The 2023 Stage Raw “I’m Still Here” Awards Party Program 

Sassafras Saloon, 1233 N. Vine Street, Hollywood

7 pm: Doors Open. Food, dancing and a cash-bar

8 pm: “I’m Still Here,” with Claire de Dobay Rifelj, Beatrice Casagrán, Gavin Park and Vanessa Stewart

Ceremony: Welcoming, announcements, and thanks to the theater community, to the Stage Raw contributors, to all of the event sponsors (Steven Leigh Morris)

Presentation by Allison Whorton (TeenTix LA).

Presentation of the legacy awards (Queen of the Angels and Lifetime Achievement awards, respectively by Gina Ender (LA County Board of Supervisors, 5th District); and by Steven Leigh Morris and Faye Viviana (Crimson Square Theatre).

8:45 pm -10 pm: Networking, dancing, complimentary food and a cash bar

The Band: 

Claire de Dobay Rifelj – Vocals; Jason Olsen – Keys; Zack Olsen – Guitar; Anthony Deniega – Bass; Bob Waddington – Drums; Luis Reyes – Band Coordinator 

Stage Raw Contributors:

Lara J. Altunian, Amanda L. Andrei, Philip Brandes, Katie Buenneke, V. Cate, Julyza Commodore, Julia Lloyd George, F. Kathleen Foley, Martín Hernández,  Taylor Kass, Deborah Klugman, Joseph Klink, Ryan M. Luévano, Iris Mann, Dana Martin, Myron Meisel, Judith Moreland, Terry Morgan, Steven Leigh Morris, Elmira Rahim, Julia Stier, G. Bruce Smith, Inger Tudor and Socks Whitmore.

Event Staff:

J. Alexander Griffin, Sassafras Saloon Manager
Steven Leigh Morris, Event Producer
Dana Martin, Event Stage Manager
Deborah Klugman, Certificates Fact-Check
Julia Stier, Step and Repeat Coordinator/Check-in
Elmira Rahim, Carousel Slides Coordinator/Certificates Distribution
Iris Mann, Certificates Distribution
Martίn Hernández, Photographer/Check-in
G. Bruce Smith, Walk-Up Sales
Socks Whitmore, “I’m Still Here” Music Coordinator

AWARDS RECIPIENTS:

FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY

Ahmed Best, Hooded, or Being Black for Dummies, Echo Theater Company

SOUND DESIGN

Dean Harada, Tea, Hero Theatre at Inner-City Arts

LIGHTING DESIGN

Lap Chi Chu, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum

Left to right: Colin Campbell, Ben Moroski (Solo Writing-Performance in, respectively, “Grief” and “Dog”) and “Untitled Baby Play,” IAMA Theatre Company  (Set Design) 

VIDEO/PROJECTION DESIGN

Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh, The Great Jheri Curl Debate, East West Players

Nick Santiago, Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance Theatre

SET DESIGN

Ann Beyersdorfer, Afterglow, Midnight Theatricals at the Hudson Theatre

John Iacovelli, The Brothers Paranormal, East West Players

Cindy Lin, Untitled Baby Play, IAMA Theatre Company

Rachel Myers, Power of Sail, Geffen Playhouse

SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

Aimee Carrero, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Geffen Playhouse

Alexandra Hellquist, On the Other Hand, We’re Happy, Rogue Machine Theatre

Michael Matts, Angels in America: Perestroika, Foolish Production Company

Eileen T’Kaye, A Doll’s House, Part 2, International City Theatre

COMEDY PERFORMANCE

Brent Grimes, Hooded, or Being Black for Dummies, Echo Theater Company

SOLO PERFORMANCE

John Rubinstein, Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground, New Los Angeles Repertory Theatre Company, Theatre West and Hudson Mainstage Theatre

