SummerWorks: 2014 wrap-up & news

And now for the SummerWorks wrap-up, starting with some news from SummerWorks and the Theatre Centre:

Yesterday, the SummerWorks Performance Festival announced its partnership with The Theatre Centre in the creation of Progress, a new international performance and ideas festival to be launched February 5-15, 2015 – full line-up to be announced on November 5, 2014. Curators for 2014 include: Michael Rubenfeld (SummerWorks), Shannon Cochrane (FADO), Ravi Jain (Why Not Theatre), William Ellis and Jordan Tannahill (Videofag), Mel Hague + Brendan Healy (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre), Franco Boni (The Theatre Centre), Ross Manson (Volcano Theatre) and the Interferencias International Artist Network.

SummerWorks presented its awards for this year’s festival last night. This year’s jury included: Ross Manson, Kat Sandler and Anand Rajaram (except for the NOW Audience Choice Award, which is determined by ballots submitted by audience members). Award winners for SummerWorks 2014 are:

SummerWorks Prize for Production: He Left Quietly

The Contra Guys Award for New Performance Text: The Water Thief                                                                       Honourable mention: Half Girl Half Face

National Theatre School Award for Set or Costume Design: Unintentionally Depressing Children’s Tales

Buddies in Bad Times Vanguard Award for Risk and Innovation: Jacqueries, Part 1
Honourable mention: Fuck You, You Fucking Perv

Canadian Stage Award for Direction: Mercedes Batiz-Benet for El Jinete – A Mariachi Opera

The Spotlight Award for Performance: The Ensemble of Tragedy, a Tragedy: Don Allison, Benjamin Clost, Miranda Edwards, Cyrus Lane and Christopher Stanton
Honorable mention: Mazin Elsadig for Complex
Honourable mention: Jeff Ho for Unknown Soldier

The Theatre Centre Emerging Artist Award: Shaista Latif for Graceful Rebellions and Cole Lewis for Antigonick
Honourable mention: Rebecca Applebaum for Complex

The NOW Magazine Audience Choice Award: Trace

And, finally, thought I’d share my favourites from this year’s fest. I tried really hard to come up with a top three list, but that proved too difficult, so here are my top five plus some honourable mentions (in alphabetical order):

My top five:
And Now, The End
Complex
The Bull, the Moon and the Coronet of Stars
The Container
Trace

Honourable mentions:
Against Gravity
Blindsided
If Hearts Could Bloom

To Live in the Age of Melting: Idea of the North 2.0
Unintentionally Depressing Children’s Tales
Yarn