The Last Straw Awards 2016 by Joe Straw

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This year’s theatrical outings have grown tenfold and are surprising in ways I could not have imagined. They made me laugh, cry, and raised an eyebrow when I saw a moment that just sent me into the stratosphere.

I’m not sure how the changes to the 99-seat rule will affect the current situation of limiting the work by AEA actors. Up until this time the work and production values kept getting progressively better, especially in the 99-seat venue, who are now competing with the big boys that want your dollars.   

What is true is that actors need to work.  The work is the instrument to their being.  They also need to be seen to validate the work.

As long as I write, I will write about the work of the writers, the directors, and the actors and keep it on the level of the work so that others may benefit. I’ll try to tell it in stories, and break some rules while I am at it, with just enough flavor for you to absorb in case you want to produce the play in your own hometown.

The Last Straw Awards 2016 are presented to the Writers, Actors, and Directors whose work I found to be inspiring, unique, and also made the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention.

Writers:

Evelina Fernandez – La Olla

Bryonn Bain – Lyrics From Lockdown

Aliza Goldstein – A Singular They

Tommy Nohilly – Blood From a Stone

Carla Ching – Two Kids That Blow Sh*t Up

Robert O’Hara – Barbeque

Karen Zacarias – Mariela in the Desert

John Morogiello – The Consul, The Tramp and America’s Sweetheart

Daniel Henning – The Tragedy of JFK (As told by Wm. Shakespeare)

Actors:

Vieux Carré by Tennessee Williams – Coeurage Theatre Company – Directed by Jeremy Lelliott

Jonathan Kells Phillips

Sammi Smith

Jack & Jill A Romance by Jane Martin – Directed by Jack Heller

Tanna Frederick

Robert Standley

A Singular They by Aliza Goldstein – Blank Theatre Company – Directed by Christopher J. Raymond

Lily Nicksay

Lyrics From Lockdown by Bryonn Bain – Directed by Gina Belafonte

Bryonn Bain

La Olla by Evelina Fernandez – Directed by José Luis Valenzuela

Cástulo Guerra

Esperanza America

Evelina Fernández

Xavi Moreno

Red Velvet by Lolita Chakrabarti – Junction Theatre – Directed by Benjamin Pohlmeir

Nicola Bertram

The Story of Alice Book & Lyrics by Michael Cormier, Music by Scott Hilzik – Directed by Gary Lee Reed

Emily King Brown

Emily Barnett

Blood From A Stone by Tommy Nohilly – LB Production – Directed by Thomas C. Dunn

Joanne Baron

Chad Brannon

Frankie Ingrassia

Jossara Jinaro

Ryan Lahetta

Gareth Williams

La Cage Aux Folles – Book by Harvey Fierstein, lyrics by Jerry Herman – Directed by Tim Dang

Jon Jon Briones  

Gedde Watanabe

The Armadillo Necktie by Gus Krieger – The Group Rep – Directed by Drina Durazo

Bert Emmett

All The Best Killers are Librarians by Bob DeRosa – The Establishment – Directed by Alicia Conway Rock

Lauren Van Kurin

Jennifer C. DeRosa

Ajax in Iraq – by Ellen McLaughlin – Not Man Apart – Directed by John Farmaesh-Bocca

Joanna Rose Bateman

Next to Normal – Music by Tom Kitt, Book & Lyrics by Brian Yorkey – Directed by Thomas James O’Leary

Isa Briones

The Two Kids That blow Sh*t Up – by Carla Ching – Artists at Play – Directed by Jeremy Lelliott

Julia Cho

Nelson Lee

Barbeque by Robert O’Hara – Geffen – Directed by Colman Domingo

Frances Fisher

Yvette Carson

Moral Imperative by Samuel Warren Joseph – Theatre 40 – Directed by Howard Storm

David Hunt Stafford

Brandee Steger

The Tragedy of JFK (as told by Wm. Shakespeare) – Conceived, Adapted & Directed by Daniel Henning

Tony Abatemarco

Chad Brannon

Cris D’Annunzio

Casey McKinnon

Jacob Sidney

Time Winters

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe Revisited by Jane Wagner – Directed by Ken Sawyer

Ann Noble

Rachel Sorsa

Julanne Chidi Hill

Vonnegut USA by Kurt Vonnegut adapted by Scott Rognlien – The Next Arena – Directed by Scott Rognlien

Marjorie LeWit

Eric Normington

Paul Plunkett

JR Reed

Mariela in the Desert by Karen Zacarias – Directed by Robert Beltran

Rachel Gonzalez

Vanya, Sonia, Masha,  & Spike by Christopher Durang – Directed by Barbara Tarbuck

Michelle Danner

Nate Golon

Christine Dunford

A Christmas Carol in Prose Being A Ghost Story of Christmas by Charles Dickens – Directed by Jen Bloom  

Yael Berkovick

Mike Nedzwecki

Julianna Robinson

The Consul, The Tramp and America’s Sweetheart by John Morogiello – Directed by Jules Aaron

Brian Stanton

Directors:

José Luis Valenzuela – La Olla

Gina Belafonte – Lyrics from Lockdown

Thomas C. Dunn – Blood From a Stone

Jeremy Lelliott – Two Kids that Blow Sh*t Up
Daniel Henning - The Tragedy of JFK (as told by Wm. Shakespeare) 

The Ortiz Award 2016 is given to the play that provides us with a grand presentation of diversity in a theatrical presentation. This year there are four recipients.

La Olla – The Latino Theatre Company

Two Kids That Blow Sh*t Up – Artists at Play

La Cage Aux Folles – East West Players

Barbeque – Geffen