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Marietta’s answer to the Tonys
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fresh news from Marietta. Theatre in the Square’s inhouse awards for artistic excellence were announced Monday night, and the big winners for the 2006-2007 season were Phillip DePoy’s Celestine Sibley tribute, “Turned Funny,” and Sonja Linden’s “I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me By a Young Lady From Rwanda.”
“Turned Funny,” the wildly popular world-premiere season opener that recently enjoyed a summer revival, picked up five Jennie Awards, while “Young Lady From Rwanda” earned three and “Mount Pleasant Homecoming,” the latest in the Sanders Family saga, garnered two.
Marietta’s answer to Broadway’s Tonys, the Jennies are given in two categories: for productions on the theater’s Main Stage and its smaller Alley Stage.
Amongst Alley troupers, Randy Maggiore and Farida Kalala won in the lead actor and actress categories for “Rwanda,” which was also named “favorite” Alley production. Jessica Phelps West won top featured actress for “Crooked.” (West’s performance was truly one of the best of the Atlanta season, in my humble opinion.)
Back on the Mainstage, the entire cast of “Turned Funny” won Jennies: lead actress Linda Stephens (who played Sibley); Jill Jane Clements (who played her mother and other roles) and Rick Reitz (who created all the male parts in DePoy’s play with music, including that of Sibley mentor Ralph McGill).
Clements reportedly was in tears, but irrepressible as always. Her exact words were said to be: “I’m not gonna lie to you, I really wanted this!” Directed by Fred Chappell, “Turned Funny” was designated favorite mainstage show, and Johnny Thigpen’s set and Todd Wren’s lighting were also cited.
Rounding out the Jennies, David Milford was named best mainstage actor for “All the King’s Men,” and “Mount Pleasant Homecoming” earned design citations for J.P. Peterson’s costumes and Brian Patterson’s sound.
Now would someone please tell me: Who was Jennie?
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By Palmer Wells
August 1, 2007 1:03 PM | Link to this
Who was “Jennie”? Accorded the honorific “Miss” by Mariettans, Miss Jennie Tate Anderson is the namesake for Theatre in the Square’s “Jennie” Award. An active civic and arts leader, she was from the prominent Tates of the Tate, GA, marble-quarrying family and was married to Jimmie T. Anderson, who owned Anderson Chevrolet, the first auto dealership in Marietta. She provided an intro to Old Marietta for a fledgling Theatre in the Square and became its first contributor and first board member. She was delighted when approached after the Theatre’s first season to have the award named in her honor. Miss Jennie died of cancer in 1985.
By Wendell Brock
August 1, 2007 1:56 PM | Link to this
Thanks, Palmer. I had no idea. I guess getting a Jennie is as good as having your name chiseled in marble. Better, in some quarters. Thanks again for the good information. And now let’s all raise a glass to Miss Jennie.