Ivey Awards


The Ivey Awards were an annual award show, celebrating Twin Cities professional theater. Established in 2004, the non-nomination based awards served to recognize outstanding achievements within the past theater season in direction, performance, design, etc. The awards were founded by Scott Mayer and administered by a panel of local theater professionals and theater patrons. The Iveys ceased in 2018 due to lack of funding.
The Iveys were held each year in September at the historic State Theater, in the theater district of Minneapolis.

About the Award Ceremony

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, 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.

Details of the IVEY Awards

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
  • Awards for theater highlights
  • Recognition for work in the areas of production, design, direction, performance, and special citations

Eligibility

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 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.

Recognition Evaluation Process

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, 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.

Awards and recipients

2006

Productions

Sez She, emotional impact—Illusion TheaterThe Talk: An Intercourse of Coming of Age, unique concept -- Youth Performance CompanyI Am Anne Frank, direction and musical direction -- Nautilus Music Theater

Individuals

  • 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

Actor Honorees

  • Bradley Greenwald -- I Am My Own Wife, Jungle Theater
  • Dean Holt -- Reeling, Children's Theatre Company

Emerging Artist Award

Christiana Clark, performer

Lifetime Achievement Award

Jack Reuler, Artistic Director

2007

Productions

Don Giovanni, musical direction and performances—Theatre de la Jeune LuneLove, Janis, musical direction and performances -- Ordway Center for the Performing ArtsMessy Utopia, innovative concept and idea -- Mixed Blood Theatre

Individual Honorees

  • 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

Actor Honorees

Emerging Artist Award

Kate Sutton-Johnson, scenic designer

Lifetime Achievement Award

Sheila Livingston

2008

Productions

Broken Brain Summit, innovative concept and idea—Interact CenterNight Mother, overall excellence -- Workhouse Theatre CompanyCabaret, costume design, scenic design & choreography—Ordway Center for the Performing ArtsThe Pillowman, emotional impact—Frank TheatreA Prelude to Faust, overall excellence—Open Eye Figure Theatre

Individual Honorees

Actor Honorees

  • 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

Emerging Artist Award

Matthew Amendt, playwright and performer

Lifetime Achievement Award

Don Stoltz

2009

Productions

Little Rock, 1957, Youth Performance CompanyTyrone & Ralph, History TheatreOld Wicked Songs, Theatre Latte Da

Individual Honorees

  • 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
  • Sean Healey, Sound Design
‘’Shipwrecked’’ by The Jungle Theater

Actor Honorees

  • 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

Emerging Artist Award

Emily Gunyou Halaas, Performer

Lifetime Achievement Award

Dudley Riggs

2010

Productions

Mary’s Wedding, the Jungle TheaterRuined, Mixed Blood Theatre Othello, Ten Thousand Things Theater

Individual Honorees

  • 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

Actor Honorees

  • Katie Guentzel -- "My Antonia", Illusion Theater
  • Regina Marie Williams -- "Ruined", Mixed Blood Theatre

Emerging Artist Award

Kalere Payton, Costume Designer

Lifetime Achievement Award

Wendy Lehr, Actress

2011

Productions

Doubt, Ten Thousand ThingsThe 7-Shot Symphony, Live Action Set

Individual Honorees

  • 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

Actor Honorees

Emerging Artist Award

Anna Sundberg, Actress

Lifetime Achievement Award

Bain Boehlke

2012

Productions

Compleat Female Stage Beauty, Walking Shadow Theatre Company Spring Awakening, Theatre Latte DaBallad of the Pale Fisherman, Illusion Theater Julius Caesar, Theatre Unbound

Individual Honorees

  • 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

Actor Honorees

  • 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

Emerging Artist Award

Isabel Nelson, Actress and Artistic Director

Lifetime Achievement Award

Rick Shiomi

2013

Productions

In the Next Room, Jungle TheaterMilly & Tillie, Open Eye Figure Theatre

Individual Honorees

  • Peter Beard & James Napoleon Stone, Directing-- "Hamlet", Theatre Coup d'État
  • 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

Actor Honorees

  • 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

Emerging Artist Award

Ricardo Vázquez, Actor, Director and Playwright

Lifetime Achievement Award

Jeffrey Hatcher, Playwright

2014

Productions

Cabaret, Latte Da and Hennepin Theatre TrustOrdinary Days, Nautilus Music-Theater

Individual Honorees

  • 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

Actor Honorees

  • Sally Wingert, Acting—Four productions in 2013–14
  • Nathan Cousins and Tristan Tifft, Acting -- "The 39 Steps", Yellow Tree Theatre

Emerging Artist Award

Tyler Michaels, Actor

Lifetime Achievement Award

Michael Robins and Bonnie Morris, Co-Producing Directors