Hey Remember That Time We Won A Tony Award That Was Totally Awesome

Who's got two thumbs and just won a Tony Award? This Guy. Well, technically, this company, but companies don't really have collective thumbs or anything, so the joke doesn't really work as well.

Still, the point is: We have a Tony Award!

Desiree Pedrami, Thom Dunn,
Solange Garcia, and Catherine
Halpin, outside Radio City
Music Hall

This past Sunday night was an incredibly exciting evening for all of us, and not just because it's fun to wear a tux (although it is). A total of Eighty-Five Huntingtonians (including staff, Board, and guests) traveled to New York to see Michael Maso & Peter DuBois receive the 2013 Regional Theatre Tony Award live at Radio City Music Hall on our behalf. For a lot of us, the thrill of strolling down the streets of Midtown in our fancy dress felt like Theatre Prom, minus the curfew. The crowds of spectators had already gathered outside the police barricades around the venue by 5:30, and while admittedly they probably weren't trying to snap a photo of me (or any of the Huntington staff in attendance), parting the sea of people like a well-dressed Moses and having a friendly police officer take note of your fancy attire and help you through was still pretty cool.

Once inside Radio City, we began searching around for the rest of our Huntington family, all of whom were cleverly disguised in fabulous gowns and penguin costumes. We ran into former Artistic Director Nicholas Martin in the lobby, accompanied by Brooks Ashmanskas, who most recently appeared at the Huntington in God of Carnage. Everyone grabbed a drink, learned that drinks aren't allowed in the theatre, shrugged, and took our seats in the back of the orchestra (only Michael and Peter got to enjoy the real good seats down front for nominees).

One of the more interesting parts of the evening was experiencing the live filming and editing of the performance. Every now and then we'd hear the Production Stage Manager's voice booming over the God Mic, "2 minutes, ladies and gentlemen...and we're back in 10...9...8...a little applause everybody...and we're back live!", and as the night wore on he always found new ways to entertain us and keep the energy up while the folks back home enjoyed their obligatory commercial breaks (we don't normally have those in theatre). Although the broadcast began at 8pm, the awards themselves actually started around 7:15pm. This segment was hosted by Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family) and Jane Krakowski (30 Rock), who prepped the audience on the rules: hold your applause until the end, winners have 75 seconds to get to the stage and speak, et cetera. The awards presented during this segment were later aired as clips during the live broadcast; it was fun seeing which pull-quote or snippet from each acceptance speech actually made it onto television. We had originally expected Michael & Peter to accept the award during this time, but unfortunately the Lifetime Achievement speeches went a bit longer than anticipated (to be fair, it is an achievement of an entire lifetime, so...), and our fearless leaders were temporarily shunted off to a holding cell along with the children of Annie and Matilda to await their rescheduled on-stage appearance.

They eventually made it out alive, and here's their victory speech in its entirety (presented by my personal favorite time-traveling-plastic-Centurion-nurse-turned-Irish-pub-singer Rory Pond):

Michael won the backstage bet of getting his soundbite on the air ("And so together we celebrate our extraordinary audiences and with you tonight we celebrate the proud, passionate, and resilient people of the great city of Boston, Massachusetts"), meaning Peter paid for the first round of drinks. That being said, I must deny any rumors of a Maso-DuBois standup comedy duo act being added to our 2013-2014 Season.

Former Director of Public Relations John Michael Kennedy
with current staff members Lisa McColgan and Michael
Comey (with Christopher Durang photobombing in the
background)

Overall, it was a fantastic night for Boston on the Great White Way, with Diane Paulus of the A.R.T. winning "Best Director of a Musical" for production of Pippin, which itself won "Best Revival Of A Musical" (and of course begin its run in Cambridge). And while we were disappointed that Nicholas Martin did not win "Best Director" for Vanya & Sonya & Masha & Spike despite our wild howling (although the production itself won "Best Play"), we were very pleased to see the women sweep the awards for directing. If that's what we have to take, we'll happily live with it! Our friends at Chicago's Steppenwolf also won for "Best Revival of a Play" for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, making it a strong showing for non-profit regional theatres across the country.

