IT Awards Announce Host For Monday's Ceremony

Celebrate 15 years of the New York Innovative Theatre Foundation and their dedication to Off-Off Broadway by joining them when they present the 2019 New York Innovative Theatre Awards on Monday, September 16, 2019 at 7:00 pm. The ceremony will take place at the Centennial Memorial Theatre at 120 West 14th Street, NYC. Tickets to the ceremony are $29 each and can be purchased at www.nyitawards.com/shop.

If you are unable to attend, watch it live online at www.nyitawards.com/live.

The ceremony, which recognizes artists and leaders from NYC's Indie Theatre community, will be hosted by Sir Richard Castle and directed by Astoria Performing Arts Center's Artistic Director Dev Bondarin and Play Club's co-founder Cotton Wright.

Presenters for this year's ceremony include: Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's Steven Hauck (Irena's Vow) & Matilda Szydagis, Omar Sangare, Peter Harvey (The Rocky Horrow Show), Reid Farrington (CasablancaBox), Gail Cooper-Hecht (Those Were The Days), Justin Hicks (Mlima's Tale), Sondra Lee (Hello, Dolly!), Andrew Block (TDF), Alejandra Duque Cifuentes, Kevin Newbury, Mara Isaacs (Hadestown), Sherry Wright (Children of a Lesser God), Casey Childs among other theatre luminaries.

The 2019 recipients will be awarded from a pool of nominees that include 147 individual artists and 64 productions presented by 73 theatre companies. Over the past 15 years, the It Awards have honored over 2,600 artists, 750 productions and over 725 Indie Theatre companies. Nominated productions were seen on stages in Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan.

In addition to the production awards, each year the It Awards also present several honorary awards which recognize artists who have made significant contributions to the community. This year the honorees include:

The Caffe Cino Fellowship Award, named in honor of the legendary Caffe Cino, is presented to an Off-Off-Broadway theatre company that consistently produces outstanding work. This award also includes a grant to be used toward an Off-Off-Broadway production. This years honoree is TOSOS - The Other Side of Silence. Doric Wilson founded TOSOS in 1974 with other queer artists as the first professional gay theatre company in NYC. Doric was proud to have been a Caffe Cino playwright and considered TOSOS the child or grandchild of the Cino.

The Ellen Stewart Award, named in honor of LaMaMa's Ellen Stewart, is presented to an individual or organization demonstrating a significant contribution to the Off-Off-Broadway community through service, support and leadership. Nicky Paraiso, is this years recipient. It is particularly poignant, as we recognize Stewart's 100th Birthday, Paraiso is a long-time LaMaMa employee and curator. He is also an artist, performer, creator, mentor, and legend in the downtown theatre community.

The Artistic Achievement Award is presented to an individual(s) who has made a significant artistic contribution to the Off-Off-Broadway community. One of the founding members of the Off-Off Broadway movement, MAGIE DOMINIC, is this year's recipient. She was one of the first artists to perform at the Caffe Cino, describing her work at the Cino and other OOB venues as "a calling." Dominic wants to thank "everyone who has helped me along the many paths leading to this award. I am humbled and grateful. It's difficult to imagine a world without Off-Off-Broadway. While looking at Cino documentation and all the memories, my heart is sometimes caught off guard and blown wide open. This award, I know, comes from your heart to mine, and I humbly thank you."

Doric Wilson Independent Playwright Award, named in honor of playwright and activist Doric Wilson, is presented to a playwright whose work has been produced Off-Off-Broadway and embodies the daring spirit of Doric Wilson. This year's recipient is Barbara Kahn, who has this to say about Wilson and the award, "I saw his work, heard of his well-deserved legendary status in NYC theater, and finally had the opportunity to meet him. Receiving an award named for Doric Wilson is an honor and an awesome responsibility I welcome."

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

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