The Winners! 2014 New York Innovative Theatre Awards Honor The Best of Off-Off Broadway

On Monday, September 22, 2014, The Innovative Theatre Foundation, the organization who for the past 10 years has been dedicated to celebrating Off-Off-Broadway, announced the 2014 recipients at its annual event. Celebrating ten years and thousands of nominees, the New York Innovative Theatre awards took place at Mason Hall at Baruch Performing Arts Center, 17 Lexington Avenue.

Over the past ten years, the IT Awards has honored over 1,800 individual artists, over 500 productions, and 420 theatre companies; having collected over 50,000 ballots and disseminated more than 7,000 judges. The 2014 Nominees include 133 individual artists, 59 different productions and 56 Off-Off-Broadway theatre companies.

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Special awards were presented in the following categories:

Artistic Achievement Award Recipient: Dan Bianchi (RadioTheatre)
Ellen Stewart Award: Woodie King, Jr. (New Federal Theatre)
Caffé Cino Fellowship Award: Blessed Unrest
Doric Wilson Independent Playwright Award: Kevin R. Free (The Fantasticks)
Outstanding Stage Manager: Haejin Han (Don Juan in Hell, Phoenix Theatre Ensemble)

2014 RECIPIENTS (includes Nominees in each category; winners italicized and **):

Outstanding Ensemble

** At First Sight (and Other Stories), Broken Box Mime Theater
Becky Baumwoll, Dinah Berkeley, Seikai Ishizuka, David Jenkins, Meera Kumbhani, Tasha Milkman, Marissa Molnar, Dan Reckart, Joe Tuttle, Leah Wagner **

As You Like It, Happy Few Theatre Company
Ellen Adair, Nat Cassidy, Eric Gilde, Patrick Mulryan, Anna O'Donoghue, Christopher Seiler, Alexander Sovronsky

The Complete and Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O'Neill Vol 2, New York Neo-Futurists
Cecil Baldwin, Christopher Borg, Roberta Colindrez, Cara Francis, Dylan Marron, Martina Potratz

Magic Bullets, Buran Theatre Company
Caitlin Bebb, Abigail Blueher, Donna Jewell, Jud Knudsen, Catrin Lloyd-Bollard, Erin Mallon, Michael McKim Karp, Kate Schroeder, Mari Yamamoto

Old Familiar Faces, Tin Drum Productions
Tandy Cronyn, Marianne Miller, James Patrick Nelson, Sam Tsoutsouvas

Pirira, Theatre 167
Adrian Baidoo, J.Stephen Brantley, Todd Flaherty, Flor De Liz Perez

Outstanding Solo Performance

** Sandy Moore
The Simple Stories, WorkShop Theater Company **

Adam Boncz
Fatelessness, SceneHouse Productions and Gia Forakis & Company

J. Stephen Brantley
Chicken-Fried Ciccone: A Twangy True Tale Of Transformation, Hard Sparks

Aizzah Fatima
Dirty Paki Lingerie, Aizzah Fatima

Kim Katzberg
Darkling, Eat a Radish Productions in association with IRT Theater

Nora Woolley
Hip, Nora Woolley

Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role

** Noel Joseph Allain
Luft Gangster, Nylon Fusion Collective **

Joshua Levine
Wild, Sanguine Theatre Company

Brendan McDonough
Beckett in Benghazi, Less Than Rent Theatre in association with Horse Trade Theater Group

Tony Naumovski
Sawbones & the Diamond Eater, Days of the Giants LLC

Lyonel Reneau
Wild, Sanguine Theatre Company

Dwayne Washington
Rent, The Gallery Players

Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role

** Jenny Seastone
The Gin Baby, Kid Brooklyn Productions and Mermaid Sands Productions **

Milee Bang
My Father's Ashes, Original Binding Productions

Manna Nichols
Allegro, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Diana Oh
Frankenstein Upstairs, Gideon Productions

Alyssa Simon
Within Arm's Reach, Going to Tahiti Productions

Jenne Vath
Sawbones & the Diamond Eater, Days of the Giants LLC

Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role

** Jason O'Connell
Don Juan In Hell, Phoenix Theatre Ensemble **

Goran Ivanovski
The Lonesome West, Mark Forlenza Productions

James Patrick Nelson
Old Familiar Faces, Tin Drum Productions

Tom Pavey
The Lonesome West, Mark Forlenza Productions

Brian Silliman
Dark Water, Manhattan Theatre Works (MTWorks)

J. Stephen Brantley
Pirira, Theatre 167

Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role

** Heather E. Cunningham
An Appeal to the Woman of the House, Retro Productions **

Debra Ann Byrd
The Importance of Being Earnest, Take Wing And Soar Productions, Inc.