After being wow'd by NPH's sick rhymes (does anyone else smell a Jay-Z musical coming next fall?), we celebrated the evening at the Renaissance Hotel overlooking Times Square, where we were joined by our extended family, including former Director of Public Relations John Michael Kennedy, Peter's former assistant Chris Carcione, director Daniel Goldstein (God of Carnage, next season's Venus in Fur), and many others (we even had a few party crashers! We're that cool!). Everyone at the after party had a chance to pose with the Tony Award, which is much heavier than it looks, and munch on special Huntington cupcakes, which were precisely as delicious as they look. It's my understanding that after the evening (morning?) came to an end, a small group continued the celebration at the Kinky Boots party down the street, but that story isn't mine to tell.

You can check out our complete photo album over on Facebook or Flickr, but here are a few selects from the evening (morning?).

Peter DuBois, Carol Deane (Chairman of the Board), Michael Maso, and Mitchell J. Roberts (President of the Board)	The Artistic & Literary Teams: Vicki Schairer, Peter DuBois, M. Bevin O'Gara, Charles Haugland, Lisa Timmel, Christopher Wigle, and Anna Fisher
The Box Office Squad! Featuring Noah C. Ingle, Hailey Fuqua, Catherine Halpin, Katie Catano, Derrick Martin, and Patrick Harris	Team Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA: Katie Most, Rebecca Bradshaw, and Kat Alix

"Two Plays, One House" — A Special One-Night-Only Event

Huntington Theatre Company, SpeakEasy Stage Company, and the City of Boston’s Office of Arts, Tourism, and Special Events will collaborate to present Two Plays: One House: A Raisin in the Sun & Clybourne Park at Dorchester’s Strand Theatre on Wednesday, February 20 at 7pm. Hosted by Karen Holmes Ward, WCVB-TV’s Director of Public Affairs and Community Services and host and executive producer of “CityLine,” the evening will feature performances of scenes from each of the two plays and a panel conversation moderated by Ward with directors Liesl Tommy (A Raisin in the Sun) and M. Bevin O’Gara (Clybourne Park) about the issues of racism and gentrification raised in the plays. The evening is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are encouraged at huntingtontheatre.org/StrandRSVP.

Set in Chicago in the 1950s, the landmark A Raisin in the Sun depicts an African-American family whose struggle to achieve the American Dream leads them to purchase a house in a predominantly white neighborhood. Winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize,Clybourne Park picks up where Raisin leaves off. In the first act, nervous community leaders try to stop the sale of the home to the family from Raisin. The second act fast-forwards the action 50 years as a white couple that plans to demolish and rebuild the house faces parallel opposition from the now African-American neighborhood association.

“A Raisin in the Sun’s incredible legacy shines on Clybourne Park,” says Boston Mayor, the Honorable Thomas M. Menino. “These powerful plays explore themes such as racism, neighborhood identity, and the search for home in complex ways that resonate in our community today. I commend the Huntington Theatre Company and SpeakEasy Stage Company on this partnership to inspire meaningful discourse, and I look forward to welcoming them to the beautiful Strand Theatre for what promises to be a terrific evening.” 

Two Plays: One House is the continuation of the Huntington’s longstanding tradition of bringing its work beyond its homes on the Avenue of the Arts and in the South End to Boston’s neighborhoods and communities, including past events at the Strand Theatre (Breath, Boom; 2003) Roxbury Community College (Gem of the Ocean, 2004; Radio Golf, 2006; Fences, 2009), and Hibernian Hall (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, 2012). The event also continues SpeakEasy Stage’s series of public forums to further discourse on important cultural matters. Past SpeakEasy events include panel discussions on the challenges of readjusting to society after imprisonment in conjunction with its production of The Motherf**cker with the Hat and the effects of mental illness on both patients and caregivers during Next to Normal.

SpeakEasy Stage Company’s production of Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris plays March 1 – 30 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. Tickets and more information are available at speakeasystage.com/clybournepark.

The Huntington Theatre Company’s production of A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry plays March 8 – April 7 at the Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre. Tickets and more information at huntingtontheatre.org/raisin.

