Joyce Rudolph
Local theater companies received awards during the Valley Theatre
League's ninth annual Artistic Director Achievement Awards on Dec. 2
at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood.
"Coyote on a Fence," produced by the Alliance Repertory Company in
Burbank, received two awards: one for Best Ensemble and the other for
Best Stage Manager, which went to Jenine Smith.
The play also received two Ovation Awards on Nov. 24 from Theatre
L.A.
Joe Mellis, who just became chairman of the Alliance board of
directors, received Best Actor, and Joel Stoffer won Best Set Design.
"We're really, really proud," said Kristen Cloke, artistic
director and producer of "Coyote." The company has been together for
about 15 years, and has been in its Burbank space for 12 years.
"It's certainly great during our current administration to have
one show about the death penalty," she said. "The Alliance has always
done theater of and about our times, and we're thrilled that the
messages we have been trying to get across have been heard."
Theatre Banshee received one award for "The Weir," which played at
the Gene Bua Acting for Life Theatre in Burbank. Sean Branney of
Glendale is the artistic director.
The award went to Dan Harper for Best Supporting Actor in a Play.
It was a very challenging role, Branney said, because Harper's
character was on stage for almost the whole duration of the play but
didn't talk very much.
"That requires a unique combination of concentration and
listening, which Dan really pulled off beautifully," he said. "A lot
of people found him very effecting."
Branney directed Harper in "The Weir."
Winning awards is a great motivation for a company, Branney added.
"Anytime a company can get recognized, that is a positive thing
because it reinforces that both we as a company are doing something
right and Dan is being successful with his skills," he said.
Theatre Banshee has received several nominations from the Valley
Theatre League over the seven years it has been producing plays. The
only other win was for Best Actor received by William Dennis Hunt for
his portrayal of Thomas More in "A Man for All Seasons" in 1996.
