Finalists for First Clive Barnes Awards Announced; Kendrick Jones, Nina Arianda on List

By Kenneth Jones
19 Oct 2010

Nina Arianda
Nina Arianda
Photo by Joseph Marzullo/WENN

Nina Arianda of Venus in Fur, Kendrick Jones of The Scottsboro Boys, Noah Robbins of Secrets of the Trade and Brighton Beach Memoirs and Jon Michael Hill of Superior Donuts are among finalists for the first Clive Barnes Award, celebrating the work of young actors and dancers.

The not-for-profit Clive Barnes Foundation is named after the late theatre and dance critic who died in 2008 at the age of 81. Barnes' work appeared in the New York Times, the New York Post and many other publications.

His widow, Valerie Taylor Barnes, gathered a "strong-minded panel" to pick finalists. There will be two top winners, one from the theatre world and one from dance.

The award ceremony will be Nov. 9 at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center. Cherry Jones will announce the theatre winners, and 96-year-old dance legend Fredric Franklin will announce the dance winner. Admission is free. Doors open at 2:15 PM.

"He was very keen on young would-be performers and dancers," Valerie Taylor Barnes told Playbill.com. "I decided that's what we should do…honor and continue helping young people. These are all very talented young people."

The awards will address fall-to-spring seasons and be presented annually in the fall.

In addition to the four finalists in theatre named above, the five dance finalists are Aaron Carr (Keigwin + Company), Ghrai DeVore (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater), Chase Finlay (New York City Ballet), Hee Seo (American Ballet Theatre) and Leann Underwood (American Ballet Theatre).