2009 Innovative Theatre Awards Announced!

On Monday September 21, 2009, the IT Awards (New York Innovative Theatre Awards), the organization dedicated to celebrating Off-Off-Broadway, and host Julie Halston, announced the 2009 recipients at the Fifth Annual IT Awards Ceremony at New World Stages. Those unable to attend joined the OOB theatre community's biggest night of the year online, and also followed theatre critic Aaron Riccio's (Theater Talk's New Theater Corps, That Sounds Cool) live-blogging at www.nyitawards.com/live.

The event was sponsored by Kampfire Films PR, United Stages, Lights Up & Cue Sound, and Five OHM Productions, with media sponsors: nytheatre.com, Show Business Weekly, Stage Buddy, Stagebuzz.com

2009 Innovative Theater  Award Winners:

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE

RECIPIENT: Christopher Borg, Jeffrey Cranor, Kevin R. Free, Eevin Hartsough,
(Not) Just A Day Like Any Other, New York Neo-Futurists

Kether Donohue, Phyllis Johnson, Jenny Maguire, Chris McKinney, Flaco Navaja, Jennifer Dorr White,
Blue Before Morning, terraNOVA Collective

Bard Goodrich, Ken Matthews, Megan McQuillan, Michael Solomon, Michael Szeles, Chris Thorn,
Most Damaging Wound, The Production Company

Laura Butler, Drae Campbell, Dawn Eshelman, Connie Hall, Ikuko Ikari, Hana Kalinski, Eunjee Lee, Mark Lindberg, Alanna Medlock, Jy Murphy, Jorge Alberto Rubio, Magin Schantz, Maureen Sebastian,
Oph3lia, knife, inc. and HERE Arts Center

Geraldine Bartlett, Brian D. Coats, Katrina Foy, William Jackson Harper, Khris Lewin, Carolyn McCandlish, Joe Mullen, Frank Rodriguez, Christopher Rubin, Jeremy Schwartz, Joe Sullivan, Andrew Zimmerman,
Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out), Babel Theatre Project

Joe Basile, Jill Beckman, Christopher Borg, Jeffrey Cranor, Cara Francis, Kevin R. Free, Ryan Good, Alicia Harding, Eevin Hartsough, Jacquelyn Landgraf, Sarah Levy, Erica Livingston, Rob Neill, Lauren Parrish, Joey Rizzolo, Justin Tolley, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, New York Neo-Futurists

Esther Barlow, Jennifer Gordon Thomas, Jason Howard, David Lamberton, David Ian Lee, Michelle O'Connor, Ridley Parson, Nancy Sirianni, Tarantino Smith, Ben Sulzbach,
Universal Robots, Manhattan Theatre Source in association with GidEon Productions 

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE

RECIPIENT: Jeff Grow,
Creating Illusion, soloNOVA Arts Festival

Martin Dockery,
The Surprise, soloNOVA Arts Festival

Leigh Evans,
Traces, soloNOVA Arts Festival

Abena Koomson,
Cozi Sa Wala: Magic Words, soloNOVA Arts Festival

Micia Mosely,
Where My Girls At?, Nursha in association with soloNOVA Arts Festival

Una Aya Osato,
Recess, FRIGID Festival

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE

RECIPIENT: William Apps IV,
Amerissiah, The Amoralists Theatre Company

Nicoye Banks,
The High Priestess of Dark Alley, Billie Holiday Theatre

Roy Clary,
McReele, Conflict of Interest Theater Company

Clint Morris,
Like You Like It, The Gallery Players

Jeffrey Plunkett,
All the Rage, Manhattan Theatre Source/Dark Brew Productions

Chris Thorn,
Most Damaging Wound, The Production Company

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE

RECIPIENT: Constance Parng,
Lee/gendary, HERE Arts Center

Ivanna Cullinan,
The Granduncle Quadrilogy: Tales from the Land of Ice, Piper McKenzie

