Articulations

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Payne Pleasures 2003

The Austin Circle of Theaters has announced its nominations for the 2002-03 B. Iden Payne Awards, honoring excellence in local stage work mounted from August 2002 through July 2003. The Nominations Committee managed to honor a whopping 78 shows from 42 companies in the 27 categories covering musicals, dramas, comedies, and productions for youth. Leading the way this year was the Zilker Theatre Productions staging of Crazy for You with 10 nominations, including Outstanding Musical, Director of a Musical for Zilker artistic director Scott Schroeder, and Actor in a Musical nods to Kirk Addison and Neal Gibson. Garnering seven nominations apiece were the world premiere production of Curieosity from the now-departed iron belly muses (nominated for Outstanding Drama, with nominations for the performances of Carla Witt and Greg Gondek as the scientists Marie and Pierre Curie) and the Zachary Scott Theatre Center production of Hair (nominated for Outstanding Musical, with nominations for Zach artistic director Dave Steakley and the performances of Charles Hagerty and Quincy Kuykendall). Zach also garnered six nominations apiece for the world premiere comedy Twisted Olivia and the drama bee luther-hatchee. In fact, the theatre pretty much dominated the drama category with Side Man and Love! Valour! Compassion! snagging an additional nine nominations. Other notable productions were the kidsActing original musical Waking Sleeping Beauty (nominated for Outstanding Production for Youth, with nods for Dede Clark's direction, and the original score featuring songs by Robert Skiles, Jan Bozarth, Noel Alford, Theresa May, Sarah Hickman, Cindy Symington, Dede Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, Django Walker, Holly Watson) and the Gilbert and Sullivan Society's revival of The Pirates of Penzance (nominated for Outstanding Musical, with nominations for returning guest director Ralph MacPhail and the performances of Claire Vangelisti, Holton Harrison Johnson, and Russell Gregory).

Not faring well with the committee this year were Austin Musical Theatre, whose production of My Fair Lady got five nominations but conspicuously did not receive any for Outstanding Musical, Director of a Musical, or either of the lead performances; the Austin Shakespeare Festival, which had a bang-up season of Twelfth Night, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Henry V, and Julius Caesar, but earned a total of seven honors for those shows; and the State Theater Company, which received only six nominations total for its productions of Proof, Mrs. Warren's Profession, and The Little Prince.

Ballots have been mailed to the organization's members, who will vote on the nominations and return them to the ACoT offices for tabulation by an independent accounting firm. The production awards, as well as special awards for service to and support of the Austin theatre community, will be presented during the 29th annual B. Iden Payne Awards ceremony on Monday, Sept. 29, 7:30pm, at Scottish Rite Theatre, 207 W. 18th. Admission is pay what you wish. By the way, for the first time this year, ACoT is honoring poster and design for theatrical productions. An exhibition of posters from the past season is on display in the Orange Gallery in the arts space, 701 Tillery. The public is invited to vote on the ones they like the best. For information, call 454-TIXS.