Nominees for the 2018-19 Austin Critics Table Awards Announced

Members of the Austin Critics Table have considered the hundreds of stage productions, concerts, and art exhibitions mounted locally between May 1, 2018, and April 30, 2019, and settled on what was outstanding in dance, classical music, visual art, and theatre in that span and announced the nominees for the 2019 Critics Table Awards.

Earning the most nominations this year from the informal association of area arts writers and editors was Zach Theatre's take on Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George, which received 10. Ballet Austin's world premiere of Grimm Tales was close behind with nine. Salvage Vanguard Theater's production of Antigonick earned six nods. In a slight change this year, the tradition of Special Citations, given for outstanding work that didn't fit into a regular category, was dispensed with, but a new category was added to recognize projects of particular significance. Each of the five nominees in this category is a winner.

The critics will present the awards in their usual fashion – with drinks in hand – in an informal ceremony on Monday, June 3, 7pm, at Cap City Comedy Club, 8120 Research #100. The event will also include the induction of four local artists into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame: Toni Bravo (dance), Billy Harden (theatre), Girard Kinney (architecture), and Margo Sawyer (visual art). Also previously announced were the winners of Special Recognition Honors – Conspirare's Considering Matthew Shepard live-streamed from the National Cathedral; Leonard Bernstein's Mass, produced by Merick Strategies; Vincent Valdez's “The City” at the Blanton Museum of Art; the Ransom Center exhibition “Vaudeville!”; and the Palace Theater in Georgetown – along with the winner of this year's John Bustin Award for Conspicuous Versatility, Delanté G. Keys, and the winners of this year's Deacon Crain Awards for Outstanding Student Work, Mariela Denson and Matthew Kennedy.

Taking part in the Critics Table award process this year were the Austin American-Statesman's Michael Barnes (arts) and Andrew J. Friedenthal (theatre); the Chronicle's Elizabeth Cobbe (theatre) and Robert Faires (arts); Central Texas Live Theatre's Michael Meigs (theatre), Dr. David Glen Robinson (theatre, dance), and Brian Paul Scipione (theatre); Arts & Culture Texas' Claire Christine Spera (dance); Broadway World Austin's Lynn Beaver (theatre), Frank Benge (theatre), Joni Lorraine (theatre), Lacey Cannon Gonzales (theatre), and Amy Tarver (theatre); and Austin Arts Watch's Ryan E. Johnson (performing arts). Note: Members of the Table refrained from voting on any project in which they or an immediate family member took part.

The 2018-19 Austin Critics Table Award Nominees

THEATRE

Production
Antigonick, Salvage Vanguard Theater
The Merchant of Venice, UT Department of Theatre & Dance
Notes From the Field, Zach Theatre
The Rover, Hidden Room Theatre
Sunday in the Park with George, Zach Theatre
(Un)Documents, Vortex Repertory Company/Avante Theatre Project
We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, from the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884-1915, Street Corner Arts

Direction
Tom Delbello, Cabaret
Liz Fisher, We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, from the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884-1915
Patti Neff-Tiven, There and Back
Rudy Ramirez, (Un)Documents/Heartland/Last: An Extinction Comedy
Diana Lynn Small, Antigonick
Dave Steakley, Sunday in the Park with George/Notes From the Field
Adam L. Sussman, The Merchant of Venice

David Mark Cohen New Play Award
The Afterparty, Reina Hardy
The Audience/El Público, Elizabeth Doss
Echo of a Refugee … Me?, Zell Miller III
Gretel! The Musical, Jason Tremblay with Suzan Zeder and Jenn Hartmann Luck
Heartland, Gabriel Jason Dean
(Un)Documents, Jesus I. Valles

Performance by an Individual
Jill Blackwood, Sunday in the Park With George/Indian Ink
Robyn Conner, The Grapes of Wrath
Karina Dominguez, There and Back
Will Douglas, Significant Other
Lee Eddy, Cry It Out
Judd Farris, Booth’s Richard III/Your Mother’s Copy of the Kama Sutra
Carla Nickerson, Monroe/Notes From the Field
Amber Quick, Sunday in the Park with George/Your Mother’s Copy of the Kama Sutra/The Rover
Daniel Rowan, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Cecil Washington, Sunday in the Park with George

Performance by an Ensemble
Antigonick, Salvage Vanguard Theater
Heisenberg, Zach Theatre
The Magic Fire, Different Stages
Once, Zach Theatre
We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, from the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884-1915, Street Corner Arts

Improvised Production
Available Cupholders, Out of Bounds Comedy Festival
Immigrants, the Musical! (Part 2), Institution Theatre
The Knuckleball Now, Out of Bounds Comedy Festival
Latinauts, Prima Doñas, Futurx

Musical Direction
John Henderson and Adam Roberts, The Music Man
Lyn Koenning, All Shook Up
Adam Roberts, Fun Home
Allen Robertson, Sunday in the Park with George/Rob1n/Once/Tortoise and Hare/Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Stephanie Wells, The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Movement
The Back Pack, The Back Pack Presents: Wear and Tear
Sara Burke, Rob1n/Tortoise and Hare
Isaac Iskra, Matawan
Ginger Morris, The Music Man
Kelsey Oliver, Fun Home

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DESIGN

Set
Stephanie Busing, Notes From the Field
Ia Ensterä, There and Back/Middletown/Fun Home/Crime and Punishment
Lisa Laratta, The Audience/Antigonick
Cliff Simon, Sunday in the Park with George
Leilah Stewart and Vicki Yoder, Wit

