Stage Directions: The UK’s Technical Theatre Awards took place Tuesday, Oct. 7, and honored the achievements of the backstage crew with awards in 18 categories across all disciplines of stagecraft, including lighting, sound, stage management and more. The "Douglas Turnbull" Award for Outstanding Achievement in Stage Management went to Sharon Hobden. Kate Griffiths won the "Pigs Might Fly South" Award for Outstanding Achievement in Make-up and Wigs. Complete list of categories, nominees and winners after the jump.
3 comments:
It is interesting that this award program exists together with the Olivier award (London's equivalent of the Tony's). The Tony's have a section of awards that are not presented at the ceremony for technical production, and the non-design elements of production, but they are rolled into the tony awards. The British version is a stand alone organization, with corporate sponsorship for each of its awards, in their respective fields. The one award that was a little out of place was the "Media Server Programmer" award, there is an award for the media programming, but no award for media design, not in either the TTAs or the Olivier's.
It's always interesting to see how theatre in the UK is done. As a Stage Manager I know that here in the US we are often ignored and we don't really get any recognition but it's very different in the UK. The UK Equity has marked October 10th as National Stage Management Appreciation Day. While I'm not overly concerned with getting recognition for my job as a Stage Manager it would be nice every now and then to get a thanks. I'd be interested in knowing what the criteria for determining "Outstanding Achievement in Stage Management" is. It seems to me that it's largely subjective and very difficult to quantify.
I have mixed feelings about these awards. On one hand, I think its great that these typically unsung theatre artisans are getting a moment in the spotlight, but on the other hand, many of these awards are not really due to anything remarkable. I would also be interested in hearing what criteria is used to judge some of these people and why certain people rose about? Like what makes one media server programmer particularly special? I think its important for us to recognize these technically based jobs, but I dont know if awards are really justified?
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