Find more information on the event at huntingtontheatre.org/Strand or speakeasystage.com/Strand.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

M. Bevin O’Gara (Clybourne Park director) has previously directed For You for Me For You and Love Person (Company One), Matt and Ben (Central Square Theater), The Pain and the Itch (Company One, IRNE Award nomination for Best Director and Best Ensemble), Two Wives In India and Gary(Boston Playwrights Theatre, Elliot Norton Award nomination for Best Production), 2.5 Minute Ride(Downstage @ New Rep, IRNE Award nomination for Best Solo Performance), Othello and The Crucible (New Rep On Tour), Melancholy Play (Holland Productions), Bat Boy: The Musical (Metro Stage), Tattoo Girl, Painting You, and Artifacts (Williamstown Theatre Festival Workshop), and ANTI-KISS (3 Monkey’s Theatrical Productions). Other companies include New Repertory Theatre, the Gaiety Theatre of Dublin, and the Actor’s Center of Australia. Ms. O’Gara is associate producer at the Huntington Theatre Company. She has a BFA from Boston University in Theatre Studies.

Liesl Tommy (A Raisin in the Sun director) previously directed Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom for the Huntington Theatre Company and Ruined for the Huntington/Berkeley Repertory Theatre/La Jolla Playhouse. Other credits include Peggy Pickett Sees the Face of God by Roland Schimmelpfennig (world premiere, Luminato Festival/Volcano Theatre); Ruined by Lynn Nottage (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); Eclipsed by Danai Gurira (world premiere, Yale Repertory Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, McCarter Theatre); and Angela’s Mixtape by Eisa Davis (world premiere, Synchronicity Performance Group, New Georges). She was awarded the NEA/TCG Directors Grant and the New York Theatre Workshop Casting/Directing Fellowship and is a New York Theatre Workshop Usual Suspect. She has also been a guest director and teacher at The Juilliard School, Trinity Rep/Brown University’s MFA Directing and Acting Program, and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She is a graduate of Newton North High School and a native of Cape Town, South Africa.

Karen Holmes Ward (Host) is the Director of Public Affairs and Community Services as well as host and executive producer of “CityLine,” WCVB-TV’s weekly magazine program which addresses the problems, concerns, and accomplishments of people of color living in Boston and its suburbs. “CityLine" was recognized as the recipient of the Associated Press Massachusetts/Rhode Island ‘Best’ Public Affairs program in 2008. Holmes Ward also oversees WCVB’s public service and community outreach efforts including the station’s work with Habitat for Humanity and “Extreme Makeover: My Hometown” and WCVB’s first-of-its-kind web-based initiative, Commonwealth 5, nominated for a National Emmy Award for the 2004/2005. A graduate of Boston University’s School of Public Communications (now COM), Holmes Ward has received numerous awards for her work in the community including the Boston Jaycees Ten Outstanding Young Leaders Award; National Association of Black Journalists Region I Journalist of the Year; Big Sister of Greater Boston Achievement Award; Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts President’s Award; Women of Courage and Conviction Award from the Greater Boston Section National Council of Negro Women, Inc. Karen is a Board member of the Roxbury Comprehensive Community Health Center and a past Board President.

ABOUT THE HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY

Since its founding in 1982, the Huntington Theatre Company has developed into Boston’s leading theatre company. Bringing together superb local and national talent, the Huntington produces a mix of groundbreaking new works and classics made current. Led by Artistic Director Peter DuBois and Managing Director Michael Maso, the Huntington creates award-winning productions, runs nationally renowned programs in education and new play development, and serves the local theatre community through its operation of the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. The Huntington is in residence at Boston University. For more information, visit huntingtontheatre.org.

ABOUT THE MAYOR’S OFFICE OF ARTS, TOURISM & SPECIAL EVENTS

The Mayor's Office of Arts, Tourism & Special Events fosters the growth of the cultural community; promotes public participation in the arts and public celebrations; and advances cultural tourism in Boston. Learn more at cityofboston.gov/ARTS.

ABOUT SPEAKEASY STAGE COMPANY

Founded in 1992 by Producing Artistic Director Paul Daigneault, SpeakEasy Stage Company is Boston’s premier theater staging Boston premieres. Its mission is to connect, inspire, and challenge its audiences with the most socially-relevant theatrical premieres featuring the most talented artists in Boston. SpeakEasy’s mainstage is the forum for the Boston premieres of new musicals and plays, showcasing works never before produced in the area. In addition, the company contributes a unique artistic perspective to the Boston theatre community and creates a nurturing environment for artists, audiences, and arts administrators. Through its programs, SpeakEasy makes Boston's South End neighborhood an artistic and cultural destination, keeps vibrant, high-quality theatre thriving in Greater Boston, and provides jobs for locally-based actors, directors, designers, technicians, and administrators.speakeasystage.org.

