Justin Lemieux Wins 'Best Emerging Actor' for WARM SODA at United Solo

Awards were announced at the Gala held on Sunday, November 19, 2017 at Theatre Row in New York, following the festival's conclusion. Many artists were recognized with awards for their achievements in the art of solo performance. Details and the full list of award recipients can be found here.

During its ten-week run, the festival offered 120 stage productions representing six continents. This past season, the festival presented productions created by new talents and show business veterans, including Oscar winner Milton Justice and Emmy winner Bill Oberst Jr.

Justin Lemieux presented Warm Soda during a sold-out, one-night-only performance at Dallas' Theatre Three Theatre Too space on September 10, 2017, and again on September 20, 2017 at Theatre Row in New York. Lemieux received news of the award on November 20, 2017, following the close of the festival.

"I'm just so happy people came to the show. I'm honored to receive any sort of recognition and thank the United Solo Academy and panel for giving me this honor," says Lemieux.

Justin Lemieux is currently developing two new monologues.

Justin Lemieux, is a Dallas-based actor, writer, and monologist. Warm Soda is a memory piece, which Lemieux calls, " A cross between The Wonder Years and Annie Hall," and encapsulates the thrill of new friendship all the way through the grief and confusion that comes when those deep connections are severed, or rather, frayed. A love story about coming of age, Warm Soda wants to know, "Were you the kid with the good snacks in your house, or did you gaze longingly into the bounty of your best friend's overflowing pantry?"

This production, a nostalgic examination of friendship, is an original work by Lemieux; a thoughtful reflection on a childhood friendship. Bonded by a shared love of video games and junk food, Justin and his best friend Joey grow together, and apart, in the niche, technological boom of the 1990s.

About the production: Warm Soda was created during Lemieux's time at Southern Methodist University as a graduate student in the MFA Acting Program, under the guidance of Rhonda Blair, where Jake first saw the performance. The production was revived as part of House Party Theatre's 2016 evening of solo shows, HP3. Though Jake and Justin grew up in different generations, and different parts of the country, Jake immediately felt connected to the story. This re-worked version of the performance is a true collaboration of writer and director, each bringing valuable insight to the performance. Justin has been accepted into the 2017 United Solo Festival in New York City and will perform the piece there in September. Justin continues to tighten and develop this work under the mentorship of celebrated playwright and actor Tom Dugan, whose original solo piece Wiesenthal is currently on a national tour.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Justin Lemieux (Writer and Performer) Credits include: Dallas Theater Center: Romeo And Juliet (Paris); Sense And Sensibility (John Dashwood) and for one night, School For Wives (Horace); Amphibian Stage Productions: The Trap (Tom); Crossing The Line (Arthur). Circle Theatre: Mass Appeal (Mark); Trinity Shakespeare Festival: Comedy Of Errors (Angelo); The Tempest (Boatswain); Shakespeare in the Bar: Romeo And Juliet (Romeo); SMU: A Flea In Her Ear (Chandebise/Poche); Black Snow (Sergei); Richard III (Brackenbury). He can be seen this September at the United Solo Festival in New York. BA from the University of Dallas, MFA from Southern Methodist University. Member of AEA.

Jake Nice (Director) makes music and theatre in Dallas-Fort Worth. Current project: composing original music for a production of Ipheginia at SMU which fuses Western and Middle Eastern aesthetics. Jake recently produced and directed the regional premiere of Young Jean Lee's We're Gonna Die, which toured DFW and showcased different local musicians each night. Other directing credits include Hypochondria (The Tribe); The Burial At Thebes, In The Boom Boom Room (SMU). Jake has served as Assistant Director with several local companies including Dallas Theater Center, Undermain Theatre, Second Thought Theatre, Shakespeare Dallas, and Amphibian Stage Productions. Jake has composed original music for Midas (PrismCo); Frosty: Songs Of Redemption, John Aceman: Secret Agent (House Party Theatre) and his gypsy beach rock collective, Surprising Flavor. Jake holds a B.F.A. in Theatre Studies from Southern Methodist University

Photo Credit: Zack Huggins