The Black Theater Alliance Awards, Inc. (BTAA) Announces Nominations for The 26th Annual Black Theater Alliance/Ira Aldridge Awards
From press release: In the midst of extremely difficult times, BTAA is most proud to announce BTAA nominees for productions presented between August 1, 2019 and July 31, 2020. In an extremely difficult season, excellence in the performing arts was supreme. BTAA saw 47 live productions. Virtual presentations are not considered, and 32 different production companies are participants. Having said that, 28 categories were immersed with 131 nominees. BTAA reviews equity and non-equity productions and performances; equity and non-equity performers are considered in the same category of competition. However, only Black theater productions companies are considered for The Negro Ensemble Company.
This year, BTAA has inducted a legendary name to a BTAA category: Tony Award winning singer and actress, Melba Moore. The Best Actress in a Play (Non-Resident) will be The Melba Moore Award. Date, Time, and Place for The 26th Annual Black Theater Alliance/ Ira Aldridge Awards will be at a later date.
The Black Theater Alliance Awards, Inc. was founded and incorporated by Vincent Williams in 1995. BTAA was founded to honor African Americans who achieve excellence in theater, dance, and all areas of the performing arts in the Chicagoland area.
A Complete List of The 2020 Black Theater Alliance Awards Nominations:
The Negro Ensemble Company Award
Outstanding Stage Production
Lady Sings The Blues The Musical – John Ruffin’s Theater 47
The Master Comic – MPAACT
You Can’t Fake The Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music – Black Ensemble Theater
The Lorraine Hansberry Award
Best Writing of a Play
Terrance T. Brown, Aaron Tood Douglas, and Yusef Williams – The Master Comic – MPAACT
Lee Edward Colston – The First Deep Breath – Victory Gardens Theater
James Ijames – Kill Move Paradise – TimeLine Theatre Company
Donja R. Love – Sugar In Our Wounds – First Floor Theater
Korde Arrington Tuttle – Graveyard Shift – Goodman Theatre
The August Wilson Award
Best Writing of a Musical
Daryl D. Brooks –You Can’t Fake The Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music – Black Ensemble Theater
Stephen Fedo and Tim Rhoze – Black Ballerina – Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre
John L. Ruffin – Lady Sings The Blues The Musical – John Ruffin’s Theater 47
Ted Williams III – 1619: The Journey of a People – 3rd Dimension Performance Group
The Target Community Relations Award
Best Ensemble
The First Deep Breath – Victory Gardens Theater
Kill Move Paradise – TimeLine Theatre Company
You Can’t Fake The Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music – Black Ensemble Theater
The Lloyd Richards Award
Best Direction of a Play
Aaron Reese Boseman – A Raisin In The Sun – Invictus Theatre Company
Steve H. Broadnax III – The First Deep Breath – Victory Gardens Theater
Ilesa Duncan – Middle Passage – Lifeline Theatre
Runako Jahi – The Master Comic – MPAACT
Ron OJ Parson – Stick Fly – Writers Theatre
The Oscar Brown, Jr. Award
Best Direction of a Musical
Daryl D. Brooks – You Can’t Fake The Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music – Black Ensemble Theater
Lili- Anne Brown – The Color Purple – Drury Lane Theatre
Tim Rhoze – Black Ballerina – Fleetwood- Jourdain Theatre
John L. Ruffin – Lady Sings The Blues The Musical – John Ruffin’s Theater 47
The Douglas Alan Mann Award
Best Direction of an Ensemble
Adarius Blakely – TopDog/UnderDog – Beverly Arts Center
Mikael Burke – Sugar In Our Wounds – First Floor Theater
Wardell Julius Clark – Kill Move Paradise – TimeLine Theatre Company
Monty Cole –The Brothers Size – Steppenwolf Theatre Company
The Sidney Poitier Award
Best Leading Actor in a Play
Donn Carl Harper –The Master Comic – MPAACT
