Patti Murin and Hinton Battle Among Planet Connections Theatre Festivity Awards Nominees; Ceremony 7/29

The nominations have been announced for the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity's 2012 Awards Gala, taking place on Sunday, July 29 at 7:30pm at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (405 W. 55th Street). Among the nominees are three-time Tony Award-winner Hinton Battle (for directing & choreographing What We Do for Love or Other Desperate Measures) and recent Tony Award-nominee Patti Murin (for her performance in La Strega).

The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity is New York's premiere eco-friendly/socially-conscious theatre festival and took place from May 30th–June 24th at Culture Project. The Awards Gala will be Emceed by David Stallings and Eric Percival, is written by Mark Jason Williams and will feature direction by Reginald L. Douglas.

Categories and nominees for this year's awards include:

Outstanding Overall Production of a New Play: Baby Plays the Banjo, Safe, The American Play and Trafficked.

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical or Play with Music: A Dance for Rylie, Pageant Princess, The Musical, WEBEIME and Ye Elizabeths.

Outstanding Overall Production of a Revival/Adaptation/Sequel (previously published/or adapted script): Civilization!, Falsettos, The Count of Monte Cristo, and What We Do for Love or Other Desperate Measures.

Outstanding Overall Production of a Short Play, One-Act, or Monologue: Adapting, Firework for Real, Scene/Unseen and The Closet.

Outstanding Overall Production of a Solo Show: Bridge to Baraka, faith, From Foster Care to Fabulous and See Bob Run.

Outstanding Playwriting for a New Script: Penny Brandt Jackson for Safe, Ashley Jacobson for The American Play, Kimberly Pau for Baby Plays the Banjo, Duncan Pflaster for Taint of Equality, Andrew Rothkin for Bubby's Shadow and Jonathan Wallace for A Brief History of Thyme.

Outstanding Direction: Joan Kane for Safe, Alex Mallory for faith, Eric Mercado for Baby Plays the Banjo, Ashley Marinaccio for Trafficked andAlexandra Siladi for The American Play.

Outstanding Direction of a Musical or Play with Music: Hinton Battle for What We Do For Love or Other Desperate Measures, Leah Bonvissuto for Ye Elizabeths, Layon Gray for WEBEIME, Rick Leidenfrost-Wilson for Falsettosand Shaun Pecknic for Pageant Princess, The Musical.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play: Richard Brundage in A Brief History of Thyme, Andy Chmelko in B=Essence, Jimmy Dailey in The American Play, Evan Kinkade in Civilization!, Alan McNaney in The Taint of Equality and Zach Wegner in Hot Steams.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play: Debby Brand in Safe, Rachel Christopher in The Bad Date Project,Rosie Cosch in Bubby's Shadow, Dana Hunter in Twelfth Night: Wall Street, Elizabeth Spano in Baby Plays the Banjoand Hannah Timmons in In The Wilderness.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical: Ezra Hernandez in Falsettos, Simon Pearl in What We Do for Love or Other Desperate Measures, Rockford Samson in Pageant Princess, The Musical, Thom Scott in WEBEIMEand Adam Tackett in A Dance for Rylie.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical: Jessica Mortellaro in The Count of Monte Cristo, Kimberly Michelle in A Dance for Rylie, Erin Leigh Schmoyer in Ye Elizabeths, Carla Stewart in What We Do for Love or Other Desperate Measures and Tanya Wills in Falsettos.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play: Roberto Alexander for The Taint of Equality, John Buxton in Baby Plays the Banjo, Joseph Garner in Civilization!, Braeson Herold in Hot Steams, Shane Jensen in The American Play and Collin Smith in A Brief History of Thyme.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play: Aya E. Abdelaziz in Trafficked, Deborah Carlson in A Brief History of Thyme, Tara Carrozza in The Bad Date Project, Valerie Graham in Baby Plays the Banjoand Jordan Villines in Civilization!.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical: Thaddeus Daniels in WEBEIME, Jara Jones in Pageant Princess, The Musical, Michale Mott in The Count of Monte Cristo, Ryan Williams in What We Do for Love or Other Desperate Measuresand Chris Leidenfrost Wilson in Falsettos.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical: Alicia Barnatchez in Ye Elizabeths, Lisa Berman in Falsettos, Susanna Merrick in Pageant Princess, The Musical, Kristen Penner in Pageant Princess, The Musicaland Pallavi Sastry in The Count of Monte Cristo.

Outstanding Actor in a Featured or Cameo Role of a Play or Musical: Delano Barbosa in WEBEIME, Derrick Bryant Marshall in The Taint of Equality, Rubin Celiberti in B=Essence, John Haggerty in The Count of Monte Cristo and Geoffrey D. Monti in Accidental Incest.

Outstanding Actress in a Featured or Cameo Role of a Play or Musical: MildrEd Jones Ham in Trafficked, Allison Hirschlag in A Brief History of Thyme, Marilyn Mineo in In The Wilderness, Samantha Phillips in Traffickedand Nirayl Wilcox in In the Wilderness.

Outstanding Actor in a One-Act Production: David Berman in Acts of Love, Glenn Fleary in 4 Sustenance, Vinnie Penna in Deuteranomaly, Beniam Tekola in 4 Sustenance, and Brian Zoppi in Adapting.

Outstanding Actress in a One-Act Production: Ito Aghayere in 4 Sustenance, Stacy Ferguson in Adapting, Jessica Lit in Firework for Real, Riti Sachdeva in Scene/Unseen, Misti Tindiglia in Acts of Love, Maureen Van Trease in The Closet.

Outstanding Actor in a Reading: Anthony Crep in Coyote on a Fence, Curtis Holbrook in La Strega, Mark Emerson Smith in Coyote on a Fence, Micah Spayer in JennieandJason "Sweettooth" Williams in La Strega.

Outstanding Actress in a Reading: Dianna Martin in Coyote on a Fence, Lucy McMichael in O Rumbles of Joy!, Patti Murin in La Strega, Lori Garnder in Men Who Let Women Do Too Much and Nikka Graff Lanzarone in La Strega.

Outstanding Performance in a Solo Show: Patrick Burns for From Foster Care to Fabulous, LaTonia Phipps for Fishin' in Brooklyn, Allison Plamondon for See Bob Run and Caroline Rothstein for faith.

Outstanding Ensemble (Cast of 3 or more): Casts of 4 Sustenance, Falsettos, Trafficked, WEBEIME and What We Do for Love or Other Desperate Measures.

This year the Planet Connections' staff has elected to honor the following participants with their annual Planet Activist Award. This award is given to the group or individual who go above and beyond the call of duty while working with a charitable institution and raising awareness for a cause. The team who created Trafficked, Patrick Burns, creator of From Foster Care to Fabulous, Renee Cafaro, lead singer of Run For Cover from the Music Festival, Rick Leidenfrost Wilson of Falsettos and Caroline Rothstein creator of faith.

This year the Planet Connections' staff has elected to honor the team of 4 Sustenancewith their annuAl Greener Planet Award. This award is given to the group or individual who goes above and beyond the call of duty implementing Green aspects into their production.

For more information on the festivity, visit www.PlanetConnections.org.