Brynn Curry,
Like You Like It, The Gallery Players

Phyllis Johnson,
Blue Before Morning, terraNOVA Collective

Maura McNamara,
The Real Thing, T. Schreiber Studio

Aura Vence,
The High Priestess of Dark Alley, Billie Holiday Theatre

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE

RECIPIENT: Julian Elfer,
Twelfth Night, or What You Will,
T. Schreiber Studio

Jaron Farnham,
Still the River Runs, Zootopia Theatre Company

Steve French,
Still the River Runs, Zootopia Theatre Company

Jason Howard,
Universal Robots, Manhattan Theatre Source in association with GidEon Productions

David Ian Lee,
The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots, The Gallery Players in association with Engine37

August Schulenburg,
8 Little Antichrists, Flux Theatre Ensemble

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A LEAD ROLE

RECIPIENT: Elyse Mirto,
Any Day Now, Writer's Forum at Manhattan Theatre Source

Katrina Foy,
Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out), Babel Theatre Project

Soomi Kim,
Lee/gendary, HERE Arts Center

Jan Maxwell,
Scenes from an Execution, Potomac Theatre Project

Nedra McClyde,
Miss Evers' Boys, Red Fern Theatre Company

Kate Middleton,
Avow, The Cardinal Group

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY/MOVEMENT

RECIPIENT: Austin McCormick,
The Judgment of Paris, Company XIV

Keith Andrews,
Like You Like It, The Gallery Players

Airon Armstrong & Soomi Kim, Lee/gendary, HERE Arts Center

Edward Elefterion,
Shadow of Himself, Rabbit Hole Ensemble

Leigh Evans,
Traces, soloNOVA Arts Festival

Stefanie Smith,
The Selfish Giant, Literally Alive Children's Theatre

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR

RECIPIENT: Suzi Takahashi,
Lee/gendary, HERE Arts Center

Geordie Broadwater,
Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out), Babel Theatre Project

Nat Cassidy,
Any Day Now, Writer's Forum at Manhattan Theatre Source

Gia Forakis,
Blue Before Morning, terraNOVA Collective

Vit Horejs,
The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius, Lovers and Spyes and about Their Untymelie End while Sitting in a Small Room at the Correctional Facility in Ossining, N.Y., GOH Productions

Matthew J. Nichols,
Still the River Runs, Zootopia Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN

RECIPIENT: Bruce Steinberg,
Blue Before Morning, terraNOVA Collective

Lucrecia Briceno,
Lee/gendary, HERE Arts Center

Ian W. Hill,
The Granduncle Quadrilogy: Tales from the Land of Ice, Piper McKenzie

Andrew Lu,
Still the River Runs, Zootopia Theatre Company

Jennifer Rathbone,
Angel Eaters, Flux Theatre Ensemble

Federico Restrepo,
The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius, Lovers and Spyes and about Their Untymelie End while Sitting in a Small Room at the Correctional Facility in Ossining, N.Y., GOH Productions

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

RECIPIENT: Michelle Beshaw,
The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius, Lovers and Spyes and about Their Untymelie End while Sitting in a Small Room at the Correctional Facility in Ossining, N.Y., GOH Productions

Emily Morgan DeAngelis,
Angel Eaters, Flux Theatre Ensemble

Olivera Gajic,
The Judgment of Paris, Company XIV

Hunter Kaczorowski,
Like You Like It, The Gallery Players

Becky Lasky,
Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out), Babel Theatre Project

Karen Ann Ledger,
Twelfth Night, or What You Will, T. Schreiber Studio

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN

RECIPIENT: Michael P. Kramer,
Ragtime, Astoria Performing Arts Center

George Allison,
Twelfth Night, or What You Will, T. Schreiber Studio

Jim Boutin,
Coming, Aphrodite!, LaMaMa ETC in association with Watson Arts

Tristan Jeffers,
Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out), Babel Theatre Project

Caleb Levengood,
Angel Eaters, Flux Theatre Ensemble

Blair Mielnik,
To Barcelona!, Ignited States Production Company

OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN

RECIPIENT: Asa Wember,
Angel Eaters, Flux Theatre Ensemble

Dan Bianchi,
Dracula, Radiotheatre

Katie Down,
Blue Before Morning, terraNOVA Collective

Austin McCormick,
The Judgment of Paris, Company XIV

Nick Moore,
23 Knives, Resonance Ensemble

Chris Rummel,
Twelfth Night, or What You Will, T. Schreiber Studio

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MUSIC

RECIPIENT: Kimmy Gatewood, Andy Hertz, Rebekka Johnson, Sarah Lowe, Jeff Solomon,
The Apple Sisters, The Apple Sisters

