2011 Innovative Theatre Award Nominees Announced!

On Monday, August 1, 2011, The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation, the organization dedicated to celebrating Off-Off-Broadway, announced the 2011 nominees at its annual sold-out event at the Carmine Street Recreation Center located at 25 Carmine Street.

Over the past seven years, the IT Awards has honored over 1,500 individual artists, over 400 productions, and 300 theatre companies; having collected over 23,000 ballots and disseminated more than 5,000 judges. The 2011 Nominees include 166 individual artists, 55 different productions and 45 Off-Off-Broadway theatre companies.

"It is an honor to be recognized by the IT Awards, especially when you consider how many shows there are produced Off-Off-Broadway each year - I feel like I've already won," says nominee and producer Heather E. Cunningham.

"I couldn't ask for a better show to have been a part of for my first production in New York," says Jake Mendez, a nominee for Outstanding Ensemble for Gallery Players production of The Drowsy Chaperone.

Double Nominee Jill Bianchini was a part of T. Schreiber Studio's production of OOB pioneer Lanford Wilson's Balm in Gilead said, "Being part of this amazing production and incredible ensemble, while having Lanford Wilson call my portrayal of Ann ‘astonishing' has been the thrill of my theatre experience."

Astoria Performing Arts Center's production of The Human Comedy is nominated for Outstanding Production of a Musical, "APAC is thrilled to be included in this exciting event once again," says Artistic Director Tom Wojtunik.

2011 Nominees:

Ensemble
Tonya Canada, Megan Hill, Polly Lee, Michael Levinton, Hugh Sinclair, Laura von Holt, Donya K. Washington, Stephanie Weeks, Merlin Whitehawk, (oh my god I am so) THIRST(y) Little Lord (a theater company)

Seth Allen, Ian Bell, Esteban Benito, Jill Bianchini, Dennis Brito, Tommy Buck, Lowell Byers, Ian Campbell Dunn, Belle Caplis, Amanda Catrini, Lawrence Crimlis, Jordan Feltner, Brad Martocello, Mariel Matero, Jevon McFerrin, Erica Lauren McLaughlin, Alona Metcalf, Sebastian Montoya, Michael Murray, Jason Pumarada, Orlando J. Rivera, Olivia Roric, Stephanie Seward, Lisa Sobin, Eric Spear, Christine Vega, Stewart Villilo, Jonathan Wilde, Richard Zekaria, Balm in Gilead T. Schreiber Studio

Heather E. Cunningham, David Ian Lee, Matthew Semler, Kristen Vaughan, Benefactors Retro Productions

Richard Ginocchio, Jenny Lee Mitchell, Matt Muszynski, Aldo Perez, Jonathon Roberts,
Matthew Talmage, Radio Purgatory Theater THE

Whitney Branan, Jennifer DiDonato, Tauren Hagans, Robert Anthony Jones, Edward Juvier, Lorinne Lampert, Aaron J. Libby, Jake Mendes, Trey Mitchell, Jan-Peter Pedross, Colin Pritchard, Megan Rosenblatt, Chloe Sabin, Dawn Trautman, Craig Treubert, Tyler Wallach, Eric Weaver, The Drowsy Chaperone The Gallery Players

Marc Bovino, Joe Curnutte, Michael Dalto, Henry Vick, Stephanie Wright Thompson, The Tremendous Tremendous The Mad Ones

Fred Backus, Hope Cartelli, Stephen Heskett, Kent Meister, Josh Mertz, Robert Pinnock, Shelley Ray, Theater of the Arcade: Five Classic Video Games Adapted for the Stage Brick Theater

Solo Performance
Andrea Caban, Questions My Mother Can't Answer, Coyote REP Theatre Company & the terraNOVA Collective
Nat Cassidy, Things At The Doorstep: An Evening of Horror Based on the Works of H.P. Lovecraft, Manhattan Theatre Source, Greg Oliver Bodine, and Nat Cassidy
Elaine Del Valle, Brownsville Bred, Del Valle Productions, Inc.
Monica Hunken, Blondie of Arabia, Monica Hunken and Co.
Darrell James, St. Nicholas, Theatre of the Expendable
Grant Neale, Polanski, Polanski, terraNOVA Collective

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