David Goodloe – Mlima’s Tale – Griffin Theatre Company
Kevin Tre’Von Patterson – Rabbit Summer – Redtwist Summer
William Anthony Sebastian Rose ll – Labyrinth – Broken Nose Theatre
Kelvin Roston, Jr. – King Hedley ll – Court Theatre
The Ossie Davis, Jr. Award
Best Featured Actor in a Play
Matthew James Elam – Hoodoo Love – Raven Theatre
Darren Jones – Labyrinth – Broken Nose Theatre
Clinton Lowe – The First Deep Breath – Victory Gardens Theater
Johnard Washington – Thirst – Strawdog Theatre Company
Dexter Zollicofer – King Hedley II – Court Theatre
The Ruby Dee Award
Best Leading Actress in a Play
Ayanna Bria Bakari – The Niceties – Writers Theatre
Andrea Conway Diaz – Voice of Good Hope – City Lit Theater
Aneisa J. Hicks – Graveyard Shift – Goodman Theatre
Martasia Jones – Hoodoo Love – Raven Theatre Company
Brooke Reams – Rabbit Summer – Redtwist Theatre
Leslie Ann Sheppard – Sheepdog – Shattered Globe Theatre
The Hattie McDaniel Award
Best Featured Actress in a Play
Deveon Bromby – Rabbit Summer – Redtwist Theatre
Nyajai Ellison – A Raisin In The Sun – Invictus Theatre Company
Deanna Reed-Foster – The First Deep Breath – Victory Gardens Theater
Ashley Joy – A Raisin In The Sun – Invictus Theatre Company
Shariba Rivers – Hoodoo Love – Raven Theatre Company
Taylar – King Hedley II – Court Theatre
Celeste Williams – The First Deep Breath – Victory Gardens Theater
The Harry Belafonte Award
Best Actor in an Ensemble
Kai A. Ealy – Kill Move Paradise – TimeLine Theatre Company
Charles Andrew Gardner – Kill Move Paradise – TimeLine Theatre Company
Eric Gerard – P.Y.G., or The Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle – Jackalope Theatre Company
Cage Sebastian Pierre – Kill Move Paradise – TimeLine Theatre Company
Londen Shannon – Sugar In Our Wounds – First Floor Theater
The Ethel Waters Award
Best Actress in an Ensemble
Shenise Brown – Spoken Word – MPAACT
Ashley Crowe – Sugar In Our Wounds – First Floor Theater
Ann Joseph – Day of Absence – Congo Square Theatre Company
Renee Lockett – Sugar In Our Wounds – First Floor Theater
The Denzel Washington Award
Most Promising Actor
Trent Davis – (Kill Move Paradise) – TimeLine Theatre Company
Gregory J. Fields – (Thirst) – Strawdog Theatre Company
Blake Hawthorne – (The Other Cinderella) – Black Ensemble Theater
Michael Morrow – (Middle Passage) – Lifeline Theatre
The Phylicia Rashad Award
Most Promising Actress
Shenise Brown – (Spoken Word) – MPAACT
Ashley Crowe – (Sugar In Our Wounds) – First Floor Theatre
Saniyah As-Salaam – (Thirst) – Strawdog Theatre Company
Noelle Klyce – (Voice of Good Hope) – CityLit Theater
The Sammy Davis, Jr. Award
Best Leading Actor in a Musical
Blake Hawthorne – The Other Cinderella – Black Ensemble Theater
Donterrio Johnson – Sophisticated Ladies – Porchlight Music Theatre
James T. Lane – Mary Poppins – Drury Lane Theatre
Dwight Neal – You Can’t Fake The Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music – Black Ensemble Theater
The Bill Bojangles Award
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Michael Adkins – You Can’t Fake The Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music – Black Ensemble Theater
Melvin Abston – The Color Purple – Drury Lane Theatre
Jared David Michael Grant – Working – Theo Ubigue Cabaret Theatre
Stewart Romeo – The Other Cinderella – Black Ensemble Theater
Randle Michael – Lady Sings The Blues The Musical – John Ruffin’s Theater 47
The Lena Horne Award
Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Jayla Williams Craig – The Other Cinderella – Black Ensemble Theater
Makada Grier – Lady Sings The Blues The Musical – John Ruffin’s Theater 47
Eben K. Logan – The Color Purple – Drury Lane Theatre
Kara Roseborough – Black Ballerina – Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre
Nondumiso Tembe’ – Lindiwe – Steppenwolf Theatre Company
The Eartha Kitt Award
Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Cynthia F. Carter – Working – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Sydney Charles – The Color Purple – Drury Lane Theatre
Kyrie Courter – The Color Purple – Drury Lane Theatre
Nicole Michelle Hoskins – The Color Purple – Drury Lane Theatre
Porsche King – Lady Sings The Blues The Musical – John Ruffin’s Theater 47
The Duke Ellington Award
Best Musical Direction
Jermaine Hill – The Color Purple – Drury Lane Theatre
Jermaine Hill – Sophisticated Ladies – Porchlight Music Theatre
Phil Patterson – Lady Sings The Blues The Musical – John Ruffin’s Theater 47
Robert Reddrick – You Can’t Fake The Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music – Black Ensemble Theater
The Katherine Dunham Award
Best Choreography in a Play or Music/Dance Program
Gary Abbott, Joshua L. Ishmon, Kevin Iega Jeff, Tshediso Kabulu, and Nicole Clarke Springer – Gesem: East Of The Nile from Reaffirmed/Reimagined – Deeply Rooted Dance Theater
Breon Arzell – The Color Purple – Drury Lane Theatre
Regina Perry Carr – Carry On – from Elevate – Munti Dance Theatre and Nunufatima Dance Company
Christopher Chase Carter – You Can’t Fake The Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music – Black Ensemble Theater
Jeremy Noah – Afro Dance Break from Elevate – Muntu Dance Theatre and Nunufatima Dance Company
The Ruth E. Carter Award
Best Costume Design
Rosalyn Baux – Lady Sings The Blues The Musical – John Ruffin’s Theater 47
Rueben Echoles – You Can’t Fake The Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music – Black Ensemble Theater
Izumi Inaba – Kill Move Paradise – TimeLine Theatre Company
Muntu Dance Theatre – “Elevate” – Muntu Dance Theatre and Nunufatima Dance Company
Alexia Rutherford – King Hedley ll – Court Theatre
The Shirley Prendergast Award
Best Lighting Design
Sim Carpenter – Hoodoo Love – Raven Theatre Company
Jared Gooding – P.Y.G., or The Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle – Jackalope Theatre Company
Denise Karczewski – You Can’t Fake The Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music – Black Ensemble Theater
Jason Lynch – Kill Move Paradise – TimeLine Theatre Company
Eric Watkins – Sugar In Our Wounds – First Floor Theater
The Ed Burbridge Award
Best Set Design
Joy Ahn – Sugar In Our Wounds – First Floor Theater
Linda Buchanan – Stick Fly – Writers Theatre
Ryan Emens – Kill Move Paradise – TimeLine Theatre Company
Regina Garcia – King Hedley ll – Court Theatre
Denise Karczewski and Bek Lambrect – You Can’t Fake The Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music – Black Ensemble Theater
The Mike Sargent Award
Best Sound Design
Jeffrey Levin – Kill Move Paradise – TimeLine Theatre Company
David Samba – You Can’t Fake The Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music – Black Ensemble Theater
Rick Sims – Day Of Absence – Congo Square Theatre Company
The Alvin Ailey Award
Best Choreography (Non-Resident)
Camille A. Brown – Once On This Island – Broadway In Chicago
Darrell Grand Moultrie – Ounce of Faith – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Jamar Roberts – Ode – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
The André DeShields Award
Best Actor in a Play (Non-Resident)
Phillip Boykin – Once On This Island – Broadway In Chicago
Kyle Ramar Freeman – Once On This Island – Broadway In Chicago
Mike Wiley – Dar He: The Story Of Emmett Till – Mike Wiley Production
The Melba Moore Award
Best Actress in a Play (Non-Resident)
Courtnee Carter – Once On This island – Broadway In Chicago
Alex Hairston – Summer The Donna Summer Musical – Broadway In Chicago
Dan’Yelle Williamson – Summer The Donna Summer Musical – Broadway In Chicago
Photo: Christopher Wayland Jones and Matthew James Elam in Hoodoo Love at Raven Theatre, November 2019. Photo by Michael Brosilow.