SOLO WRITING-PERFORMANCE

Alex Alpharaoh, Wet: A DACAmented Journey, Greenway Court Theatre 

Colin Campbell, Grief: A One-Man Shitshow, The Broadwater

Ben Moroski, Dog, The Broadwater

Jesús I. Valles (Un)documents, Latino Theatre Company

“The Sandman,” Eclipse Theatre Company and Santa Clarita Shakespeare Festival (Direction)

WRITING-PERFORMANCE

Judy Carter, A Death-Defying Escape!, Hudson Guild Theatre

LEAD PERFORMANCE

Hugo Armstrong, Uncle Vanya, Pasadena Playhouse

Kevin Ashworth, A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney, Theatre Planners at the Odyssey Theatre

Ramón de Ocampo, Hamlet, Antaeus Theatre Company

Jenny O’Hara, Little Theatre, Rogue Machine Theatre

Zachary Quinto, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Geffen Playhouse

Jennifer Shelton, A Doll’s House, Part 2, International City Theatre

Michael A. Shepperd, Valley Song, International City Theatre

Kalean Ung, Macbeth, Independent Shakespeare Co.

DIRECTION

Nancy Lantis, The Sandman, Eclipse Theatre LA and Santa Clarita Shakespeare Festival

COMEDY DIRECTION

Ahmed Best, Hooded, or Being Black for Dummies, Echo Theater Company

DIRECTION/ENSEMBLE

Will Block and the ensemble of All is True or Henry VIII, The Porters of Hellsgate Theatre Company

Gregg T. Daniel and the ensemble of Radio Golf, A Noise Within

COMEDY ENSEMBLE

Can’t Pay? Don’t Pay!, The Actors’ Gang

“Oklahoma!” Ahmanson Theatre (Production: Distinguished Musical Revival)

ENSEMBLE

Anna in The Tropics, A Noise Within

Blues for an Alabama Sky, Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum

The Colored Museum, Loft Ensemble 

Freestyle Love Supreme, Pasadena Playhouse,

If Nobody Does Remarkable Things, Pandora Productions at the Garage Theatre

The Inheritance, Geffen Playhouse

Masao and the Bronze Nightingale, CASA 0101 and the Japanese American National Museum

ADAPTATION

James Fowler, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Open Fist Theatre Company

PLAY WRITING

Carla Ching, Revenge Porn, Ammunition Theatre Company

Bernardo Cubria, The Play You Want, Road Theatre Company

Kelly McBurnette-Andronicos, The House of Final Ruin, Ophelia’s Jump

Murray Mednick, Three Tables, Padua Playwrights at the Zephyr Theatre

PRODUCTION: EXCELLENCE IN QUEER STORYTELLING

Interstate, East West Players

PRODUCTION: DISTINGUISHED MUSICAL REVIVAL

Oklahoma! Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre

DISTINGUISHED PRODUCTION

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Open Fist Theatre

The Penelopiad, City Garage

Roe, Fountain Theatre

Uncle Vanya, Pasadena Playhouse

DISTINGUISHED SEASON

The Road Theatre Company (The Play You Want, Beloved, Bright Half Life, According to the Chorus)

QUEEN OF THE ANGELS

The SB116 Coalition (Teri Ball, Beatrice Casagran, Elina DeSantos, Emmanuel Deleage, Martha Demson, Chris Maikish, Leo Marks, Marc Antonio Pritchett and Vanessa Stewart)

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Maria Gobetti and Tom Ormeny (Victory Theatre Center)

Frédérique Michel and Charles Duncombe (City Garage)

Thanks to Stage Raw’s Patreon Subscribers: Beatrice Casagran, David Elzer, Eileen T’Kaye & David Bischoff, Jose Luis Valenzuela, Jonathan Caren, John Flynn, Martίn Hernández, Dana Jackson, Wendy Radford, Philip Sokoloff, Janellen Steininger, and Joel Swetow, Stacie Chaiken, Linda Kearns, Nancy Keystone, Leo Marks, Joseph Masiero, Bryan Rasmussen, John Russell, Amy Sosa, Elizabeth Stone, Eugenie M. Trow, Peter van Norden, and John Zalewski.

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