Lo, some good news from the local arts world! Two of South Florida’s youngest and most enterprising actor/directors have earned Remy Awards from the South Florida Theatre League, in part for their innovative programming during the pandemic.
The Remy Awards, a staple of the theatre scene since 1994, often single out unsung performers, directors, designers and backstage crew, as well as more-familiar names who have nourished the art form over the past season.
After reviewing submissions from the League’s voters, the organization has selected Matt Stabile, artistic director of FAU’s Theatre Lab, as 2020’s Pioneer Award recipient. The award recognizes individuals who have “contributed substantially to the health, growth and development of the South Florida theatre community.”
With a paucity of actual live theatre to consider this year, Stabile’s haste in organizing two Online Original Monologue Festivals (#OOMF) in the wake of the pandemic contributed, quite rightly, to his “Pioneering” status. These events brought much-needed cash to theatre artists suddenly out of work, while providing them—and us—with an entertaining and creative outlet in a time when we could all use the distraction. “I view this as a team award,” said Stabile, in a press release. “I am so very grateful to everyone at Theatre Lab for all their work in making OOMF a reality.”
Meanwhile, the 2020 service award went to Tim Davis, artistic director of Fort Lauderdale’s New City Players, a company fresh off its most impressive season to date. The Service Award recognizes “invaluable and outstanding contributions made through time, talent, service and expertise by taking the initiative and actively participating and contributing to the growth and development of the South Florida Theatre League.”
Davis has achieved this through programs such as “The Late Show Live with NCP,” an Instagram Live chat show with theatre artists, which was a nightly venture at the pandemic’s outset, and now streams Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 p.m. The specific purpose of the “Late Show Live” is to motivate donations to the South Florida Theatre League’s Relief Fund, which provides financial assistance to artists whose livelihoods have been on pause since mid-March.
The Remy Awards, which also honor Outstanding Contributions to children’s theatre, community theatre and others, will be officially bestowed in an online ceremony July 27 at 7:30 p.m. Click here for more information.
