Articulations

An ardent theatre artist and activist has passed on. Bill Jay died Tuesday, August 12, of a heart attack. Jay’s contributions to Austin theatre were varied, both on and offstage. He appeared as an actor in Amadeus, the Texas Young Playwrights Festival, Easy Does the Stars (for Capitol City Playhouse), Woman in Mind, Black Coffee (for Different Stages), Scenes From an Execution (for The Public Domain), The Baltimore Waltz, Murder at the Planet (for VORTEX Repertory Company), and, his final project, the VORTEX Summer Youth Theatre production of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. He directed the VORTEX productions Steel Kiss, Small Craft Warnings, Temporarily Yours, and the Summer Youth Theatre production of Enemy of the People. When he wasn’t making contributions to theatre as an artist, Jay often made them as a stage manager. And he offered additional support as a board member, for VORTEX and the Austin Circle of Theatres. On these fronts and others, he will be missed. At his family’s request, Jay will be buried in California, but a memorial service is being planned for September 1 at Planet Theatre. For information, call Bonnie Collum at 478-LAVA.

Payne Pleasures 1997

The Austin Circle of Theatres has released its nominations for the 1996-97 B. Iden Payne Awards, denoting excellence in local stage work from August, 1996 through July, 1997. This year, the number of categories has been reduced to 25, with separate categories for the genres of Comedy and Drama combined in six categories for Play. A total of 49 productions from 27 companies earned nominations. The most honored were the Zachary Scott Theatre Center productions of The Gospel at Colonus (16 nominations, including Best Musical, and Best Director of a Musical for Dave Steakley) and Ruthless! The Musical (12 nominations, including Best Musical, another director nod for Steakley, Best Lead Actor, Musical for Joe York, and Best Lead Actress, Musical for Meredith Robertson). For its hit debut effort, Peter Pan, Austin Musical Theatre garnered 10 nominations (including Best Musical and Best Director of a Musical for AMT founders Scott Thompson and Richard Byron). Among productions of children’s theatre, the kidsActing revival of The Velveteen Rabbit led the way with nine nominations (including Best Children’s Theatre Production and Best Director of a Children’s Theatre Production for Dede Clark), and among productions of non-musical plays, the UT Department of Theatre & Dance production of Vinegar Tom was the most recognized with nine nominations (including Best Play and Best Director of a Play for Laura Worthen). Current members of the organization will vote for their favorites this month, and the production awards, as well as special awards for service to and support of Austin theatre, will be presented during a ceremony at The Metropolitan Club, Monday, September 15. For information, call 499-8388.

This article appears in August 22 • 1997 and August 22 • 1997 (Cover).