Art To Enchant
The winners of the 2010-2011 Austin Critics Table Awards
By Robert Faires, Fri., June 10, 2011
On Monday, June 6, the Austin Critics Table handed out its annual awards for outstanding achievements in the Austin arts in a ceremony at Cap City Comedy Club. This year's event was the 19th presentation by this informal association of local arts writers and the 10th anniversary of the Austin Arts Hall of Fame. In recognition of the milestone, a special class of 25 honorees were inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously (see "First Generation," June 3).
In the awards themselves, Zach Theatre's The Drowsy Chaperone took top honors with five awards. Recognized with four honors each were the Rude Mechanicals' original musical I've Never Been So Happy; Salvage Vanguard Theater's Heddatron, which won three awards and a special citation; and Conspirare's concert series Renaissance & Response: Polyphony Then and Now. Overall, 48 productions, exhibits, works, or artists were recognized.
Critics participating in this year's awards, covering the period from May 3, 2010, to April 30, 2011, were the Austin American-Statesman's Michael Barnes (arts), Cate Blouke (theatre), Claire Canavan (theatre), Luke Quinton (classical music/visual arts), Claire Spera (dance), and Jeanne Claire van Ryzin (arts), and the Chronicle's Elizabeth Cobbe (theatre), Jonelle Seitz (dance), Avimaan Syam (theatre), and Robert Faires (arts). Obligatory ethical note: Critics refrain from voting in any category in which the critic or a family member was nominated.
Theatre
Production, Drama
Spirits To Enforce, Capital T Theatre
Production, Comedy
Becky's New Car, Zach Theatre
Production, Musical (Tie)
The Drowsy Chaperone, Zach Theatre
I've Never Been So Happy, Rude Mechanicals
Theatrical Event
You Wouldn't Know Her, She Lives in London, The Hidden Room Theatre/Look Left Look Right
Direction
Kaitlin Hopkins, All Shook Up/The Wild Party
Mark Pickell, Bug/Hunter Gatherers
Acting in a Leading Role
Martin Burke, The Drowsy Chaperone
Barbara Chisholm, Red Hot Patriot
Lauren Lane, Becky's New Car/August: Osage County
Nigel O'Hearn, At Home at the Zoo
Richard Robichaux, The Imaginary Invalid
Acting in a Supporting Role
Joshua Denning, Rent
Shannon Grounds, MilkMilkLemonade
Meredith McCall, The Drowsy Chaperone
Robert Pierson, Heddatron
Ensemble Performance
I've Never Been So Happy, Rude Mechanicals
David Mark Cohen New Play Award
I've Never Been So Happy, Kirk Lynn and Peter Stopschinski
Music Direction
Peter Stopschinski, I've Never Been So Happy
Movement
Robin Lewis, The Drowsy Chaperone/All Shook Up/Rent/The Wild Party
Touring Show
Black Watch, National Theatre of Scotland, presented by Texas Performing Arts
Design
Scenic Design
Tommy Grubbs and Mark Pickell, Bug
Costume Design
Susan Branch Towne, The Drowsy Chaperone/All Shook Up
Lighting Design
Natalie George, Baal/Heddatron
Sound Design
Brett Hamann, Spirits To Enforce
Video Design
Lee Webster, Heddatron
Visual Art
Museum Exhibition
"Advancing Traditions: Twenty Years of Printmaking at Flatbed Press," Austin Museum of Art, Dana Friis-Hansen and Mark L. Smith, curators
Solo Gallery Exhibition
"New Works: Eric Zimmerman," Austin Museum of Art
Group Gallery Exhibition
"SUBstainability," Gallery I & II, Texas State, Mary Mikel Stump and Andy Campbell, curators
Work of Art: Video Art
1:1, Jessica Mallios, 2011 Texas Biennial
Work of Art: Independent or Public Project
Untitled Nothing Factory, Amanda Ross-Ho, UT Visual Arts Center
Work of Art: One of a Kind
The Specious Present at 700 Congress, Ryan Hennessee, Arthouse
Work of Art: Installation
The Mending Project, Beili Liu, Women & Their Work
Artist
Beili Liu
Classical Music
Symphonic Performance
Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez, Austin Symphony with Pepe Romero, Austin Goes Classical
Chamber Performance (TIE)
Adam Holzman with the Miró Quartet, Austin Goes Classical
Convivencia: The Three Worlds of Renaissance Spain, Texas Early Music Project
Choral Performance
Renaissance & Response: Polyphony Then and Now, Conspirare
Opera
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Austin Lyric Opera and Austin Chamber Music Center
Singer
David Farwig, Renaissance & Response: Polyphony Then and Now
Abigail H. Lennox, Renaissance & Response: Polyphony Then and Now
Matthew Treviño, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
Original Composition/Score
Songs of the Soul, Robert Kyr
Instrumentalist
Anne Akiko Meyers, violin, with the Austin Symphony
Ensemble
Aeolus Quartet
Special Citations
John Bustin Award for conspicuous Versatility
Jude Hickey
W.H. "Deacon" Crain Award for Outstanding Student Work
Jon Wayne Martin, St. Edward's University
Cosmetic Metamorphosis Award
Amelia Turner for her makeup for MilkMilkLemonade
Inimitable Four-Play Award
The Miró Quartet for its 15 years with Sandy Yamamoto, Daniel Ching, Joshua Gindele, and John Largess
Audience Engagement Award
Rubber Repertory for Biography of Physical Sensation
These Are the Droids You're Looking For Award
Dustin Wills, Megan Ruthven, Chad La Guardia, Kyle Lagunas, Jennymarie Jemison, and Cyndi Williams for the robots in Heddatron
Power Chord Award
Austin Goes Classical, Graham Reynolds, and all the students and teachers involved in the Guitar Foundation of America youth ensemble performance of "Powerman"
Ears Wide Open Award
Texas Performing Arts for its adventurous bookings of classical music
True State-ment Award
2011 Texas Biennial and curator Virginia Rutledge
Dance
Dance Concert
Parampara II, Austin Dance India
Short Work
"Working the Line," Julie Nathanielsz/The Meeting Point, Fusebox Festival
Dancer
Theresa Hardy, One
Travis Knights, Voices of Rhythm/Are You Listening to Me?
Aara Krumpe, "silence within silence"/La Sylphide
Ensemble Performance
Kai, Ballet Austin
Touring Show
Cédric Andrieux, Jérôme Bel, presented by Fusebox Festival