What Audiences Are Saying About GOOD PEOPLE

Have you seen Good People? Please share your comments with us.

• What was your experience like seeing Good People in Boston? Did the characters and setting feel familiar to you? How did that affect your enjoyment of the production? 

• Who do you think are the "good people" in this play?

• Did you attend a post-show conversation? What comments surprised you or made you think differently about the play? Would you attend a post-show conversation again? What were you thinking about on the way home from the theatre?

Make a comment

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Good People plays through October 14, 2012 at the Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre. Get tickets and information or call our Box Office at 617 266-0800.

A Message from Michael Maso in the Aftermath of the Great Back Bay Blackout

As most of you know the power outage in the Back Bay had Huntington Avenue as its epicenter, and as a result we lost the Tuesday preview and Wednesday opening night performances of Ma Rainey. In addition to the BU Theatre our administrative operations and key servers were shut down, leaving us without any email or box office capability. Many of us used the Calderwood Pavilion as a base of operations for the past few days, with tables in the upper lobby and nomadic staff members at makeshift stations with iPads and phones plugged in everywhere.

Early yesterday morning we realized that we were at risk of losing Thursday night's performance as well, and so I reached out to the Mayor's office for help getting a generator from NStar. Thanks to the Mayor's office and to NSTAR a generator arrived just before 1 PM at the BU Theatre and power was restored to the BUT at 5:00 last night! With a heroic effort by cast and crew and staff we were able to have a full performance last night starting at 8:00 PM — only 30 minutes late, though box office systems were still incapacitated.

While Sondra Katz and Todd Williams were the key point people for most of us, the department heads contacted the rest of the staff. Peter and the rest of the Artistic department plowed ahead with key season planning meetings while General Management kept our artists in the loop and as comfortable as possible, with one show in suspension and another in rehearsal.

As usual it was our Production Manager Todd Williams who was on the call in the wee hours of this morning when full power was finally restored and shortly afterwards working with EMF and our audience services team to get the box office up and running. Production staff continued to prep for our next show as much as possible and of course were on call at the theatre as our power was in the process of being restored by generator yesterday and quickly got the show restored in the BUT.

Marketing, development, audience services and front of house kept our communications open to audience and donors alike — much of it through our Facebook account but also by being at the theatre to greet those few who didn't get the cancellation notices — with the result that when we did decide to go ahead last night we had a great house full of happy people delighted that we were able to get the show back and running!

At the present time things are better — our box office systems are up and running on-line, and our inbound phone services are finally working in the box office as well as our administrative offices. Moving forward, press is being encouraged to come to the show beginning tonight and so reviews should be forthcoming beginning Monday morning. Many thanks to our remarkable staff, so many of whom maintained key operations over the past few days, to those who stood by to be ready to restore systems once power came back, to the Pavilion staff for being gracious hosts during the invasion from Huntington Avenue. The truth is that every staff member we have who had an opportunity to contribute did so admirably and with great energy and commitment, as they always do. Peter and I know how fortunate we are to have a staff with such deep reserves of dedication, integrity and sheer professionalism.

Very warmest regards,
Michael

Painting It Red: A Sheep on the Town

Let me tell you, ever since I arrived in Boston at the end of August to start preparing for my upcoming theatrical debut in Candide, I’ve been so busy. You’d think oh, being a sheep shouldn’t be so hard, right? Uh, wrong. There is so much to learn from our wonderful director Mary Zimmerman and all of the cast and crew. I wasn’t just typecast here; it’s a lot of work to truly embody such a unique and exotic character, and of course, I always want to give my best performance.

Fortunately, I’ve been able to squeeze a little bit of fun in alongside all my hard work. While the Huntington staff opened their doors for their 30^th anniversary Open House, I decided to spend my Columbus Day wandering around this great city of yours and taking in the sights and history. Anna Kohansky, the Company Manager here at the Huntington, made me take a few bodyguards along on my trip, seeing as my star status has sky rocketed ever since I landed this role. (You know how those paparazzo can get!) Luckily we had a camera and documented our Boston adventure. Check it out!

Ahhh I love escalators!