Tandy Cronyn
Old Familiar Faces, Tin Drum Productions

Christina Pumariega
Sousepaw: 'A Baseball Story', Shelby Company

Lesley Shires
The Gin Baby, Kid Brooklyn Productions

Hannah Sloat
The Glory of Living, Revolve Productions

Outstanding Choreography/Movement

** Carlos Neto
Gymnos: A Geek's Tragedy, Ticket 2 Eternity Productions **

Jim Cooney & Greg Zane
Nothing But Trash, Theater For The New City

Thiago Felix
Infinite While it Lasts, Group .BR

Grasshopper Mitch
David's RedHaired Death, One Old Crow Productions

David Norwood & Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj
Salome: Da Voodoo Princess of Nawlins, Rebel Theater

Christine O'Grady
Allegro, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Outstanding Director

** DeLisa M. White
Lights Narrow, Teatro Oscuro **

Kevin Augustine & Edward Einhorn
The God Projekt, La MaMa in association with Lone Wolf Tribe

Karen Case Cook
Don Juan In Hell, Phoenix Theatre Ensemble

Tyrus Holden
The Pregnancy of Angela Freak, AqUa MeRcUrY Creations

Kelly O'Donnell
Jane the Plain, Flux Theatre Ensemble

Tazewell Thompson
Sawbones & the Diamond Eater, Days of the Giants LLC

Outstanding Lighting Design

** Kia Rogers
Jane the Plain, Flux Theatre Ensemble **

Joshua Benghiat
Pirira, Theatre 167

Joan Racho-Jansen
The Lonesome West, Mark Forlenza Productions

Evan Roby
The Cottage, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Kia Rogers
The Gin Baby, Kid Brooklyn Productions and Mermaid Sands Productions

Alexandra Mannix
Within Arm's Reach, Going to Tahiti Productions

Outstanding Costume Design

** Gail Cooper-Hecht
The Importance of Being Earnest, Take Wing And Soar Productions, Inc. **

Sidney Fortner
A Man's World, Metropolitan Playhouse

Amanda Jenks
Rubber Ducks and Sunsets, Ground Up Productions

Thomas Kleinert
The Pregnancy of Angela Freak, AqUa MeRcUrY Creations

Ryan Moller
The Cottage, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Carrie Robbins
Sawbones & the Diamond Eater, Days of the Giants LLC

Outstanding Set Design
** Travis McHale
Rubber Ducks and Sunsets, Ground Up Productions **

Stephen Karoly Dobay
The Cottage, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Donald Eastman
The Chairs, La MaMa in association with Skysaver Productions

Brandon McNeel
Sawbones & the Diamond Eater, Days of the Giants LLC

Jacques Roy
And to the Republic, The Guerrilla Shakespeare Project

Tsubasa Kamaei & Jennifer Stimple Kamei
Don Juan In Hell, Phoenix Theatre Ensemble

Outstanding Sound Design
** Christian Frederickson
The Awake, kef theatrical productions **

Janie Bullard
The Gin Baby, Kid Brooklyn Productions and Mermaid Sands Productions

Janie Bullard
Jane the Plain, Flux Theatre Ensemble

Janie Bullard
Pirira, Theatre 167

Christopher Loar
Mute, New York Neo-Futurists

Tim Schellenbaum & Alice Tolan-Mee
The Chairs, La MaMa in association with Skysaver Productions

Outstanding Innovative Design

** Nicole Hill
For Puppet Design
Mute, New York Neo-Futurists **

Gyda Arber, Brian Fountain, David Gochfeld, and Allen Hahn
For Phone & Text Design
FutureMate, Brick Theater

