2014 Award Applications Available Online

Honorary Award Applications 

Due Monday, May 1, 2014 @ 6PM

The Honorary Awards are:

• The Artistic Achievement Award, presented to an individual who has made a significant artistic contribution to the Off-Off-Broadway community;
• The Caffe Cino Fellowship Award, presented to an Off-Off-Broadway theatre company that consistently produces outstanding work. This award also includes a grant to be used toward an Off-Off-Broadway production.
• The Ellen Stewart Award, presented to an individual or organization demonstrating a significant contribution to the Off-Off-Broadway community through service, support and leadership.

Complete an Honorary Award application TODAY!

Outstanding Stage Manager Applications

Due in June  2014

Help us recognize your Outstanding Stage Manager.
Read about our previous OSM Recipients

Complete an OSM application TODAY!

Outstanding Stage Manager Award 2014

Did you have an Outstanding Stage Manager this season?

Help us recognize them by submitting an application for the Outstanding Stage Manager Award.

If you registered a production with the IT Awards this season, then your Stage Manager is eligible for this award. Just complete the application.

Read about our previous recipients:

2013 Outstanding Stage Manager, Abbey Bay

2012 Outstanding Stage Manager, Katie Kavett

2011 Outstanding Stage Manager, Laura Schlachtmeyer

2010 Outstanding Stage Manager, Jaimie Van Dyke

2009 Outstanding Stage Manager, Jillian Zeman

Awesome Stage Managers

Did you register your production with the IT Awards for the 2011-2012 season? 

Did you have an awesome Stage Manager? 

If so, help us recognize their awesomeness by submitting an application for them to be considered for the Outstanding Stage Manager Award. 

Applications are online now and are due August 1, 2012 by 5pm.

As a part of the New York Innovative Theatre Awards, we have the opportunity to recognize the integral role Stage Managers play in the theatrical process and we are honored to present this award to one of the most important members of the team.

You can read about our previous recipients:

2009 - Jillian Zeman

2010 - Jaimie Van Dyke

2011 - Laura Schlachtmeyer

And here is a blog post about how we developed this award.

And the 2010 nominees are...

The 2010 Nominees were announce at a sold out event in the West Village. James Scruggs, Nicky Paraiso, Tzipora Kaplan, Doug Strassler, Jay Aubrey and Linda S. Nelson had the honor or announcing the nominees to the very enthusiastic crowd.

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE

Christine Rebecca Herzog, Itsuko Higashi, Jubil Khan, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks

Kaela Crawford, Julia Giolzetti, Caitlin Mehner, Alison Scaramella, Stephanie Strohm, Pink!, Down Payment Productions

Marc Bovino, Joe Curnutte, Michael Dalto, Stephanie Wright Thompson, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones
Jenny Bennett, Melissa D. Brown, John Graham, John J. Isgro, Courtney Kochuba, Kyle Minshew, Amanda Nichols, Katherine Nolan Brown, Jed Peterson, Sean Reidy, Miranda Shields, Douglas Taurel, Nate Washburn, The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company

Joie Bauer, David Bishins, Gina Nagy Burns, James Patterson, Chris Skeries, Harris Yulin, Janet Zarish, The Glass House, Resonance Ensemble

Daniel Abeles, Craig Jorczak, Jacob Murphy, Anna O'Donoghue, Laura Ramadei, Claire Siebers, Too Little Too Late, Red Elevator Productions



OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE

Dan Berkey, Remission, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival

Michael Graves, The Report of My Death, One Armed Man, Inc. in association with Oracle Theatre, Inc. and Faux-Real Theatre Company

David Harrell, A Little Potato and Hard to Peel, ADH Enterprises

Erin Markey, Puppy Love: A Stripper's Tail, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival

Brian McManamon, It or Her, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival

Avery Pearson, Monster, Really Sketchy and terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival

Jesse Zaritt, Binding, Theatre C and terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival


OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE

Michael Cyril Creighten, MilkMilkLemonade, The Management & Horse Trade Theater Group

