April 14, 2015It was an awards show born in a moment of relevance. An electrified contingent of professional Los Angeles Intimate theater companies and their friends sold out Los Angeles theatre Center to support the first-everSTAGE Raw Theatre Awards. Picking up where the La Weekly Awards, left off, and hosted by the Celebration Theatre and the hilarious duo of Alec Mapa and Parvesh Cheena, it was a night to celebrate the best of 99-seat theatre and a rallying cry against the Equity proposal and referendum that is currently being voted on. Impassioned speeches were given by Steven Leigh Morris and Bill Raden to open the show, followed by an introduction of the original plaintiffs in the Equity wars of 30 years ago who all received a standing ovation. One of those plaintiffs, Gary Grossman, gave a rousing speech as he presented the Queen of the Angels award to Rebecca Metz, who brought...
- 4/15/2015
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
A play about the comic and tragic life of actor Buster Keaton, "Stoneface" was the big winner at the 34th Annual L.A. Weekly Theater Awards on Monday night. The show, honoring the best in Los Angeles theaters housing 99 or fewer seats, was hosted by the comic troupe Lost Moon Radio and held at The Avalon Club in Hollywood. The awards are voted on by critics for the L.A. Weekly, headed by theater editor and critic Steven Leigh Morris. "Stoneface," presented last year at Sacred Fools Theater, went on to win five awards, including best director, best ensemble, best production design and best video/projection design. The show starred French Stewart as Keaton and was written by Stewart's wife, Vanessa Claire Stewart, a contributor to Backstage. It was recently announced that the show will be moving to the 600-plus-seat Pasadena Playhouse as part of their 2013-14 season. Also a...
- 4/9/2013
- backstage.com
The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle has announced the winners and special awards for excellence in Los Angeles and Orange County theater for 2011. Jason Graae and Lesli Margherita co-hosted the 43rd Annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards ceremony on Monday, March 19 at A Noise Within in Pasadena.The Odyssey Theatre's "Margo Veil" and Ebony Repertory Theatre's production of "A Raisin in the Sun" led the winners with four awards each. Rogue Machine's "Small Engine Repair," winner of three Back Stage Garland Awards earlier this year, also took home three awards from the Ladcc.The 2011 voting members of the Ladcc included F. Kathleen Foley (L.A. Times), Shirle Gottlieb (Gazette Newspapers, StageHappenings.com), Hoyt Hilsman (Back Stage, The Huffington Post), Mayank Keshaviah (L.A. Weekly), Amy Lyons (Back Stage, L.A. Weekly), Dany Margolies (Back Stage), Terry Morgan (Variety), Steven Leigh Morris (L.A. Weekly), David C. Nichols (L.
- 3/20/2012
- by help@backstage.com (Daniel Lehman)
- backstage.com
Shakespeare's "King Lear," featuring alternating star turns by Dakin Matthews and Harry Groener; Rogue Machine's searing family drama "Four Places"; and Fountain Theatre's powerful "The Ballad of Emmett Till" are among the most-honored productions in the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle's 42nd annual awards nominations, announced today. The annual citations salute excellence in L.A.-area theater productions during 2010. Winners will be announced during a ceremony at Burbank's Colony Theatre on March 14. Joining the aforementioned shows in contention for the coveted production award are the Fountain's "Opus," the Actors' Co-op's "Wit," and two world premiere offerings: Del Shores' "Yellow" (Coast Playhouse) and Tom Jacobson's "The Twentieth-Century Way" (Theatre @ Boston Court). Shores' "Yellow" has also been named as the recipient of the Ted Schmitt Award for outstanding world premiere script, accompanied by a $1,000 award from Samuel French, which also extends an offer to publish it.Among other special recipients...
- 1/25/2011
- backstage.com
Park, No RecreationThe logistics of working at smaller theatersActors who perform in L.A.-area theaters under the Actors' Equity Association 99-Seat Plan aren't going to get rich doing so. Yet, as they practice their craft, it's a happy occasion when there are certain comforts or amenities available along the way.But finding safe and convenient parking can be a challenge, particularly in areas like the North Hollywood theater district, where boulevard meters require payment up until 8 p.m. and side-street parking is scarce. Meters requiring money at night are now prevalent in other areas too, including many Hollywood neighborhoods. Some companies, such as Hollywood's Actors Co-op, the Sierra Madre Playhouse, and Pasadena's Theatre @ Boston Court provide free parking for audiences, actors, and other theater workers at or near the building. Macha Theatre in West Hollywood has limited free parking. Other situations vary widely. Yet, where there's a will, there's always a way.
- 11/24/2010
- backstage.com
The 41st annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards, honoring distinguished achievements in theatre during 2009 in L.A. and vicinity, were handed out in a warm and entertaining ceremony at the Colony Theatre in Burbank, Calif., March 22, co-hosted by two very funny men: critic Wenzel Jones and actor-singer Jason Graae.Actors and other theater artists from many local companies—large and small—took home the coveted plaques. Rogue Artists Ensemble's offbeat "Gogol Project"—encompassing three works by Nikolai Gogol, using puppetry, masks, music, and digital projection—led the field with four awards. Earning three awards apiece were Roger Bean's hit jukebox musical "Life Could Be a Dream," the Matrix Theatre's premiere drama "Stick Fly," Pacific Resident Theatre's revival of "The Browning Version," and the Ahmanson Theatre's Broadway-bound musical "Minsky's."The Production award was shared by "Life Could Be a Dream," "Stick Fly," and the Mark Taper Forum/Donmar Warehouse staging...
- 3/23/2010
- backstage.com
By definition, the critic-artist dynamic is adversarial: Writers may toil for years, followed by directors and often dramaturges fine-tuning things, followed by actors leaping into the fray as the play at last takes shape. Then, after so much effort to calibrate each element just so, who crashes the party but that caviling coven of critics, none tied to the production process, all ready to brandish pens and render their verdicts for the public, be it caustic or complimentary. Who can blame artists for their frustrations and fury?Jan Buttram, artistic director of Off-Broadway's Abingdon Theatre Company, which develops only new American plays, takes another view. She must, or else why would she begin the company's 16th season by slotting two new plays by theatre critics?The first, running Sept. 21 to Oct. 5, is Robert Brustein's The English Channel, which puts the relationship between Shakespeare and some of the historical figures rumored...
- 9/10/2008
- by Leonard Jacobs
- backstage.com
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