Laia Cabrera, Isabelle Duverger, and Ildiko Nemeth
For Video Design
Cosmicomics, The New Stage Theatre Company

Kaitlyn Pietras
For Projection Design
The Gin Baby, Kid Brooklyn Productions and Mermaid Sands Productions

Matt Reeves
For Projection Design
And to the Republic, The Guerrilla Shakespeare Project

Jane Catherine Shaw & Theodora Skipitares
For Puppet Design
The Chairs, La MaMa in association with Skysaver Productions

Outstanding Original Music

** Scott Munson
Sawbones & the Diamond Eater, Days of the Giants LLC **

Scott Allen Klopfenstein
Rubber Ducks and Sunsets, Ground Up Productions

Jennifer Makholm & Ian Wehrle
Relent, an Indie Musical, WorkShop Theater Company

Ellen Mandel
Don Juan In Hell, Phoenix Theatre Ensemble

Alexander Sovronsky
As You Like It, Happy Few Theatre Company

Alla Zagaykevych
Fire Water Night, Yara Arts Group in Association with LaMaMa

Outstanding Original Short Script

** Lenore Wolf
April March, Fragments from an Unintegrated Life from East Side Stories: Movers, Metropolitan Playhouse **

J. Stephen Brantley
Chicken-Fried Ciccone: A Twangy True Tale Of Transformation, Hard Sparks

Kate Gersten
First Love from The Spring Fling, F*It Club

Kate Kertez
Dumbo from Brooklyn Labyrinth, Oracle Theatre Inc

Mark Loewenstern
One is the Road fromSuper Shorts 2013, WorkShop Theater Company

Nora Woolley
Hip, Nora Woolley

Outstanding Original Full-length Script

** David Stallings
Dark Water, Manhattan Theatre Works (MTWorks) **

Nat Cassidy
Old Familiar Faces, Tin Drum Productions

Vincent Marano
Lights Narrow, Teatro Oscuro

Christie Perfetti Williams
An Appeal to the Woman of the House, Retro Productions

Sarah Shaefer
The Gin Baby, Kid Brooklyn Productions and Mermaid Sands Productions

J.Stephen Brantley
Pirira, Theatre 167

Outstanding Performance Art Production

** The God Projekt, La MaMa in association with Lone Wolf Tribe **

At First Sight (and Other Stories), Broken Box Mime Theater

FutureMate, Brick Theater

Magic Bullets, Buran Theatre Company

The Chairs, La MaMa in association with Skysaver Productions

The Maiden, The Nerve Tank

Outstanding Production of a Musical

** Allegro, Astoria Performing Arts Center **

A Little Night Music, The Gallery Players

Candide - The Musical, Theater 2020

Fire Water Night, Yara Arts Group in Association with LaMaMa

Life on the Mississippi: A New Musical Play, WorkShop Theater Company

The Pregnancy of Angela Freak, AqUa MeRcUrY Creations

Outstanding Premiere Production of A Play

** Pirira, Theatre 167 **

An Appeal to the Woman of the House, Retro Productions

Dark Water, Manhattan Theatre Works (MTWorks)

Frankenstein Upstairs, Gideon Productions

Lights Narrow, Teatro Oscuro

The Complete and Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O'Neill Vol 2, New York Neo-Futurists

Outstanding Revival of A Play

** Don Juan In Hell, Phoenix Theatre Ensemble **

A Man's World, Metropolitan Playhouse

As You Like It, Happy Few Theatre Company

Julius Caesar, Smith Street Stage

R+J: Star-Cross'd Death Match, Three Day Hangover

Wild, Sanguine Theatre Company

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The Innovative Theatre Foundation is a not-for-profit organization recognizing the great work of New York City's Off-Off-Broadway, honoring its artistic heritage, and providing a meeting ground for this extensive and richly varied community. The organization advocates for Off-Off-Broadway and recognizes the unique and essential role it plays in contributing to American and global culture. They believe that publicly recognizing excellence in Off-Off-Broadway will expand audience awareness and foster greater appreciation of the New York theatre experience. www.nyitawards.com.

Each New York Innovative Theatre Award weighs 4.5lbs and is made of black anodized aluminum. They are custom made each year by Kyden Machine Inc.