Amir Darvish, Psych, Cake Productions

Kyle Haggerty, The Hypochondriac, the cell theatre company

Douglas Scott Sorenson, The Hypochondriac, the cell theatre company

Evan Thompson, Loyalties, Unity Stage Company

Paco Tolson, The Brokenhearteds, I Mean! Productions


OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE

Jess Barbagallo, MilkMilkLemonade, The Management & Horse Trade Theater Group

Nikole Beckwith, MilkMilkLemonade, The Management & Horse Trade Theater Group

Jessica Crandall, Agamemnon, LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club

Jennifer Harder, MilkMilkLemonade, The Management & Horse Trade Theater Group

Elaine O'Brien, Granada, Polybe + Seats

Anna O'Donoghue, Too Little Too Late, Red Elevator Productions


OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE

Frank Anderson, The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse

Marc Bovino, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones

Joe Curnutte, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones

Christopher Domig, A Mysterious Way, Firebone Theatre
John Halbach, Children At Play, CollaborationTown

Harris Yulin, The Glass House, Resonance Ensemble


OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A LEAD ROLE

Elizabeth A. Davis, Emily, An Amethyst Remembrance, Firebone Theatre

Elyse Mirto, Next Year in Jerusalem, WorkShop Theater Company

Susan Louise O'Connor, Children At Play, CollaborationTown

Tanya O'Debra, Radio Star, Horse Trade Theater Group and Tanya O'Debra

Kristen Vaughan, The Desk Set, Retro Productions

Stephanie Wright Thompson, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones


OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY/MOVEMENT

Nina Ashe, Manhattanpotamia IV, The Hyperion Theatre Project

Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble

Austin McCormick, Le Serpent Rouge, Company XIV

Christine O'Grady, Children of Eden, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Kim Weild, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks

Jesse Zaritt, Binding, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival


OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR

Daniel Brodie and Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble

Heather Cohn, The Lesser Seductions of History, Flux Theatre Ensemble

Lila Neugebauer, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones

Alex Roe, The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse

Brian Smith, Pink!, Down Payment Productions

Kim Weild, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks


OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN

Tim Cryan, Welcome to the Woods, The International Theatre Laboratory Workshop

Charles Foster, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks

Gina Scherr, Le Serpent Rouge, Company XIV

Joel Silver, Pink!, Down Payment Productions

John Tees III, Down Range, Delano Celli Productions

Christopher Weston, The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse


OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

Stephanie Alexander, Pink!, Down Payment Productions

Brooke Berry and Mark Mears, Psych, Cake Productions

Olivera Gajic, Le Serpent Rouge, Company XIV

Viviane Galloway, The Desk Set, Retro Productions

Julianne Kroboth, Craven Monkey and The Mountain of Fury, Piper McKenzie

Lisa Zinni, Killing Women, kef theatrical productions


OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN

Daniel Brodie, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble

Rebecca Cunningham, The Desk Set, Retro Productions

Michael P. Kramer, Children of Eden, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Zane Pihlstrom, Snow White, Company XIV

Brian Scott, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks

Amanda Stephens, Pink!, Down Payment Productions


OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN

The Broken Chord Collective, Thunder Above, Deeps Below, Second Generation Productions, Inc.

Stowe Nelson, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones

Shane Rettig, Alice in Slasherland, Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company

Philip Rothman, Proof, Tongue in Cheek Theater Productions

Jeanne Travis, The Desk Set, Retro Productions

Mark Valadez, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Performance Lab 115


OUTSTANDING INNOVATIVE DESIGN

C. Andrew Bauer, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks

Daniel Brodie, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble

Heather E. Cunningham and Casandera M.J. Lollar, The Desk Set, Retro Productions

Daniel Heffernan, The Glass House, Resonance Ensemble

Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble

Zane Pihlstrom, Snow White, Company XIV

Matt Tennie, Alice in Slasherland, Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company

David Valentine, Alice in Slasherland, Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company


OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MUSIC

Michael Kosch, The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse

Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble

Andrew Mauriello, Radio Star, Horse Trade Theater Group and Tanya O'Debra

Carl Riehl, Laika Dog in Space, New York Neo-Futurists

Colonna Sonora, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, Toy Box Theatre Company

Mark Valadez, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Performance Lab 115


OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SHORT SCRIPT

Lorraine Cink, Emilia’s Wish in The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company

Cheryl L. Davis, BMW in The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company

Amy Herzog, Christmas Present in Too Little Too Late, Red Elevator Productions

ML Kinney, What If… in The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company

Bethany Larsen, The Third Date in The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company

Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble


OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL FULL-LENGTH SCRIPT

James Comtois, Infectious Opportunity, Nosedive Productions

Stacy Davidowitz, Pink!, Down Payment Productions

Ashlin Halfnight, Balaton, Electric Pear Productions

Adam Kraar, Empire of the Trees, Wizard Oil Productions

Tanya O'Debra, Radio Star, Horse Trade Theater Group and Tanya O'Debra

Crystal Skillman, The Vigil or The Guided Circle, Impetuous Theater Group & The Brick Theater


OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE ART PRODUCTION

Binding, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival

Craven Monkey and The Mountain of Fury, Piper McKenzie

Diagnosis of a Faun, LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club

Haunted House, Vortex Theater Company

Manhattanpotamia IV, The Hyperion Theatre Project

Remission, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival

The Soup Show, New York Neo-Futurists


OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL

Caroline, or Change, The Gallery Players

Children of Eden, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Romance Romance, The Active Theater

Rootless: La No-Nostalgia, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival

The Cradle Will Rock, Theater Ten Ten

Top of the Heap, The Gallery Players


OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY

Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks

Pink!, Down Payment Productions

Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones

The Desk Set, Retro Productions

The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse

The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble

Congratulations to all of the 2010 Nominees.

SAVE THE DATE:
Fifth Annual IT Awards Ceremony
Monday, September 20, 2010
Location: TBD

My First OOB Job

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Contributed by Guest Blogger of the week, Jillian Zeman.

 One of my very first jobs in NYC outside of college was OOB.  I didn’t know much about OOB at the time, I had only recently gotten involved in stage management and I was trying to get as much experience as I could.  My stage management professor in college told us on our first day that though she could tell us how to do everything, we wouldn’t learn or understand until we were actually doing it. 

The show was Folie A Deux written by playwright David Stallings, and it was the first production by MTWorks.  I’d gotten the job through a friend who was involved in the company and I was really excited to work on an original piece.  

I was very green.  In my head I’d built up what I expected the process to be.  You expect an official rehearsal room, to move into the theatre during tech, and you expect everyone to be as passionate about the project as you are.  The passion was there, but there were a lot of things I did not expect on this job.  For one, I did not expect to work as the lighting designer as well as the stage manager.  I also did not expect to be rehearsing in someone’s living room.  But as I’ve worked more and more in OOB theatre, I’ve learned that this is not far from the norm. 

OOB theatre, and, well, all theatre is about teamwork.  The cast and crew of Folie A Deux worked together to get the show up.  Everyone pitched in to pick up the slack of what needed to be done.  A friend of mine was in town during tech and I had him assisting me with light focus.  Whereas in the bigger, more commercial productions there are strict lines about what someone can and cannot do (due to union rules, of course), OOB theatre has everyone dipping into different areas to get the work done.  There’s no argument of “that’s not my job”.  Everyone wants the show to be what it can be, and they help to make it happen. 

One of the most memorable incidents of this production was getting kicked out of the theatre during tech because the space had been double booked.  I don’t even think we’d gotten through the first act of the show.  Thankfully, our director, Cristina Alicea, was organized and knew exactly what she wanted and she and I were able to finish lighting the show without the cast. 

The show went well, and we had some great audiences come see us.  As a stage manager there’s always a rush of pride when the audience gives a standing ovation.  You’ve seen the show start as reading in a living room, and now there are lights, sound, costumes, props, and talented actors doing their thing.

