Spring Awakening, Coast of Utopia and "Dreamgirls" Casting Win 2007 Artios Awards

By Ernio Hernandez
November 6, 2007

Jim Carnahan and Daniel Swee — casting agents for, respectively, Spring Awakening and The Coast of Utopia — as well as Jay Binder and Bernard Telsey were among the winners honored Nov. 5 by The Casting Society of America at the 2007 Artios Awards.

Presented annually for outstanding achievement in casting, the Artios Awards are given "on the criteria of originality, creativity and the contribution of casting to the overall quality of a project," according to an announcement. "The term 'Artios' is from the ancient Greek word meaning 'perfectly fitted,' and in 1985, the Casting Society established the Artios Awards to recognize the significance of casting to the success of a movie, television or theatrical production."

In addition to the award presentation, the Casting Society of America honored director Mike Nichols with the New York Apple Award for "lifetime contributions to the New York entertainment community by industry notables," according to a release.

Nichols credits include an Academy Award win for "The Graduate" and Tony Awards for directing Monty Python's Spamalot, The Real Thing, Barefoot in the Park and more. He will next direct a revival of The Country Girl and the film, "Charlie Wilson's War," which arrives in theatres in December.

The 2007 nominees and winners (*with winners in bold) are:

DRAMATIC THEATER CASTING
Frost/Nixon - Daniel Swee
Inherit The Wind - Jay Binder and Jack Bowdan
Journey’s End - Jay Binder and Jack Bowdan
*The Coast Of Utopia - Daniel Swee
Twelve Angry Men (National Tour) - Jim Carnahan

COMEDY THEATER CASTING Butley - Jay Binder and Jack Bowdan
Heartbreak House - Jim Carnahan and Mele Nagler
*Prelude To A Kiss - Jim Carnahan and Mele Nagler

MUSICAL THEATER CASTING
110 In The Shade - Jim Carnahan
Curtains - Jim Carnahan
Legally Blonde - Bernard Telsey
*Spring Awakening - Jim Carnahan
The Color Purple - Bernard Telsey

OFF-BROADWAY THEATER CASTING
*An Oak Tree - Stephanie Klapper
Blackbird - Nancy Piccione and David Caparelliotis
Follies - Jay Binder
Pig Farm - Mele Nagler
Suburbia - Tara Rubin
The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie - Judy Henderson

REGIONAL THEATER (LORT)
All About Us - Jay Binder
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof - Paul Fouquet and Elissa Myers
*Present Laughter - Alaine Alldaffer
The 60's Project - Arnold J. Mungioli
The Cherry Orchard - Jay Binder and Jack Bowdan

L.A. THEATER
Amadeus - Michael Donovan
Baby - Sara Isaacson
*Fences - Michael Donovan
Pyrenees - Erika Sellin
Sunset Boulevard - Bruce H. Newberg
Twelfth Night - Michael Donovan

Of note to theatre folk: casting director Telsey won in the Comedy Pilot Casting category (with Junie Lowry Johnson) for his location work on "Ugly Betty." Binder also shared a win (with Debra Zane) for Feature Film Casting – Drama of "Dreamgirls."

For more information, visit the Casting Society of America's website at castingsociety.com.