The Suzi Bass Awards |
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Celebrating Atlanta’s Professional Theatres |
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Archive/Press |
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10.30.07 Playwrights Larry Larson and Eddie Levi Lee to receive the 2007 Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award The Suzi Bass Awards, Inc. today announced the recipients of the 2007 Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award. Larry Larson and Eddie Levi Lee will be honored at the Suzi Bass Awards Event on Monday, November 7 for their new play Charm School, which was produced by Atlanta’s Horizon Theatre last season. The provocative comedy explores the consequences of one good ol’ boy’s well-intentioned racially charged joke. He and his boss opt for a diversity training seminar instead of a flat-out firing. As Atlanta Journal-Constitution theatre critic Wendell Brock observed, “Charm School is a delicately nuanced investigation into the human side of a hotly debated, politically charged topic. Larson and Lee wisely refrain from judging their characters — opting instead to capture their comic vulnerability and queasy, soul-searching ambivalence.” Larson and Lee began a very successful collaborative partnership in the 1970's with projects mounted by the Academy Theatre and then with the Southern Theatre Conspiracy. Their plays have been widely produced in the US and abroad and have graced the stages of the Alliance Theatre as well as at the prestigious Actor's Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival of New American Plays. Some of their published work includes "Some Things You Need to Know Before the World Ends: A Final Evening, ""The Blood Orgy Trilogy, ""The Grubb Chronicles, ""Tales of Rat Alley, ""Merlin!, ""Isle of Dogs" and "The Salvation of Iggy Scrooge." "Tent Meeting," written with Rebecca Wackler, received the Theatre Communications Group/HBO award for Best New Play. Charm School was originally commissioned and presented in a reading for the Brave New Works Project on “Race and Money” at Theatre Emory and Emory University in 2004.The world-premiere was stages by Essential Theatre in 2006 after it won the Essential Theatre Playwrights Award. Lisa Adler, Artistic Director of Horizon Theatre, states," Charm School examines diversity and racism in the work place from many different perspectives - old/young, black/white/interracial, employer/employee, conservative/liberal. We know racism is wrong, but do we always recognize it? When we discover it in ourselves, our friends, family or colleagues, what can we do about it? Larson and Lee are seasoned professionals with a long history of production both in Atlanta and nationally. With this play, they are now pursuing a new and challenging arena that they have not tackled previously. While their trademark comedy is still vibrant, their work reaches a new maturity and subtlety as they delve into one of the more complex issues of our times. Comedy is used to punctuate and illuminate a story that is deeply relevant and intensely emotional." The Suzi Bass Awards Board of Directors is proud to present this award along with twenty production awards and the 2007 Spirit of Suzi Award to Jerry's Habima Theatre at Monday's event. The evening also includes performances from the five nominated musicals. For a complete list of nominees or to purchase tickets. please visit www.suziawards.org.
9.10.07 Award Nominations for the 2006-2007 Atlanta Theatrical Season & 2007 Spirit of Suzi Bass Recipient Announced The Suzi Bass Awards, Inc. today announced from the stage of The Shakespeare Tavern 108 nominations in 20 categories for Atlanta professional theatrical productions which opened between August 1, 2006 and July 31, 2007. Introduced by Judging Coordinator and Board of Directors Chair, Deadra Moore, Atlanta area Artistic Directors Anthony Rodriguez of Aurora Theatre, Lisa Adler of Horizon Theatre, Freddie Ashley of Actor’s Express and Jeff Watkins of The New American Shakespeare Tavern read this season’s nominees to the enthusiastic audience.
The Suzi Awards sent judges to the opening nights of productions offered by 17 producing organizations. Opening night judges designates some shows eligible for further judging by the entire panel and for this season’s full slate of Suzi Awards.
Adding to the overall excitement of the evening was the announcement that the recipient of this year’s “Spirit of Suzi “ award is Jerry’s Habima Theatre. Jerry's Habima Theatre is Georgia’s only theatrical company directed and produced by professionals featuring actors (aged 18 and up) with developmental disabilities. Each year, the cast presents a full-scale adaptation of a Broadway musical to sell-out audiences and much acclaim. The Spirit of Suzi Bass Award is given annually to a person or organization that demonstrates the long-term and consistent contribution to professionalism in Atlanta theatre that embodies the spirit of Suzi Bass, who was vivacious, enthusiastic, committed to Atlanta theatre, dedicated to excellence and inspired those qualities in others.
The Suzi Bass Awards ceremony moves to a new venue this season. The Awards ceremony will take place Monday evening, November 5, 2007 at 8:00 pm in the grand and stately Egyptian ballroom at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. Dress for the event is creative black tie. Tickets are $25 and include the after-party.
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3.15.07 Suzi Event Dates Announced for 2007 The Board of The Suzi Bass Awards today announced meeting and event dates for the 2006/2007 season. Venues for the events are still to be determined.
Annual Members Meeting - Saturday, June 2, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Parklan
All interested are invited to attend. Members will be able to vote on Board of Directors Elections and other business Please RSVP to SuziAwards@comcast.net with number attending.
2007 Nominee Announcement Party - Monday, September 10, 2007 at 7:30 PM Venue to be announced. Delta Ticket Raffle Drawing to be held during event.
