The IVEY Awards are an annual award show, celebrating Twin Cities (Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota) professional theater. Established in 2004, the non-nomination based awards serve to recognize outstanding achievements within the past theater season in direction, performance, design, etc. The awards were founded by Scott Mayer and are administered by a panel of local theater professionals and theater patrons.
The IVEYs are held each year in September at the historic State Theater, in the theater-district of Minneapolis, MN.
The IVEY awards were created in 2004 in an effort to acknowledge the ever-growing Twin Cities theater community, while providing theater professionals and theater-goers an "annual celebration and recognition ceremony," honoring the previous year's theater season and theatrical accomplishments. The evening of entertainment and awards consists of performances from the past year of theater (ranging from musical theater, dance, scenes), award presentation, and lifetime achievement recognition. Typically, the award presenters, entertainment and hosts are local theater professionals and celebrities. However, the occasional nationally-known celebrity, having recent local theatrical experience, has hosted the event and/or presented an award.
Because of the celebratory nature of the IVEY awards, there is not a pre-determined number of awards nor pre-existing categories. Furthermore, the awards are not meant to be a competition, thus there are no nominees.
However, there are three general categories included in the recognition ceremony:
Awards for lifetimes achievement and an emerging artist(determined by representatives of all theater organizations participating in the project)
Awards for theater highlights (determined by the a group of over 100 volunteer evaluators and the theater-going public)
Recognition for work in the areas of production, design, direction, performance, and special citations (determined by the group of volunteer evaluators and theater-going public)
Note: all information taken from IVEY Theater Eligibility Requirements
Organizations that elect to participate in the project and be considered for Ivey Awards recognition must represent themselves as a professional theater organization.
Professional theater organizations that wish to participate or be considered for an award must:
Be registered in the State of Minnesota as a 501(c)(3) organization or a for-profit business.
Have been producing work and in existence for at least one year.
Compensate their artists and staff on a regular basis.
Be based in and produce in the Twin Cities’ seven county metropolitan area.
Provide between six and ten complimentary tickets for each production to be evaluated that are valid for performance dates selected by the assigned evaluators.
All work eligible for an award must:
Be produced by an eligible theater organization.
Be scripted.
Have a run of at least ten days or over two weekends.
The awards will not cover touring theater or college and university theater.
The process of evaluation was developed to include many theater perspectives. The opinions of a group of 100 evaluators, who represent many aspects of the theater audience (theater professionals [actors, directors, designers], general theater-goers, donors, etc.), attend performances and evaluate certain aspects of each performance. These opinions are collected and further evaluated by the IVEY Award panel, and awards are then decided upon.
Furthermore, all opinions from any audience member can contribute to the evaluation process by submittal to the IVEY Award panel, via the official website.
The Miser -- Theatre de la Jeune Lune
Death of a Salesman -- Guthrie Theater
La Bohème—Theater Latte Da
A Year with Frog and Toad -- Children's Theatre Company
PSST!—Off-Leash Area
Joe Chvala
Marcus Dilliard
Steve Hendrickson
Helen Huang
Kimberly Joy Morgan
Stacia Rice
Nathan Christopher, performer
Lou Bellamy
Sez She, emotional impact—Illusion Theater
The Talk: An Intercourse of Coming of Age, unique concept -- Youth Performance Company
I Am Anne Frank, direction (Ben Krywoscz) and musical direction (Mindy Eschedor) -- Nautilus Music Theater
Gerry Giouard, choreography -- Crimes and Whispers, Off Leash Area
Barry Kornhauser, playwriting -- Reeling, Children's Theatre Company
Jim Lichtsheidl, creation -- Knock, Theatre Latte Da
Joel Sass, set design -- Last of the Boys, Jungle Theater
Bradley Greenwald -- I Am My Own Wife, Jungle Theater
Dean Holt -- Reeling, Children's Theatre Company
Christiana Clark, performer
Jack Reuler, Artistic Director
Don Giovanni, musical direction and performances—Theatre de la Jeune Lune
Love, Janis, musical direction and performances -- Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Messy Utopia, innovative concept and idea -- Mixed Blood Theatre
John Arnone, scenic design -- Private Lives, Guthrie Theater
Michael Matthew Ferrell, choreography—Disney's High School Musical, Children's Theatre Company
Mike Hallenbeck, sound design -- Kid-Simple and Hunger, Emigrant Theater
Thomas W. Jones, II -- Yellowman, Mixed Blood Theatre
Kris Nelson -- Wellstone!, History Theatre
