Ivey 2011 Honorees

2011 Iveys RecognizeBain Boehlke for Lifetime Achievement and Anna Sundberg for Emerging Artist

Two Productions and Six Individuals Also Honoredin September 19th Celebration

(MINNEAPOLIS) — The Twin Cities theater community honored Bain Boehlke, Artistic Director of the Jungle Theater, with the Lifetime Achievement Award and actor Anna Sundberg with the Emerging Artist Award at the 7th annual Iveys on Monday, September 19, at the Historic State Theatre in downtown Minneapolis. The yearly celebration honors and showcases the work of professional theater companies and artists over the past year.

Based on evaluations completed by the general public and more than 150 volunteer theater evaluators who saw more than 1,000 performances in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area from September 2010 through August 2011, two productions and six individuals were also recognized with 2011 Iveys:

Productions

Doubt (Ten Thousand Things)
The 7-Shot Symphony (Live Action Set)

Individual Recognition

Craig Johnson, Director, Street Scene (Girl Friday Productions)
Peter Christian Hansen, Acting, Burn This (Gremlin Theatre)
Dennis Spears, Acting, I Wish You Love (Penumbra Theatre Company)
Ben Bakken, Acting, Jesus Christ Superstar (Chanhassen Dinner Theatres)
Gary Rue, Music, Buddy–The Buddy Holly Story (History Theatre)
David Bolger, Choreographer, H.M.S. Pinafore (Guthrie Theater)

Bain Boehlke is the founding Artistic Director of the Jungle Theater. He has worked in theaters around the country including Arizona Theatre Company, Louisville Children’s Theatre and Honolulu Theatre for Youth. Bain was Associate Artistic Director and a leading actor at the Children’s Theatre Company for 13 years. He produced by documentary Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Memories and Perspectives and appeared as Mr. Mohra in the Cohen brothers’ film Fargo. He is the recipient of the 2001 McKnight Fellowship for Theater Arts and the 2009 McKnight Foundation’s Distinguished Artist of the Year. Since the Jungle’s inception more than 20 years ago, Bain has directed, designed and/or appeared in most of the theater’s productions. Most recently he directed and designed Hamlet, which is now playing on the Jungle stage.

Anna Sundberg currently is appearing in Walking Shadow Theatre Company’s production of Reasons to Be Pretty at the Guthrie’s Dowling Studio. She has recently appeared in Street Scene with Girl Friday Productions, as Maid Marian in the Children’s Theatre Company’s Robin Hood and as the lead in Joking Envelope’s Sexy Librarian: File Under Rock Musical. Other appearances include Ringtone in the 2010 Fringe Festival, Rock ‘n’ Roll at Park Square Theatre, A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie Theater, and Macbeth at Great River Shakespeare Festival.

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July 21, 2010

2011 Iveys Celebrate Twin Cities Theater
September 19 at Historic State Theatre

Seth & Charles Numrich to Host Event

(Minneapolis, MN) — Minneapolis–St. Paul theater fans will gather Monday, September 19, at the Historic State Theatre for the 7th annual Iveys, honoring and showcasing the work of professional theater companies and artists over the past year. Established in 2004, the Iveys seek to increase awareness and appreciation of Twin Cities’ professional theater by providing a celebration for both those working within the theater community and for those in the audience.

Seth Numrich, star of the 2011 Tony Award-winning War Horse at NYC’s Lincoln Center Theater and a native of the Twin Cities, returns home to co-host the Iveys with his father, local actor and storyteller Charles Numrich.

The Iveys are unique among awards events in the country in that they are open to the public and there are no nominees, set number of awards or pre-determined award categories, with the exception of the Lifetime Achievement and the Emerging Artists Awards. The artists and organizations receiving recognition are selected from evaluations completed by the public and more than 150 volunteer theater evaluators who have seen more than 1000 performances in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area from September 2010 through August 2011.

Each participating theater receives a vote to determine the Lifetime Achievement and Emerging Artist awards; for other honorees, a software program summarizes the information provided by the volunteer evaluators and the Ivey Awards advisory committee confirms the results. The 15-member advisory committee is composed of local theater professionals, theater board members, and theater goers.

The 2011 Iveys will feature a special opening number honoring and featuring local theater costumers. In addition, Ryan McCartan, a graduate of Minnetonka High School who is the 2011 winner of the Jimmy Award and the recipient of the U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts award, will sing “Someone to Fall Back On,” the piece he sang to win the Jimmy (the National High School Musical Theater Awards’ top prize). The entertainment also includes:

Excerpt from The Rocky Horror Show by Cardinal Theatricals
Excerpt from The Buddy Holly Story by the History Theater
Excerpt from Little Shop of Horrors by Mu Performing Arts
The 7-Shot Symphony by Live Action Set
Excerpt from Ragtime by Park Square Theatre

The Ivey Awards is presented with the generous support of Best Buy, Target, McKnight Foundation, Sun Country Airlines, Trinchero Family Estates Winery, Bombay Sapphire, Actor’s Equity Association, Arts & Custom Publishing, Cities 97, City Pages, Metro Magazine, Risdall Marketing Group, FAME, American Burger Bar, CRAVE, Savvi Formalwear, The Lab, Zeller Realty, and Shapco Printing.

What:   7th Annual Iveys celebrating theater in the Twin Cities
When:   Monday, September 19, 7:30 p.m.
Where:   Historic State Theatre
Tickets:   Available at www.IveyAwards.com, State Theatre box office or any Ticketmaster outline. Youth party tickets available only at www.IveyAwards.com.

Regular tickets $35 before September 9; $40 after that date (includes reserved seating for show plus post-show party at LaSalle Plaza)
VIP tickets $125 (includes pre-party at The New Century Theatre from 5–7 p.m with exquisite food and a cocktail bar, and preferred seating at the State Theatre)
Youth tickets for ages 17 and younger $8 (includes pre-party at LaSalle Plaza from 5–7 p.m. with interactive entertainment.

Blog: More information at iveyawards.tumblr.com, the official blog of the Ivey Awards

Sept. 23, 2010