Home > Theater Reviews > Archives > 2007 > November > 05 > Entry
Theatre in the Square sweeps Suzis
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The 2007 Suzi Bass Awards were handed out at a swanky, dressed-to-the-nines ceremony tonight at the Fox Theatre’s Egyptian Ballroom, and the big winner was Marietta’s Theatre in the Square, which stacked up an impressive eight awards: four each for playwright Phillip DePoy’s Celestine Sibley memoir, “Turned Funny,” and four for the musical “Mount Pleasant Homecoming.”
Jeff McKerley was the only Atlanta theater artist who captured two Suzis - winning for his choreography of the New American Shakespeare Tavern’s “Cabaret” and for lead actor in a musical for that same show, in which he played the Emcee.
“I want to tell a good story. I want to change people’s lives. I want to do it with people I love working with,” McKerley said, picking up his second silver star of the night.
The Suzis, named for a beloved Atlanta actress who died of melanoma a few years ago, are the city’s answer to the Tony Awards. After two years at the 14th Street Playhouse, the event moved to the Fox ballroom, where some 300 people people donned black ties and sequins for a classy party under the room’s monumental vaulted ceiling.
Everyone looked great, but the most heartfelt segment of the Suzis was the presentation of the Spirit of Suzi Bass Award to Jerry’s Habima Theatre, a program for disabled actors run by the Marcus Jewish Community Center. The entire ensemble took the stage to watch a delightful video introduction and listen to a trio of speeches by the theater leadership.
“ ‘Habima’ is the Hebrew word for the stage,” said founding artistic director Kim Goodfriend. But “in the Atlanta theater community,” she continued later, “Habima means love, and Habima means heart and Habima means courage.”
Among other notable achievements at Monday night’s Suzis:
*Synchronicity Performance Group won four Suzis. The revival of the company’s “A Year With Frog and Toad” won for best musical, best musical director (Clint Thornton) and costume design (Katherine Aurora Callahan). Synchronicity also won for Lisa Johnson’s scenic design for “Voices Underwater.”
*The legendary Atlanta writing duo of Larry Larson and Eddie Levi Lee won the Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award for “Charm School,” which was produced by Horizon Theatre. Larson accepted with a long and cumbersome speech charting the play’s development.
*In the same year that the Alliance Theatre won the regional Tony Award for sustained excellence, it received three Suzis - in the categories of lighting design (William H. Grant III for “Eliot, A Soldier’s Fugue”) and sound design (Clay Benning and Kendall Simpson for “False Creeds”) - plus a much deserved featured-actor-in-a-play award for Neal A. Ghant (“Glengarry Glen Ross”).
*The night’s best blooper award went to presenter Faith Gibson, publicist for Theatrical Outfit, who said “Cabernet” for “Cabaret” - twice. Think she’d had a sip or two? Second runner-up was Doyle Reynolds, who won for lead actor in a play for “I Am My Own Wife.” Toward the end of an eloquent speech, Reynolds thanked his director, Freddie Chappell. Oops, make that Freddie Ashley, although Fred Chappell was named best director of a play for “Turned Funny.”
(Hey, I couldn’t do what these guys do.)
*The evening’s funniest acceptance speech was by Mary Lynn Owen, accepting for Linda Stephens, who played Sibley in “Turned Funny.” Also nominated in the same category, Owen help up a sheet of paper and said, “This is was my speech. I’m just turning it over.”
“Actually, [Stephens] is accepting an award for me tonight in Milwaukee,” she joked. “So it all works out.”
Maybe Owen should run the show next year.
Congratulations, everyone. It’s been a fantastic year.
Here’s the complete list of winners.
Featured actress, play: Jill Jane Clements, “Turned Funny,” Theatre in the Square.
Featured actor, play: Neal A. Ghant, “Glengarry Glen Ross,” Alliance Theatre.
Featured actress, musical: Jennifer Akin, “Mount Pleasant Homecoming,” Theatre in the Square.
Featured actor, musical: Alan Kilpatrick, “Mount Pleasant Homecoming,” Theatre in the Square.
Choreography: Jeff McKerley, “Cabaret,” New American Shakespeare Tavern.
Music direction: Michael Monroe, “Mount Pleasant Homecoming,” Theatre in the Square.
Scenic design: Lisa Johnson, “Voices Underwater,” Synchronicity Performance Group.
Costume design: Katherine Aurora Callahan, “A Year With Frog and Toad,” Synchronicity Performance Group.
Lighting design: William H. Grant III, “Eliot, A Solider’s Fugue,” Alliance Theatre.
Sound design: Clay Benning/Kendall Simpson, “False Creeds,” Alliance Theatre.
Director, play: Fred Chappell, “Turned Funny,” Theatre in the Square.
Director, musical: Clint Thornton, “A Year With Frog and Toad,” Synchronicity Performance Group.
Ensemble, play: “The God Committee,” Theatrical Outfit.
Ensemble, musical: “Mount Pleasant Homecoming,” Theatre in the Square.
Lead actress, play: Linda Stephens, “Turned Funny,” Theatre in the Square.
Lead actor, play: Doyle Reynolds, “I Am My Own Wife,” Actor’s Express.
Lead actress, musical: Claci Miller, “The Great American Trailer Park Musical,” Actor’s Express.
Lead actor, musical: Jeff McKerley, “Cabaret,” New American Shakespeare Tavern.
Production, play: “Turned Funny,” Theatre in the Square.
Production, musical: “A Year With Frog and Toad,” Synchronicity Performance Group.
Special Awards:
The Spirit of Suzi Bass Award, Jerry’s Habima Theatre
The Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award, Larry Larson and Eddie Levi Lee
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Harold McNaron
November 6, 2007 8:15 AM | Link to this
Thank you for covering this event AJC!
By Connie Still
November 6, 2007 9:18 AM | Link to this
Hurray for Jennifer Akin! She not only “signs”….she sings! My love to you Jennifer….
By sharifa kalala
November 7, 2007 5:56 PM | Link to this
I think in the future the nominee members should be shown in the screen so we know them It will be more appropriate. Their pictures will do.