2007 Suzi Bass Awards - Monday, November 5, 2007 at 8:00 pm Details to be announced ___________________________________
11.16.06 Gene-Gabriel Moore to head Suzi Awards Advisory Council Board of Directors Chair Gene-Gabriel Moore today announced his resignation from that position in order to head up the newly- formed Advisory Council for the Suzi Bass Awards. As Founder of the Suzi Awards, Mr. Moore has served as Board Chair since the company’s incorporation in August of 2005. Current Vice-Chair Deadra Moore (no relation) will serve as acting Chair until the Suzi Awards Membership Meeting in June, 2007.
“I needed to return my attention to my theatre company and to my writing and acting careers,” stated Mr. Moore. As Artistic Director for Not Merely Players, Atlanta’s first professional theatre with a focus on artists with disabilities, Mr. Moore combines his first love, theatre, with his more recent disability advocacy work.
The Advisory Council of the Suzi Bass Awards will serve as a forum for bringing media, artistic and technical expertise into the organization. Those serving on the council will have limited time involvement, but will bring unique qualities and community connections to the organization. ___________________________________
10.16.06 Suzi Awards Event Highlights Outstanding Atlanta Artists and Organizations The Atlanta professional theatrical community celebrated itself as over 200 artists, creative and administrative staffs, patrons and fans came together as the 2006 Suzi Bass Awards were presented last evening at the 14th Street Playhouse. Libby Whittemore, a local cabaret and musical theatre favorite, opened the evening and swept up the crowd with her opening musical selection. Excitement filled the room on a beautiful Atlanta evening.
Alliance Theatre’s rousing production of Jelly’s Last Jam, which had a revised and scaled-down orchestration commissioned for this production, garnered the most awards of the evening, taking seven prizes for Outstanding Production - Musical, Director - Musical (Kent Gash), Lead Actress (Karole Foreman), Lead Actor (J.D. Goldblatt), Featured Actress (LaVon Fisher), Music Direction (Darryl G. Ivey) and Choreography (Kent Gash & Byron Easley).
Metamorphoses, produced by Georgia Shakespeare, collected the award for Outstanding Production - Play. The mesmerizing production also garnered awards for Outstanding Ensemble - Play and for Scenic Design (Tim Conley), Lighting (Liz Lee & Mike Post) and tied for Sound Design (Clay Benning & Kendall Simpson), sharing the award with Paul Fallat for his work on Theatrical Outfit's signature production of Cotton Patch Gospel.
The most poignant moment of the evening came from Carolyn Cook as she accepted the award for Outstanding Ensemble - Musical for Theatre du Reve's magical production of Vive La Fontaine. Speaking through tears, she said that the company was "her dream" and she never could have dreamed of this.
The audience also responded to J.D. Goldblatt's parents accepting his award for Lead Actor - Musical by reading a beautifully prepared speech from their son.
Robert Earl Price accepted the first Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwrighting Award with a moving speech dedicated to his loving wife.
Laura Cole, Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts Board Chair, presented the 2006 "Spirit of Suzi Bass" Award to a stunned and much deserving Kim Patrick Bitz, ACPA's Executive Director, for his decade of service to the Atlanta arts community. The Suzi Bass Awards, Inc. presents this annual award to an individual or organization in metro Atlanta whose work mirrors Suzi Bass' long-time embrace of professionalism in the theatre.
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9.20.06 Robert Earl Price to receive the first Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award for Come on In My Kitchen, produced in 2006 at 7 Stages Theatre As Playwright in Residence at 7 Stages, poet, playwright and musician Robert Earl Price revels in connecting story and music. Come On In My Kitchen riffs on the legendary deal that Robert Johnson, one of our country’s greatest blues musicians, made with the devil. This multimedia world premiere places Johnson back at the crossroads where he made his deal. There he finds some of today’s African-American powerhouses who are less than satisfied with the outcome of their own bargains. Robert Earl Price has received many awards including The American Film Institute’s William Wyler Award for screenwriting, an NEA fellowship for poetry. For more information on Mr. Price and his other plays, go to www.7Stages.org and view the artists page.
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9.11.06 2005-2006 Season Nominees Announced (See the Awards 2006 page for the full list)
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9.1.06 Suzi Awards Event Planned for Sunday, October 15, 2006 at 14th Street Playhouse 2005-2006 Suzi Award Nominees and members of the Atlanta Theatre Community will gather at the 14th Street Playhouse on Sunday, October 15 at 7:00 pm to celebrate the wonderful work of Atlanta’s professional theatres. Suzi Awards in twenty performance categories will go to outstanding directors, actors, designers, musical directors, choreographers and theatre companies.
In addition to the performance awards, The Spirit of Suzi Bass Award and the Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award will also be presented. The Spirit of Suzi is given annually to a person or organization whose long-term association with the Atlanta Theatre Community embodies the generosity, dedication to excellence and passionate commitment for the theatrical arts. The Playwriting Award recipient will be selected from among those local playwrights whose work was given full production by a Participating Theatre. The Playwriting Award is named in honor of the founder of the Suzi Bass Awards.
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