theatreWashington has announced that the 2013 John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company will be presented to Dizzy Miss Lizzie's Roadside Revue.
Named in memory of an extraordinary supporter of emerging talent, The John Aniello Award recognizes up-and-coming theatre companies which have produced a body of work that is both groundbreaking and compelling.
Dizzy Miss Lizzie's Roadside Revue's unique approach is to bridge the gap between a night at the theatre and a rock concert. The group brings together a smattering of literary icons, rock and roll, and vaudeville styling in its unique productions. Of The Brontes, the company's most recent production, Washington Post critic
Peter Marks said, "[It's] a delightful musical satire. A cadre of marvelous actor-entertainers. It's all put together with so much wit and panache."
Dizzy Miss Lizzie's Roadside Revue was founded by veteran actor/musicians
Debra Buonaccorsi and Steve McWilliams, led by their common love for theatre, rock and roll, and the traditions of American music and storytelling. For Dizzy Miss Lizzie's, Buonaccorsi and McWilliams have co-written adaptations of
Aeschylus' Oresteia,
The Saints, and
Finn McCool. The company first gained recognition through Capital Fringe Festivals, where they remain a fixture, but they have recently started to produce full seasons of theatre, independent of the summer festival.
Steve McWilliams, who serves as co-Artistic Director of Dizzy Miss Lizzie's Roadside Revue, said "[Receiving the Award] means having people know that we're a real theatre company, we are not just a group of DC actors that got together and put on a show. It's like Washington is saying, 'welcome to the club.'"
Presented for the sixth year, this award was established in memory of John Aniello, a devoted and enthusiastic champion of young, promising theatre artists. Previous recipients of The John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company include
Faction of Fools Theatre Company (2012),
Factory 449: A Theatre Collective and
No Rules Theatre Company (2011),
1st Stage (2010),
Constellation Theatre Company (2009), and
Taffety Punk Theatre Company (2008).
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