Silver Palm Awards Given At Close of South Florida Theatre Festival

The Silver Palm Awards committee, founded three years ago to honor theatrical excellence in South Florida, has announced this years's 16 recipients, which include for the first time a husband and wife acting duo: Avi Hoffman and Laura Turnbull.

The awards will also mark the initial recognition of individuals involved with special effects and props, as well as more recognizable categories in direction, scenic design and musical direction.

The Silver Palms will be given, as in previous years, at the Closing Party of the South Florida Theatre Festival in Fort Lauderdale on Monday, Oct. 25.

The recognition for acting excellence to Hoffman and Turnbull, both veterans of South Florida Stages, will be shared by several young actors who got their start in local theatre, including Nick Duckart, Jackie Rivera and David Hemphill (all New World School of the Arts alumni ), as well as long time area actors Dan Kelly and Erin Joy Schmidt.

Two companies -- Caldwell in Boca Raton, and New Theatre in Coral Gables -- also were singled out for the prestigious award.

"The Silver Palm Awards are presented annually to those who've made an outstanding contribution to the South Florida Theatre season, which runs each year from September 1st to August 31st" explained Silver Palm Awards Chairman Tony Finstrom. "There are no nominees, no winners or losers, and no limit to the number of citations given in any 'category,' though there really are no official categories."

Finstrom (a (playwright), TV personality Iris Acker and Press Club President Ron Levitt compose the Silver Palm committee, which receives recommendations from nearly a dozen South Florida journalists and theatre critics, as well as Theatre League members, before the final list of recipients is presented. Silver Palms have gone to some 30 individuals and/or groups during the past two theatre seasons.

The awards presentation this year will again be at the Theatre League Festival's closing party, always a major red-carpet event filled with stage celebrities, on Monday, Oct. 25, from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM at The Green Room ( owned by Revolution Live, and located behind that space in downtown Fort Lauderdale.)

Although the party is open to the public, there is a $25 charge, though Theatre League members attend free of charge. Call League Executive Director Andie Arthur for reservations at 954 - 557-0778.

This year's Silver Palm Award recipients are:

*Caldwell Theatre Company -- for their Outstanding Concert Presentations of Stephen Sondheim's SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE and INTO THE WOODS

*NEW THEATRE -- for 25 years of producing Outstanding New Plays in South Florida

*J. Barry Lewis -- Outstanding Direction, for COPENHAGEN and THREE TALL WOMEN at Palm Beach Dramaworks

*CHRISTOPHER DEMOS-BROWN -- Playwright, for his Outstanding New Work WHEN THE SUN SHONE BRIGHTER at Florida Stage

*CHRISSO ARDITO -- Outstanding Choreography, for BUBBLING BROWN SUGAR, THE DROWSEY CHAPERONE and MACK & MABEL at Broward Stage Door, and EVIL DEAD: THE MUSICAL at The Promethean Theatre

*Tim ConnellY -- Outstanding Set Design, for BLASTED at GableStage

*Eric Alsford -- Outstanding Musical Direction, for MISS SAIGON at Actors Playhouse

*TASO STAVRAKIS -- Outstanding Special Effects, for EVIL DEAD: THE MUSICAL at The Promethean Theatre

*TYLER SMITH -- Outstanding Special Props, for EVIL DEAD: THE MUSICAL at The Promethean Theatre

*JACKIE RIVERA -- Outstanding New Talent, for her performance in Speech & Debate at GableStage

*DAN KELLEY -- for his Outstanding Performance in, and his Direction of, THE DROWSEY CHAPERONE at Broward Stage Door

*DAVID HEMPHILL -- for his Outstanding Performances in EQUUS at New Theatre, THE GLASS MENAGERIE at Broward Stage Door, MACON CITY at Naked Stage, FARRAGUT NORTH at GableStage and SUMMER SHORTS / UNDERSHORTS at City Theatre

*ERIN JOY SCHMIDT -- for her Outstanding Performances in REASONS TO BE PRETTY and FIFTY WORDS at GableStage, DYING CITY at Mosaic Theatre and SUMMER SHORTS / UNDERSHORTS at City Theatre

*Nick Duckart -- for his Outstanding Performances in FARRAGUT NORTH at GableStage, WHY TORTURE IS WRONG at Mosaic Theatre, DR. RADIO at Florida Stage, SECRET ORDER at Caldwell Theatre and THE GLASS MENAGERIE at Broward Stage Door

*Laura Turnbull -- for her Outstanding Performances in ROCK 'N' ROLL at Mosaic Theatre, EQUUS at New Theatre, SUMMER SHORTS / UNDERSHORTS at City Theatre and DISTRACTED at Caldwell Theatre

*Avi Hoffman -- for his Outstanding Performances in TWO JEWS WALK INTO A WAR at Florida Stage and THE QUARREL at GableStage

They will join a select group of previous Silver Palm honorees from 2008 and 2009 including the late Bruce Adler, Joseph Adler, John Archie, Beacon Television, Barbara Bradshaw, Bill Castelino, Matthew William Chizever, Clive Cholerton, Eric Fabregat, Tony Finstrom, Florida Media News, Israel Garcia, Nanique Gheridian, Doug Jones / Sixth Star Entertainment & Marketing, Lara Kinzel, Margaret R. Ledford, Christopher McGovern, Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs Department, Naked Stage, Angie Radosh, Barbara Stein, Jim Stork, Jules Tasca, Ricky Waugh, Gregg Weiner, and WLRN.

Past catagories (sometimes with multiple awards given) have included: Outstanding Performances, Outstanding New Talent, Outstanding New Emerging Theatre Company, Outstanding Producer, Outstanding Director, Outstanding Musical Direction, Outstanding Support of the South Florida Theatre Community, Outstanding New Work / Playwright, Outstanding Ensemble of Actors, Outstanding Sustained Excellent Work in South Florida Theatre, and Outstanding Stage Manager & Crew.

South Florida theatre critics and journalists who served on the Advisory Council for the 2009-2010 Silver Palm Awards include Christine Dolen (MIAMI HERALD), Bill Hirschman (SOUTH FLORIDA THEATRE REVIEW & SUN-SENTINEL), Hap Erstein (PALM BEACH POST & PALM BEACH ARTSBEAT), Jan Sjostrom (PALM BEACH DAILY NEWS), Mary Damiano (SOUTH FLORIDA GAY NEWS & SOUTH FLORIDA THEATRE REVIEW), Roger Martin (MIAMIARTZINE.COM), John Lariviere (TALKINBROADWAY.COM), and J.W. Arnold (SOUTH FLORIDA GAY NEWS).

 

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