Drew Cutler,
Still the River Runs, Zootopia Theatre Company

Mark Ettinger & Paul Foglino,
Coming, Aphrodite!, LaMaMa ETC in association with Watson Arts

Gerard Keenan,
Angel Eaters, Flux Theatre Ensemble

Dave Malloy,
Beowulf - A Thousand Years Of Baggage, Shotgun Players in association with Banana Bag & Bodice

Nick Moore,
23 Knives, Resonance Ensemble

OUTSTANDING FULL-LENGTH SCRIPT

RECIPIENT: Nat Cassidy,
The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots, The Gallery Players in association with Engine37

Johnna Adams,
Angel Eaters, Flux Theatre Ensemble

Derek Ahonen,
Amerissiah, The Amoralists Theatre Company

James Carmichael,
Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out), Babel Theatre Project

Kate McGovern,
Blue Before Morning, terraNOVA Collective

Mac Rogers,
Universal Robots, Manhattan Theatre Source in association with GidEon Productions

OUTSTANDING SHORT SCRIPT

RECIPIENT: Nico Vreeland,
Elephants on Parade 2009, EBE Ensemble

Martin Dockery,
The Surprise, soloNOVA Arts Festival

Ira Gamerman,
Elephants on Parade 2009, EBE Ensemble

Jeff Grow,
Creating Illusion, soloNOVA Arts Festival

Kristen Kosmas,
The Scandal!, The Management

Kitt Lavoie,
Perceptions, An Evening of One Acts, The Rising Sun Performance Company

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE ART PRODUCTION

RECIPIENT: Creating Illusion,
soloNOVA Arts Festival

Cirque du Quoi?!?,
Human Flight Productions, Lady Circus & Gramily Entertainment

Dracula,
Radiotheatre

Miss America,
LaMaMa ETC in association with Split Britches

Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, New York Neo-Futurists

Traces,
soloNOVA Arts Festival

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL

RECIPIENT: Like You Like It,
The Gallery Players

The 103rd Annual Performance of Ruddigore, or The Witch's Curse, Presented by Murgatroyd's Hospital for Mental Rehabilitation,
Ruddy Gore Maine,
Theater 1010

The Apple Sisters,
The Apple Sisters

Coming, Aphrodite!,
LaMaMa ETC in association with Watson Arts

Ragtime,
Astoria Performing Arts Center

The Who's Tommy,
The Gallery Players

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY

RECIPIENT: Lee/gendary,
HERE Arts Center

Blue Before Morning,
terraNOVA Collective

The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots,
The Gallery Players in association with Engine37

Still the River Runs,
Zootopia Theatre Company

Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out),
Babel Theatre Project

Suspicious Package: an interactive noir,
The Fifth Wall

Universal Robots,
Manhattan Theatre Source in association with GidEon Productions

ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: RECIPIENT: Maria Irene Fornes

STEWARDSHIP AWARD: RECIPIENT: Material For The Arts

OUTSTANDING STAGE MANAGER: RECIPIENT: Jillian Zeman

CAFFE CINO FELLOWSHIP AWARD: RECIPIENT: The Brick Theater, Inc.

THE INNOVATIVE THEATRE FOUNDATION is celebrating its fifth anniversary of celebrating Off-Off-Broadway, which recognizes the great work of New York's Off-Off-Broadway-honoring its artistic heritage and providing a meeting ground for this extensive and richly varied community. As advocates for Off-Off-Broadway, they recognize its unique and essential role contributing to global culture.

Each season, The Innovative Theatre Foundation publicly recognizes excellence in Off-Off-Broadway, with a high-profile awards ceremony. The New York Innovative Theatre Awards celebrate the community and honor some of the previous year's greatest achievements. The IT Awards heighten audience awareness and foster greater appreciation of the New York theatre experience.

For more information visit www.nyitawards.com