Ivey awards
The IVEY awards are an annual award show, celebrating Twin Cities (Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota) professional theater. Established in 2004, the non-nomination based awards serve to recognize outstanding achievements within the past theater season in direction, performance, design, etc. The awards were founded by Scott Mayer and are administered by a panel of local theater professionals and theater patrons.
The IVEYs are held each year in September at the historic State Theater, in the theater-district of Minneapolis, MN.
About the Award Ceremony
The IVEY awards were created in 2004 [1] in an effort to acknowledge the ever-growing Twin Cities theater community, while providing theater professionals and theater-goers an "annual celebration and recognition ceremony," honoring the previous year's theater season and theatrical accomplishments. The evening of entertainment and awards consists of performances from the past year of theater (ranging from musical theater, dance, scenes), award presentation, and lifetime achievement recognition. Typically, the award presenters, entertainment and hosts are local theater professionals and celebrities. However, the occasional nationally-known celebrity, having recent local theatrical experience, has hosted the event and/or presented an award.
Details of the IVEY Awards
Because of the celebratory nature of the IVEY awards, there is not a pre-determined number of awards nor pre-existing categories. Furthermore, the awards are not meant to be a competition, thus there are no nominees.
However, there are three general categories included in the recognition ceremony:
- Awards for established works and for emerging works by both theater organizations and individuals (determined by representatives of all theater organizations participating in the project)
- An award for theater highlights (determined by the theater-going public)
- Recognition for work in the areas of production, design, direction, performance, and special citations (determined by a group of 100 volunteer evaluators)[2]
Eligibility
Note: all information taken from IVEY Theater Eligibility Requirements [3]
Organizations that elect to participate in the project and be considered for Ivey Awards recognition must represent themselves as a professional theater organization.
Professional theater organizations that wish to participate or be considered for an award must:
- Be registered in the State of Minnesota as a 501(c)(3) organization or a for-profit business.
- Have been producing work and in existence for at least one year.
- Compensate their artists and staff on a regular basis.
- Be based in and produce in the Twin Cities’ seven county metropolitan area.
- Provide between six and ten complimentary tickets for each production to be evaluated that are valid for performance dates selected by the assigned evaluators.
All work eligible for an award must:
- Be produced by an eligible theater organization.
- Be scripted.
- Have a run of at least ten days or over two weekends.
The awards will not cover touring theater or college and university theater.
Recognition Evaluation Process
The process of evaluation was developed to include many theater perspectives. The opinions of a group of 100 evaluators, who represent many aspects of the theater audience (theater professionals [actors, directors, designers], general theater-goers, donors, etc.), attend performances and evaluate certain aspects of each performance. These opinions are collected and further evaluated by the IVEY Award panel, and awards are then decided upon.
Furthermore, all opinions from any audience member can contribute to the evaluation process by submittal to the IVEY Award panel, via the official website.
Awards and Recipients
2005
Productions
Artists
- Joe Chvala
- Marcus Dilliard
- Steve Hendrickson
- Helen Huang
- Kimberly Joy Morgan
- Stacia Rice
Emerging Artist Award
Nathan Christopher, performer
Lifetime Achievement Award
Lou Bellamy
2006
Productions
- Sez She, emotional impact—Illusion Theater
- The Talk: An Intercourse of Coming of Age, unique concept -- Youth Performance Company
- I Am Anne Frank, direction (Ben Krywoscz) and musical direction (Mindy Eschedor) -- Nautilus Music Theater
Individuals
- Gerry Giouard, choreography -- Crimes and Whispers, Off Leash Area
- Barry Kornhauser, playwriting -- Reeling, Children's Theatre Company
- Jim Lichtsheidl, creation -- Knock, Theatre Latte Da
- Joel Sass, set design -- Last of the Boys, Jungle Theater
Actor Honorees
- Bradley Greenwald -- I Am My Own Wife, Jungle Theater
- Dean Holt -- Reeling, Children's Theatre Company
Emerging Artist Award
Christiana Clark, performer
Lifetime Achievement Award
Jack Reuler
2007
Productions
Individual Honorees
- John Arnone, scenic design -- Private Lives, Guthrie Theater
- Michael Matthew Ferrell, choreography—Disney's High School Musical, Children's Theatre Company
- Mike Hallenbeck, sound design -- Kid-Simple and Hunger, Emigrant Theater
Actor Honorees
- Thomas W. Jones, II -- Yellowman, Mixed Blood Theatre
- Kris Nelson -- Wellstone!, History Theatre
- Edward Williams, Jr. -- Kiss of the Spider Woman, Minneapolis Musical Theater
- Sally Wingert -- Woman Before a Glass, Minnesota Jewish Theatre
Emerging Artist Award
Kate Sutton-Johnson, scenic designer
Lifetime Achievement Award
Sheila Livingston
2008
Productions
- Broken Brain Summit, innovative concept and idea—Interact Center
- 'Night Mother, overall excellence -- Workhouse Theatre Company
- Cabaret, costume design, scenic design & choreography—Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
- The Pillowman, emotional impact—Frank Theatre
- A Prelude to Faust, overall excellence—Open Eye Figure Theatre
Individual Honorees
- Tamara Kangas, choreography -- 42nd Street, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres
Actor Honorees
- Kate Eifrig -- 9 Parts of Desire, Guthrie Theater
- Jairus Abts -- Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Jungle Theater
- James A. Williams -- Fences, Penumbra Theatre Company
- Gary Geiken, Katie Guentzel, John Middleton, Carolyn Pool, Matt Rein, Alan Sorenson -- Orson's Shadow, Gremlin Theatre
Emerging Artist Award
Matthew Amendt, playwright and performer
Lifetime Achievement Award
Don Stoltz
External links
References