After this production, I became a member of MTWorks and remain one to this day.  Though I am not as active in the company now as I was when it first started, I still remain close to them and consider them my theatre family. 

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Guest Blogger of the week: Jillian Zeman

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We would like to thank Johnny Blaze Leavitt for his fun and insightful blogs last week. 

We are happy to announce that next week's guest blogger is Jillian Zeman.

Jillian Zeman has been stage managing in New York City and OOB for the past 5 years.  Some of her OOB credits include:  Folie A Deux (MTWorks), Ragtime (APAC), Oh Virgil! A Theatrical Portrait (Woodstock Fringe) and Dark Side of the Moon (Thirsty Turtle Productions).  She has stage managed three national tours with Two Beans Productions (Winnie the Pooh, James and the Giant Peach, and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing) and is one of the stage managers on Nickelodeon presents "Storytime, Live!", currently touring across the country.  Jillian had the honor of being the first recipient of the "Outstanding Stage Manager" award presented by the IT Awards.  She holds a BA in Production and Stage Management and a minor in Management of the Arts from Marymount Manhattan College.

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Guest Blogger next week: Johnny Blaze Leavitt

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We would like to thank  Jonathan Reuning for his engaging and thought provoking posts this last week.


Next week's guest blogger is Johnny Blaze Leavitt.


Johnny Blaze Leavitt is the Executive Director and one of the founding members of Point of You Productions.  While focusing much of his time ensuring the artists (both ensemble members and guests) are provided with every opportunity to explore their craft, Johnny is also diligent in his own areas of interest: performing and playwrighting.  He has recently been performing stand-up comedy around NYC (including Caroline’s on Broadway).

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Outstanding Stage Manager Award

When Nick, Jason and I first conceived the idea of the Innovative Theatre Awards, we discussed at length what the award categories would be. We wanted to make sure that they took into account the uniqueness of OOB and honored the many people who contributed to the productions. We included categories like: Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Short Script, Outstanding Sound Design, Outstanding Choreography (that included fight choreography). These are categories that most of the other theatre awards do not present. But we all know how valuable the contributions of these artists are.

In those initial conversations we discussed presenting an Outstanding Stage Manager (OSM) award. It was something we felt very strongly about. The challenge (as you might imagine) was, how to adjudicate it in a way that was fair and meaningful.

We took months devising the adjudication process for the production awards. The idea was to get the community involved, to make connections between companies and artists and get audiences more invested in OOB. We consulted hundreds of theatre practitioners, other awards organizations and even a mathematician. While we felt very confident about the process for most of the awards, we still did not have a good plan for the OSM award. It was very frustrating, but we decided to move forward without it for the time being.

However, it was never far from our minds. Every year it was at the top of the list of improvements we wanted to make. Four years of managing these awards - including the honorary awards - gave us some significant insight and we began to see a way to make this happen.

We contacted a number of Stage Managers and some well regarded OOB artists and asked them what they thought of the idea of an OSM award and the plan we had devised for selecting this person. Everyone we contacted was over the moon about the idea. They eagerly provided feedback about the qualities of a good Stage Manager and suggestions on how to evaluate the applicants.

Some of the ideas were great, but not something that the IT Awards could reasonably undertake. As an example, one person suggested sending a judge to shadow and evaluate the Stage Manager as they ran the production. And true, that would give us a clear idea of how the SM handled them self during a production. However I think that most SMs would feel a little intimidated by that; OOB booths rarely have enough room for the crew let alone an additional body; and it would mean sending an additional judge to all registered productions, which honestly is beyond our capability and too much of an imposition on the production.

The feedback helped refine the application and selection plan. I would like to mention that Cat Parker was very instrumental during this process. She helped us improve our initial application, identify people we should consult and generally provided sound advice.

This is an exciting year for us. We are celebrating our 5^th year and it is such a great birthday present to be able to present the Outstanding Stage Manager Award.

I wanted to thank everyone that provided suggestions and response. This award is an experiment of sorts (we think we might be the first awards to present this honor along with all the other production awards) so feedback from the community is important and we are eager to hear from you.