Costume
Aaron Flynn, The Rover
Constance Hoffman, Grimm Tales
Michael McDonald, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Paige Tautz, Antigonick
Susan Branch Towne, Sunday in the Park with George/Middletown/The Three Musketeers

Lighting
Patrick Anthony, The Afterparty/(Un)Documents/Heartland
Natalie George, The Audience/There and Back/Fun Home/Antigonick
Qi Jiajing, Matawan
Sarah EC Maines, Sunday in the Park with George
Tony Tucci, The Firebird/Grimm Tales

Sound
Lowell Bartholomee. There and Back/Crime and Punishment
Robert S. Fisher, The Antipodes/Monroe/The Hunchback Variations/Men on Boats
Nick Hart, The Afterparty
K. Eliot Haynes, Middletown/The Three Musketeers
Sam Lipman, Matawan
Johann Mahler, (Un)Documents

Digital
Stephanie Busing, Sunday in the Park with George/Notes From the Field
Matthew Smith, The Yellow Wallpaper
Howard Werner, Grimm Tales

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DANCE

Concert
Artist and Muse, Performa/dance
Be Still, My Heart, Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company
Grimm Tales, Ballet Austin
Of Sound & Silence, Tapestry Dance Company
With or Without You, Circuitous Dance

Short Work
“Idobálè,” Fortitude
“John D,” Company
“Joy,” Of Sound & Silence
“Matters of the Heart,” Love Songs for the World
“Shoulders,” Fall for Dance

Choreographer
Charles O. Anderson, “Idobálè”
Jennifer Hart, “The Beast”
Stephen Mills, Grimm Tales
Lisa Nicks, Love Songs for the World
Kate Warren, With or Without You

Dancer
Oliver Greene-Cramer, “The Beast”/“The Frog King”
Aara Krumpe, The Firebird/“Snow White”
Bridget Morris, “Self Reflection”/“Matters of the Heart”
Becky Nam, Fortitude
Andrea Torres, Of Sound & Silence
Jaime Lynn Witts, The Nutcracker/“The Frog King”

Ensemble
Be Still, My Heart, Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company
Disrupt, Ventana Ballet
Dvorák Serenade, Ballet Austin
Of Sound & Silence, Tapestry Dance Company
Rick Said So, Frank Wo/Men Collective

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CLASSICAL MUSIC

Concert/Opera
Hope of Loving, Conspirare
I, Too, Sing America, Inversion Ensemble
Leonard Bernstein’s Mass, Merick Strategies
Otello, Austin Opera
Silent Night, Austin Opera
Variation Voyage, Austin Symphony Orchestra

Chamber Performance
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 15, Miró Quartet
Reynolds: The Difference Engine, Fast Forward Austin
Smetana: Piano Trio in G Minor, Schumann Chamber Players
The Sound of Science, Golden Hornet
Thomas Burritt Chamber Percussion Recital, Butler School of Music

Original Composition/Score
Grimm Tales, Graham Reynolds
Innocent Blood, Adrienne Inglis
"Nada de Turbe," Carlos Cordero
"Three Rhymes for Suffrage Times,” Robbie LaBanca
The Yellow Wallpaper, Dan Welcher

Singer
Donnie Ray Albert, “Behold I Build a House”
Marina Costa-Jackson, Otello
Michelle Haché, Atlantis, the Puppet Opera
Isaachah Savage, Otello
Ellie Jarrett Shattles, The Yellow Wallpaper/Happy Birthday, Lenny
Jubilant Sykes, Leonard Bernstein’s Mass

Ensemble
Austin Camerata
Conspirare
invoke
line upon line percussion
Schumann Chamber Players

Instrumentalist
Thomas Burritt, Thomas Burritt Chamber Percussion Recital
Chee-Yun, Reinventions
Marianne Gedigian, “Hair Cloth and Thread”
Stephen Redfield, A World Tour of Baroque Orchestral Masterworks/Hope of Loving
Jeffrey Ziegler, The Sound of Science

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VISUAL ART

Solo Gallery Exhibition
“Alejandra Almuelle: Journey,” 1300 E. Fifth (East Austin Studio Tour)
"Andy St. Martin: From 20, paintings at Cloud Tree,” Cloud Tree Studios
“Cage Match Project Round VIII: Tammie Rubin: This Is Everything,” Museum of Human Achievement
“Malcolm Bucknall: Solo Show,” Wally Workman Gallery
“Martha Hughes: Fresh From Marfa,” Ola Gallery
“Terra Goolsby: Black Rainbow,” Dimension Gallery

Group Gallery Exhibition
“25th Anniversary Show,” Stephen L. Clark Gallery
“Femme Abstract,” 1300 E. Fifth (East Austin Studio Tour)
“Witches,” Recspec Gallery

Museum Exhibition
Abraham Cruzvillegas: “Hi, How Are You, Gonzo?”, The Contemporary Austin
“Ed Ruscha: Archaeology and Romance,” Ransom Center
“Huma Bhabha: Other Forms of Life,” The Contemporary Austin
“James Surls: With Out, With In,” Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum
“Taja Lindley: Re-Membering Is the Responsibility of the Living,” Carver Museum

Gallery, Body of Work
Big Medium
Dimension Gallery
grayDUCK Gallery
Mass Gallery
Stephen L. Clark Gallery

Artist
Alejandra Almuelle
Virginia Fleck
Tammie Rubin
Alyssa Taylor Wendt
Suzanne Wyss