The 2002 Austin Critics Table Awards

On Monday, June 3, the Austin Critics Table handed out its annual awards for outstanding achievements in the Austin arts in a ceremony at the Capitol City Comedy Club. It was the 10th anniversary for these honors presented by this informal association of local arts writers who gather regularly for lunch, and to mark the occasion the Table inaugurated the Austin Arts Hall of Fame, recognizing local individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the community through the arts over the past few decades. Among the initial 12 inductees were artists, arts advocates, administrators, and patrons from the areas of dance, classical music, theatre, visual art, and comedy.

The most favored recipients this year were the productions of Jelly's Last Jam by the Zachary Scott Theatre Center and El Paraiso by the Rude Mechs, which received five awards each, and the productions of Big Love by the Rude Mechs and Fugitive Pieces and Tilt Angel by Salvage Vanguard Theater, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch by Zach, all of which received three awards each.

Participating critics for this year's awards, which covered the period May 2001-April 2002, included Austin Chronicle writers Wayne Alan Brenner (theatre), Rob Curran (theatre), Robi Polgar (music), and yours truly, and Austin American-Statesman arts writers Michael Barnes (arts), Jamie Smith Cantara (theatre), Duncan Goodrich (art), Sondra Lomax (dance), David Mead (music), Moira Muldoon (theatre), and Jeanne Claire van Ryzin (arts). Obligatory ethical note: Critics refrained from nominating themselves or members of their families for any awards, and refrained from voting in any category in which they or a family member were nominated.

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David Mark Cohen New Play Award (tie)

Anna Bella Eema, Lisa D'Amour

The Dinosaur Within, John Walch

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Production, Drama

The Laramie Project, Zachary Scott Theatre Center

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Production, Comedy

Big Love, Rude Mechs

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Production, Musical (tie)

Jelly's Last Jam, Zachary Scott Theatre Center

El Paraiso, Rude Mechs

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Director, Drama

Jason Neulander, Fugitive Pieces/Tilt Angel

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Director, Comedy

Darron L. West, Big Love

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Director, Musical

Dave Steakley, Hedwig and the Angry Inch/Jelly's Last Jam/The World Goes Round

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Actress, Drama

Stephanie Swenson, Shopping and Fucking

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Actress, Comedy

Lee Eddy, Desdemona

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Actress, Musical

Stephanie Block, Oliver!

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Actor, Drama (tie)

Judson L. Jones, Fugitive Pieces

Jason Phelps, Tilt Angel

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Actor, Comedy

Benjamin Sterling, As You Like It

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Actor, Musical

Ronn K. Smith, Jelly's Last Jam

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Supporting Actress, Drama

Jill Swanson, Madame X

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Supporting Actress, Comedy

Lameece Isaaq, Seven Deadly Sins

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Supporting Actress, Musical

Susanne Abbott, Hedwig and the Angry Inch/Little Shop of Horrors

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Supporting Actor, Drama

Clay Towery, Shopping and Fucking

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Supporting Actor, Comedy

Robert Newell, Big Love

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Supporting Actor, Musical

Jason Liebrecht, El Paraiso

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Ensemble Performance

The Medea Stories, Mary Moody Northen Theatre, St. Edward's

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Scenic Design (tie)

Christopher McCollum, The Chairs/The Consul/La Fanciulla del West/Oliver!/Once in a Lifetime

Leilah Stewart, Blur/Luminarias/El Paraiso

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Costume Design

Susan Branch, Jelly's Last Jam

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Lighting Design

David Nancarrow, The Chairs/A Streetcar Named Desire

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Sound Design

Jeremy Lee, Fugitive Pieces/El Paraiso/Tilt Angel

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Movement

J. Ed Araiza & Medea company, The Medea Stories

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Musical Direction

Allen Robertson, Hedwig and the Angry Inch/Jelly's Last Jam/Little Shop of Horrors

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Touring Show, Theatre

Lypsinka! The Boxed Set, Zachary Scott Theatre Center

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Touring Show, Dance

Washington Ballet, UT-PAC

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Touring Show, Music

Australian Chamber Orchestra, UT-PAC

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Dance Concert, Large

Romeo and Juliet, Ballet Austin

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Dance Concert, Small to Medium

The Big Push, Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company

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Dancer, Male

Anthony Casati, The Nutcracker/Romeo and Juliet

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Dancer, Female

Allyson Paino, The Rite of Spring

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Symphonic Concert

Mozart's Birthday, A. Mozart Fest Chamber Orchestra

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Choral Concert

In Response, Conspirare Choir

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Chamber Concert

Shostakovich: Ninth Quartet, Cavani String Quartet

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Opera

A Streetcar Named Desire, Austin Lyric Opera

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Singer, Male

Christopher Le Cluyse, Mid-Winter Festival of Music

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Singer, Female

Cheryl Parrish, Ariel Dance Theatre in Concert

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Instrumentalist

Anton Nel, Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2

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Museum Exhibition

"22 to Watch," Austin Museum of Art

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Gallery Exhibition

"Diane Grammer and Margie Crisp," Davis Gallery

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Gallery, Body of Work

Gallery 106

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Artist, Female

Daphane Park

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Artist, Male

Eduardo Muñoz Ordoqui

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CITATIONS

John Bustin Award for Conspicuous Versatility

David Stahl, The Glass Menagerie/Richard III/The Seagull

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W.H. "Deacon" Crain Award for Outstanding Student Work

Johanna McKeon, UT; Keri Safran, UT; Elizabeth Wakehouse, St. Edward's University

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Cultural Exhibits

"The Life, Legend and Legacy of Davy Crockett," Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum; "Gutenberg to Gone with the Wind: Treasures of the Ransom Collection," Ransom Center and LBJ Library and Museum

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Art Out of Bounds

Creative Research Laboratory

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Theatrical Synergy

Anna Bella Eema, Refraction Arts Project/Physical Plant Theater

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Unique Theatrical Experiences

Hyper Zoo, ethos/Celebrity Crush, Blue Theater/Seven Wonders of the World, Plus One, Tongue and Groove Theatre

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Total Theatre

Ron Berry, et al., The Metamorphosis and the Kafka Museum

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Best (Still) New Company

iron belly muses

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Original Score

Graham Reynolds and Peter Stopschinski, Ariel Dance Theatre in Concert/El Paraiso

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Debut Performance

Tamara Beland, Desdemona

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He's Still Here and We're Delighted

Douglas Taylor

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Austin Arts Hall of Fame

John Aielli (KUT-90.5 FM) -- broadcaster, singer, arts advocate

Paul Beutel (Austin Theatre Alliance) -- administrator, critic, actor

Ruth Denney (University of Texas) -- educator, director, school founder

Acia Gray (Tapestry Dance Company) -- dancer, choreographer, company co-founder

Deborah Hay (Deborah Hay Dance Company) -- dancer, choreographer, author, company founder

Kent Kennan (University of Texas, retired) -- composer, educator, author

Joe Sears and Jaston Williams (the Tuna plays, et al.) -- actors, playwrights, directors

Michael Shelton and Shannon Sedwick (Esther's Follies) -- writers, performers, company co-founders

Judith Sims (Austin Museum of Art) -- administrator, curator, school founder

Jess Walters (deceased) -- singer, educator, opera director