Third Annual Stage Raw Theater Awards

Facts and Frequently Asked Questions

The Facts:

The Third Annual Stage Raw Theater Awards are being held Monday night, May 15, at Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street in Downtown Los Angeles. The doors open at 6:30 p.m., the ceremony begins at 7:30 p.m. You can RSVP here

The Awards honor the best work from performances in Los Angeles County theaters of 99-seats or less, during the Calendar Year 2016.

The nominees list is here.

This year’s event is called “A Wake and Sing” – i.e. a wake for The Kid, who was shot down in cold blood on December 14, 2016 in New York City,, after being the engine driver for the 99-seat theater scene in LA since 1988. Funeral attire is recommended.

“A Wake and Sing” is being hosted by French Stewart and Vanessa Stewart, who will sing, dance, and present almost all of the awards, but they won’t be alone.

They will be joined by a bevy of talented singer-dancers, including Monica Greene, Gregory Guy Gorden, Erin Holt, Amir Levi, Cj Merriman, and Andrew Joseph Perez. The choreographer is Natasha Norman, projections are by Vanessa Cate and Brian Sonia-Wallace, the Stage Manager is Heatherlynn Gonzalez and the stage crew includes Allison Faith Sulock, Alyson Schultz and Suze Campagna.

Music will be provided by NoStatic Trio +, with vocals by Claire Riflej, Todd Richmond on bass, Jason Oldes on piano, and Hiroo Nakano on drums. The Music Director is Luis Reyes.

The gifted Jaime Robledo showed very poor judgment when he agreed to direct the show, and now he has no one to blame but himself.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Question: Who won the French election? Answer: Emmanuel Macron

Question: Will President Macron be attending the Third Annual Stage Raw Theater Awards? Answer: No.

Question: If I impersonate President Macron, may I attend the Third Annual Stage Raw Theater Awards? Answer: Yes you may. Anybody may attend the Third Annual Stage Raw Theater Awards.

Question: What is Stage Raw? Answer: Stage Raw (stageraw.com) is a community-funded, non-profit digital enterprise dedicated to providing reviews and discussion about the L.A. theater community. It was created in response to the collapse of such discussion in the local print media. Stage Raw operates under the fiscal sponsorship of the Pasadena Arts Council.

Question: Am I a nominee for the Third Annual Stage Raw Theater Awards? Answer: I don’t know. Check the list.

Question: I just checked the list. My name is on it. Does that mean I am a nominee? Answer: Yes you are. Congratulations.

Question: I directed a show that was nominated for Best Ensemble? Am I a nominee? Answer: Regrettably, no you’re not. The Ensemble categories (which include Ensemble and Comedy Ensemble) are only for the actors who were in the Ensemble. This includes understudies. Note: Your name needs to have been in your production’s program for you to be a nominee.

Question: Who are the nominees in the Production Design Category? The list only refers to productions, not people. Answer: The nominees in the Production Design category include the Producer(s), Director, and all designers who were named in the production’s program.

Question: Who are the nominees in the Musical of the Year category? Answer: The nominees for Musical of the Year include the Producer(s), Lyricist(s), Writer(s), Director, Musical Director, Choreographer, Actors (including understudies), Stage Manager, and all designers named in the production’s program.

Question: Who are the nominees in Revival Production of the Year and Production of the Year categories? Answer: These nominees include Producer(s), Living Author(s), Director, Actors (including understudies), Stage Manager and all designers named in the production’s program.

Question: Do nominees need to purchase tickets? Answer: Yes. The tickets were set at $25 in order to be affordable (the lowest ticket price for any local awards show) and to cover the cost of renting the venue, insurance, the trophies, the certificates, and the attendant labor costs from the facility. Stage Raw is a non-profit organization with no deep pockets. Never mind deep, Stage Raw has no pockets at all! If and when we get sponsors, we’ll be able to comp tickets to nominees, which we’d like very much. In the meantime, if we sell 400 tickets at $25, we will have broken even on this event. If we don’t, we can’t continue to provide journalism, reviews or these annual Awards, which are a fundraiser for Stage Raw. We ask that you consider the purchase of one ticket as an annual $25 contribution to local arts journalism, the way that other newspapers and public radio and TV stations also depend on contributions from their listeners and viewers in order to continue serving their communities.

Question: I noticed there’s an option to buy a $100 ticket? Is that required of nominees? Answer: No, it’s not. The $25 ticket will get you admitted. The $100 ticket includes a private post-show buffet. As a nominee, you are welcome to purchase a buffet-ticket, but need feel no compulsion do so.

Question: Are seats reserved? Answer: Mostly no. Seats for honorary nominees (Lifetime Achievement, Queen of the Angeles) are reserved, but otherwise, the event is mostly open seating. If you wish to sit with your friends or family, it’s wise to get there early.

Question: Who do I contact if I have more questions or concerns about the Third Annual Stage Raw Theater Awards? Answer: Write a comment on this article, and we’ll get back to you promptly.