Several local theater productions earn Wilde Award nominations
The Wilde Awards - determined by a group of local theater critics (including me) who write reviews for EncoreMichigan.com - recognize the excellence, both on stage and behind the scenes, of productions staged around different parts of Michigan.
Ann Arbor’s Performance Network led the pack locally with 8 nominations; the Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea earned 7 nominations; and Dexter’s Encore Theatre earned 3 nominations.
Performance Network’s nominations are: “Next Fall” and “Red” for best drama; “Dead Man’s Shoes” (a co-production with Williamston Theatre) for best new script (playwright Joe Zettelmaier); Barbara Coven for best performance by an actress, drama (“Next Fall”); Paul Hopper, best performance by an actor, comedy (“Dead Man’s Shoes”); Mark Rademacher and Kevin Young, best ensemble (“Red”); Monika Essen for best design, sets (“Red”); and Ken Faulk, best design, sound (“Next Fall”).
The Purple Rose’s nominations are: “Escanaba in da Moonlight” for best comedy; “A Stone Carver” for best drama; “Consider the Oyster” for best new script (playwright David MacGregor); Guy Sanville, best performance by an actor, drama (“A Stone Carver”); Dan Walker for best design, sets (“A Stone Carver”); Dana White for best design, lights (“A Stone Carver”); and Quintessa Gallinat for best design, sound (“Escanaba in da Moonlight”).
Encore Theatre’s nominations are: “The Light in the Piazza” for best musical or opera; and Brian E. Buckner, best musical direction (for both “Godspell” and “The Last 5 Years”).
Winners of the 2012 Wilde Awards will be announced at a ceremony on Tuesday, Aug. 21 at 8 p.m. at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts, located on the campus of the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield.
Jenn McKee is the entertainment digital journalist for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.
Comments
poohbah
Tue, Jul 3, 2012 : 4:50 p.m.
All equity groups. Local commumity theater goes unrecognized....
Donald Calamia
Fri, Jul 6, 2012 : 12:19 a.m.
OOPS! That lasts entence SHOULD have said, "So we provide coverage to any theater that, as part of its mission, pays its onstage and backstage talent."
Donald Calamia
Fri, Jul 6, 2012 : 12:17 a.m.
And as any of the theaters will tell you, "professional non-Equity" is NOT the same as Equity. Equity theaters operate under an agreement with the Actors' Equity Association, and its union members are not allowed to work for non-Equity theaters without a waiver. (Some do, hence the pseudonyms that were referred to.) Non-Equity actors are allowed to work for whomever will hire them - including the Equity theaters, who usually have a handful of non-union roles to fill in their productions. Metro Detroit has only a handful of Equity theaters; most are not - and many have no intention of becoming an Equity theater. So it is incorrect to assume that all nominees this year are Equity theaters. The definition of "professional" we use at EncoreMichigan.com (and which is used by many other media outlets as well) is simply this: Professional theaters pay their people (it's their profession, although usually not their sole source of income in this market); non-professional theaters don't. So we provide coverage to any theater that, as part of its mission, pays its onstage of backstage talent.
Donald Calamia
Fri, Jul 6, 2012 : 12:05 a.m.
poobah: You are correct; there are no community theaters recognized by The Wilde Awards, since EncoreMichigan.com's mission is focused on the state's professional theaters - both Equity and non-Equity alike.
poohbah
Wed, Jul 4, 2012 : 8:48 p.m.
My understanding of "professional non-equity" is non-equity actors are allowed to appear in productions staged by the professional group; Equity actors as well can participate. Equity actors are NOT allowed to appear in a non-equity production; a loss of Equity membership is the penalty. I have been in productions where Equity actors have used pseudonyms to avoid this. Another experience: Purple Rose announced open general auditions as it does each year. I received notification on the very first day since I'm on its email list. I called. PRT: "Are you Equity?" Me: "No." PRT: "Sorry, all our non-equity slots are filled." So to my mind "professional non-equity" almost equals "equity."
vida
Wed, Jul 4, 2012 : 1:48 p.m.
It's interesting because some of the groups are not equity but the critics in the area seem to treat them as such, possibly due to personal relationships, they have come up with the creative term "professional non-equity".