Houston, there was a meeting of downtown theater artists at that very same chop shop next to the Present Company Theatorium, and the agenda of that meeting was to make sure everyone was still alive. My friends and artistic partners had a separate meeting to decide whether or not theatre was even valuable thing to do in a post-9/11 world. Ultimately, we decided that, of course, it was. We just had to be gentler.

After that, my life was a mess of open mics whose venues all subsequently shut down. RIP to Surf Reality in 2003, Collective: Unconscious in 2008, and The Bowery Poetry Club, which became Duane Park in 2012. And of course there was my regular haunt Mo Pitkin’s, where I performed as a member of the house sketch team for Radical Vaudeville, which closed in 2007. After I left my open mic in 2008, I took my play Radio Star to Edinburgh, then Horse Trade picked it up for a run at The Red Room (RIP in 2013). Boy, do I love Erez Ziv, though he’s basically an enabler who needs to be stopped. From then on, Horse Trade presented whatever crazy work I put out. And even though a car accident put a bit of an unexpected hiatus on my career, I’m sure I’ll be scurrying across one of his stages before long.

This statement reads like an obituary to Off-Off-Broadway venues that have passed on, but it is actually a testament to the idea that our community is not defined by our spaces, but by our passion and by our work. It is defined by the people and by the art. Even though we’ve lost so many of our performance spaces over the years, we are still here. And new artists and audience members join us every day. We will always be here.

                                       _______________________________________________________

TANYA O’DEBRA is a Brooklyn-based, Boston-born writer/performer/funny lady. One half of the ECNY Award-nominated comic sister duo, The O'Debra Twins, Ms. O’Debra has spread mirth and filth all over NYC. Their annual O’Debbie Awards garnered a Best of New York Award from The Village Voice. Her play Fuck You won The Excellence Award in Overall Production at Fringe NYC. Published by Original Works, her play Radio Star has been produced all over the world, receiving numerous awards and accolades. Winner of the Miss Fag Hag Pageant, other theater credits include Patrice O’Debra in Straight Up Vampire (Joe’s Pub), The Evil Queen in Snow White (The New Acting Company) and Amanda McCloud in The Ultimate Stimulus (Dixon Place). Her play, Shut UP, Emily Dickinson, was presented at the Orlando ad Cincinnati Fringe Festivals. She currently cohosts Hawaiian Nights, a comedy interview show on Radio Free Brooklyn.