Ivey awards

The IVEY awards are an annual award show, celebrating Twin Cities (Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota) professional theater. Established in 2004, the non-nomination based awards serve to recognize outstanding achievements within the past theater season in direction, performance, design, etc. The awards were founded by Scott Mayer and are administered by a panel of local theater professionals and theater patrons.

The IVEYs are held each year in September at the historic State Theater, in the theater-district of Minneapolis, MN.

About the Award Ceremony

The IVEY awards were created in 2004 in an effort to acknowledge the ever-growing Twin Cities theater community, while providing theater professionals and theater-goers an "annual celebration and recognition ceremony," honoring the previous year's theater season and theatrical accomplishments. The evening of entertainment and awards is comprised of performances from the past year of theater (ranging from musical theater, dance, scenes), award presentation, and lifetime achievement recognition. Typically, the award presenters, entertainment and hosts are local theater professionals and celebrities. However, the occasional nationally-known celebrity, having recent local theatrical experience, has hosted the event and/or presented an award.

Details of the IVEY Awards

Because of the celebratory nature of the IVEY awards, there is not a pre-determined number of awards nor pre-existing categories. Furthermore, the awards are not meant to be a competition, thus there are no nominees.

However, there are three general categories included in the recognition ceremony:
* Awards for established works and for emerging works by both theater organizations and individuals (determined by representatives of all theater organizations participating in the project)
* An award for theater highlights (determined by the theater-going public)
* Recognition for work in the areas of production, design, direction, performance, and special citations (determined by a group of 100 volunteer evaluators) [http://www.iveyawards.com/about_celebration.asp]

Eligibility

"Note: all information taken from IVEY Theater Eligibility Requirements, http://www.iveyawards.com/about_eligible.asp"

Organizations that elect to participate in the project and be considered for Ivey Awards recognition must represent themselves as a professional theater organization. Award eligibility is not extended to touring theater, community theater, or college and university theater productions.

Professional theater organizations that wish to participate or be considered for an award must:
* Be registered in the State of Minnesota as a 501(c)(3) organization or a for-profit business.
* Have been producing work and in existence for at least one year.
* Compensate their artists and staff on a regular basis.
* Be based in and produce in the Twin Cities’ seven county metropolitan area.
* Provide between six and ten complimentary tickets for each production to be evaluated that are valid for performance dates selected by the assigned evaluators.

All work eligible for an award must:
* Be produced by an eligible theater organization.
* Be scripted.
* Have a run of at least ten days or over two weekends.

Recognition Evaluation Process

The process of evaluation was developed to include many theater perspectives. The opinions of a group of 100 evaluators, who represent many aspects of the theater audience (theater professionals [actors, directors, designers] , general theater-goers, donors, etc.), attend performances and evaluate certain aspects of each performance. These opinions are collected and further evaluated by the IVEY Award panel, and awards are then decided upon.

Furthermore, all opinions from any audience member can contribute to the evaluation process by submittal to the IVEY Award panel, via the official website.

Awards and Recipients

2005

Productions
* "The Miser" -- Theatre de la Jeune Lune
* "Death of a Salesman" -- Guthrie Theater
* "La Bohème" -- Theater Latte Da
* "A Year with Frog and Toad" -- Children's Theatre Company
* "PSST!" -- Off-Leash Area

ArtistsJoe ChvalaMarcus DilliardSteve HendricksonHelen HuangKimberly Joy MorganStacia Rice

Emerging Artist AwardNathan Christopher, performer

Lifetime Achievement AwardLou Bellamy

2006

Productions
* "Sez She", emotional impact -- Illusion Theater
* "The Talk: An Intercourse of Coming of Age", unique concept -- Youth Performance Company
* "I Am Anne Frank", direction (Ben Krywoscz) and musical direction (Mindy Eschedor) -- Nautilus Music Theater

Individuals
* Gerry Giouard, choreography -- "Crimes and Whispers", Off Leash Area
* Barry Kornhauser, playwriting -- "Reeling", Children's Theatre Company
* Jim Lichtsheidl, creation -- "Knock", Theatre Latte Da
* Joel Sass, set design -- "Last of the Boys", Jungle Theater

Actor Honorees
* Bradley Greenwald -- "I Am My Own Wife", Jungle Theater
* Dean Holt -- "Reeling", Children's Theatre Company

Emerging Artist AwardChristiana Clark, performer

Lifetime Achievement AwardJack Reuler

2007

Productions
* "Don Giovanni", musical direction and performances -- Theatre de la Jeune Lune
* "Love, Janis", musical direction and performances -- Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
* "Messy Utopia", innovative concept and idea -- Mixed Blood Theatre

Individual Honorees
* John Arnone, scenic design -- "Private Lives", Guthrie Theater
* Michael Matthew Ferrell, choreography -- Disney's "High School Musical", Children's Theatre Company
* Mike Hallenbeck, sound design -- "Kid-Simple" and "Hunger", Emigrant Theater

Actor Honorees
* Thomas W. Jones, II -- "Yellowman", Mixed Blood Theatre
* Kris Nelson -- "Wellstone!", History Theatre
* Edward Williams, Jr. -- "Kiss of the Spider Woman", Minneapolis Musical Theater
* Sally Wingert -- "Woman Before a Glass", Minnesota Jewish Theatre

Emerging Artist AwardKate Sutton-Johnson, scenic designer

Lifetime Achievement AwardSheila Livingston

2008

Productions
* "Broken Brain Summit", innovative concept and idea -- Interact Center
* " 'Night Mother", overall excellence -- Workhouse Theatre Company
* "Cabaret", costume design, scenic design & choreography -- Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
* "The Pillowman", emotional impact -- Frank Theatre
* "A Prelude to Faust", overall excellence -- Open Eye Figure Theatre

Indivdual Honorees
* Tamara Kangas, choreography -- "42nd Street", Chanhassen Dinner Theatres

Actor Honorees
* Kate Eifrig -- "9 Parts of Desire", Guthrie Theater
* Jairus Abts -- "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", Jungle Theater
* James A. Williams -- "Fences", Penumbra Theatre Company
* Gary Geiken, Katie Guentzel, John Middleton, Carolyn Pool, Matt Rein, Alan Sorenson -- "Orson's Shadow", Gremlin Theatre

Emerging ArtistMatthew Amendt, playwright and performer

Lifetime Achievement AwardDon Stoltz

External links

* http://www.iveyawards.com