Midtown International Theatre Festival Awards Winners Announced

By Adam Hetrick
September 12, 2007

The winners have been announced for the first annual Midtown International Theatre Festival Awards, which were presented at a ceremony on Sept. 9. The combination awards ceremony and closing party for the 8th annual festival were held at the Zipper Tavern.

Members of the MITF staff who saw a significant amount of the festival productions in each category selected the nominees. Among the 26 categories are The Producers Award for Excellence and the MITF Congeniality Award, which included cash prizes.

"After doing this for eight years, and seeing some fantastic productions, we figured out it was about time to start having an award ceremony," John Chatterton, executive director of the MITF, stated. "Receiving recognition for your work is an important thing, and we wanted to say 'well done' to the participants this year and hopefully some of these productions will have the chance to move on to the next level."

The MITF winners include:

Outstanding Overall Production of a New Play
WEBEIME, written and directed by Layon Gray

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
Take Me America, book and lyrics by Bill Nabel, music by Bob Christianson

Outstanding Overall Production of a New Short Play, One-Act, or Monologue
"28 Years Later" from Five by Three, written and directed by Erica Jenson, Uma Incrocci and Nicole Greevy

"Framed" from Exhibit This! The Museum Plays, written by Luigi Jannuzzi

Outstanding Overall Production of a Solo Show
A Line in the Sand, written and performed by Adina Taubman

Outstanding Overall Production of a Staged Reading
La Tosca, written and directed by Hector Lugo

Outstanding Overall Production of a Revival
Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, written by George Axelrod

Outstanding Playwriting for a New Script
Alex Goldber for I'm In Love With Your Wife

Outstanding Music & Lyrics
Gila Sand (book, lyrics, music), Paul Leschen (music) and Garrit Guadan (additional music) for Twist

Outstanding Direction
Edward Elefterion for Nosferatu: The Morning of My Death

Holly-Anne Ruggiero for Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play
Greg Thorton in The Conjugality Test

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play
Elizabeth Yocam in The House of Blue Leaves

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play
Tuck Milligan in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play
Katie Kreisler in I'm in Love with Your Wife

Deborah Ramirez in Stuck

For a complete list of the winners and nominees in each category visit www.midtownfestival.org.