Edward Williams, Jr. -- Kiss of the Spider Woman, Minneapolis Musical Theater
Sally Wingert -- Woman Before a Glass, Minnesota Jewish Theatre
Kate Sutton-Johnson, scenic designer
Sheila Livingston
Broken Brain Summit, innovative concept and idea—Interact Center
Night Mother, overall excellence -- Workhouse Theatre Company
Cabaret, costume design, scenic design & choreography—Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
The Pillowman, emotional impact—Frank Theatre
A Prelude to Faust, overall excellence—Open Eye Figure Theatre
Tamara Kangas, choreography -- 42nd Street, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres
Kate Eifrig -- 9 Parts of Desire, Guthrie Theater
Jairus Abts -- Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Jungle Theater
James A. Williams -- Fences, Penumbra Theatre Company
Garry Geiken, Katie Guentzel, John Middleton, Carolyn Pool, Matt Rein, Alan Sorenson -- Orson's Shadow, Gremlin Theatre
Matthew Amendt, playwright and performer
Don Stoltz
Little Rock, 1957, Youth Performance Company
Tyrone & Ralph, History Theatre
Old Wicked Songs, Theatre Latte Da
Greg Banks, Direction -- Romeo and Juliet", by the Children's Theatre Company
Chris Griffith, Props Puppet Design -- Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company
Christina Baldwin and Jennifer Baldwin Peden-- Sister Stories", by Nautilus Music- Theater
Luveme Seifert-- 800 Words: The Transmigration of Phillip Dick", by Workhaus Theatre Collective
Greta Oglesby -- Caroline or Change" by the Guthrie Theater
Sonja Parks-- No Child" by Pillsbury House Theatre
Emily Gonyou Halaas, Performer
Dudley Riggs
Mary’s Wedding, the Jungle Theater
Ruined, Mixed Blood Theatre
Othello, Ten Thousand Things Theater
Aaron Gabriel, Music -- "Madame Majesta’s Miracle Medicine Show", Interact Theater
Allison Moore, Playwright -- "My Antonia", Illusion Theater
Joseph Stanley: Scenic Design -- "Mulan, Jr. ", Children’s Theatre Company
Tulle & Dye: Costumes -- "Beauty & The Beast", Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Katie Guentzel -- "My Antonia", Illusion Theater
Regina Marie Williams -- "Ruined", Mixed Blood Theatre
Kalere Payton, Costume Designer
Wendy Lehr, Actress
Doubt, Ten Thousand Things
The 7-Shot Symphony, Live Action Set
Craig Johnson, Director -- "Street Scene" Girl Friday Productions
Gary Rue, Music -- "Buddy– The Buddy Holly Story", History Theatre
David Bolger, Choreographer -- "H.M.S. Pinafore", Guthrie Theater
Peter Christian Hansen -- "Burn This" Gremlin Theatre
Dennis Spears -- "I Wish You Love" Penumbra Theatre Company
Ben Bakken -- "Jesus Christ Superstar" Chanhassen Dinner Theatres
Anna Sundberg, Actress
Bain Boehlke
Compleat Female Stage Beauty, Walking Shadow Theatre Company
Spring Awakening, Theatre Latte Da
Ballad of the Pale Fisherman, Illusion Theater
Julius Caesar, Theatre Unbound
Barry Browning, Lighting Design --"Dial M for Murder", Jungle Theater
Miriam Monasch, Directing --"Our Class", Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company
Joe Vass, Musical Direction --"The Soul of Gershwin: The Musical Journey of an American", Klezme
Tracie Bennett -- "End of the Rainbow", Guthrie Theater
Hugh Kennedy -- Buzzer", Pillsbury House Theatre
Jody Briskey -- "Beyond the Rainbow: Garland at Carnegie Hall", History Theatre
Isabel Nelson, Actress and Artistic Director
Rick Shiomi
In the Next Room, Jungle Theater
Milly & Tillie, Open Eye Figure Theatre
Peter Beard & James Napoleon Stone, Directing-- "Hamlet", Theatre Coup d’Etat
Raymond Berg, Musical Direction -- "Urinetown: The Musical", Jungle Theater
Peter Brosius, Directing -- "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie", Children’s Theatre Company
Michael Croswell, Sound Design -- "Misterman", Frank Theatre
Ensemble, Acting -- "Clybourne Park", Guthrie Theater
Ensemble, Acting -- "Two Sugars, Room for Cream", Hennepin Theatre Trust
Michael Matthew Ferrell, Choreography -- "Singin’ in the Rain", Bloomington Civic Theatre
Katherine Glover, Alissa M. Shellito & Jeri Weiss, Playwriting -- "Freshwater Theatre Goes Back to High School", Freshwater Theatre Company
Dean Holt, Acting -- "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie", Children’s Theatre Company
Craig Johnson, Acting -- "Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde", Walking Shadow Theatre Company
Ricardo Vázquez, Actor, Director and Playwright
Jeffrey Hatcher, Playwright
Cabaret, Latte Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust
Ordinary Days, Nautilus Music-Theater
Ensemble, Intellect and Emotional Intensity -- "Rose", MN Jewish Theatre Company
Anne Byrd, Directing -- "The 39 Steps", Yellow Tree Theatre
Ensemble, Acting -- "Driving Miss Daisy", Jungle Theater
Seraphina Nova, Playwright -- "Dogwood", Candid Theater Company
Eduardo Sicangco, Set Design/Costumes -- "Cinderella", Children's Theatre Company
Sandy Spieler and Julie Boada, Properties Design -- "Between the Worlds", Heart of the Beast
Sally Wingert, Acting -- Four productions in 2013-14
Nathan Cousins and Tristan Tifft, Acting -- "The 39 Steps", Yellow Tree Theatre
Tyler Michaels, Actor
Michael Robins and Bonnie Morris, Co-Producing Directors
