The Last Straw Awards 2018

By Joe Straw

 

Art breaks your heart. – narrator

 

The Last Straw Awards 2018, for now, is a virtual award; there are no plaques, or statuettes that you can pawn off to pay for medical bills.  In short, it is an award based on merit and something you can carry with you forever without the clutter.    

 

First, the writers, for without them there would be no play.

Writers:

Julio Vera – Alik

Quiara Alegría Hudes – The Happiest Song Plays Last

Bernardo Cubría – The Giant Void in My Soul

Christian Levatino – …meantime at HoJo’s

Luis Valdez – Valley of the Heart

 

Also, it is with great pleasure that I announce the actors who are recipients of this award.   Their performance stays with me long after I have left the theatre.  Making the most of a moment is what counts. And sometimes those moments can be profound or subtle. One loves a treacherously delivered line.  In most cases, it is the fruition of hard work, reflecting a supreme simplicity, and coming to a demonstrative peak on a given night.   

 

(I make it a point to cover actors and you can read about their performances in this blog.  Type the name of the production in the blog window top left to find.)  

 

Actors:

 

Small Mouth Sounds by Bess Wohl – at The Broad

 

Brenna Palughi – Alicia

Orville Mendoza – Teacher

 

A Soldier’s Fugue by Quiara Alegría Hudes – at Kirk Douglas

 

Rubén Garfias – Grandpop

 

Alik by Julio Vera – at AmVet Post 2 House

 

Lauren Fordinal – Marina

Justin Powell – Alik

Sam Flemming – Pavel

Monica Ross – Rimma

Colleen Greenhalgh – Larissa

 

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee –Music and Lyrics by William Finn, Book by Rachel Sheinkin, Conceived by Rachel Sheinkin, Additional Material by Jay Reiss at Culver City High School

Jaylen Rosado – Leaf Coneybear

Aidan Van den Broeck – Vice Principal Doug Panch

Kacey Oschack – Marcy Park

Joey O’Neal – William Barfée

Sophia Martin-Straw – Various Roles

Nice Fish by Mark Rylance & Louis Jenkins – at Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles

Tamika Simpkins – DNR Officer

Kristen Egermeier – Flo

The Happiest Song Plays Last by Quiara Alegría Hudes – at Latino Theatre Company  

Elisa Bocanegra – Yaz

Al Rodrigo – Agustín

John Seda-Pitre – Lefty

Kamal Marayati – Ali

Evangeline, The Queen of Make-Believe by Theresa Chavez and Rose Portillo, Story by Theresa Chavez, Louis Pérez and Rose Portillo – The Plaza de la Raza

Blanca Araceli – Alicia Ibarra

Mr. Pim Passes By by A. A Milne – at Theatre 40

John Wallace Combs – George Marden

Roslyn Cohn – Olivia Marden

The Giant Void in My Soul by Bernardo Cubría – Pico Playhouse

Karla Mosley – Fool 1

Kim Hamilton – Fool 2

Claudia Doumit – Various Roles

Liza Fernandez – Various roles

SOLO MUST DIE: A Musical Parody Book by Jordan and Ari Stidham Music and Lyrics by Hughie Stone Fish and Ari Stidham – at Hudson Backstage Theatre

Selorm Kploanyi – Galaxia

Michelle Wicklas – Various Roles

The Intimacy Effect by Jeff Tabnick – at the Lounge Theatre

Toni Christopher – Amy Appel

Jordana Oberman – Merrily Appel.

Water by the Spoonful by Quiara Alegría Hudes – at The Mark Taper

Sean Carvajal – Elliot

Yellow Face by David Henry Hwang – at The Beverly Hills Playhouse

Jennifer Vo Le – Leah Anne Cho

Dennis Nollette – Various Roles

Jon Pendergast – NWOAOC (Name Withheld On Advice of Counsel)

Lisagaye Tomlinson – Various roles

  

…meantime at HoJo’s by Christian Levatino – at The Flight Theatre

Patrick Flanagan – Macho Barker

Leo Olivia – Rolando Martinez

Hector Hugo – Villo Gonzalez

LQ Victor – G. Gordon Liddy

Fairy Tale Theatre 18 & Over: The Musical by Michael J. Feldman Music by Jason Currie – at Pico Playhouse

Sheila Carrasco – Various roles

Valley of the Heart by Luis Valdez – at The Mark Taper

Rose Portillo – Paula Montaño

Scott Keiji Takeda – Calvin Sakamoto

Daniel Valdez – Cayetano Montaño

Bus Stop by William Inge – at Theatre 40

Kaitlin Huwe – Cherie

Mani Yarosh – Elma

These are the directors that made the list – because the work was remarkable - and all for different reasons.

Directors:

Cassandra Ambe – Alik

Felix Solis – The Giant Void in My Soul

Robert Zimmerman – Yellow Face

Edward Torres – The Happiest Song Plays Last

Christian Levatino – …meantime at HoJo’s

Luis Valdez – Valley of the Heart

 The Ortiz Award 2018 is given to the play that showcases an outstanding presentation of diversity and art in a theatrical presentation.  This award is named in honor of Vilma Ortiz, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology at UCLA and a champion of diversity in the arts and in her academic field of study. This year the recipient is:

Valley of the Heart – Written and directed by Luis Valdez

-->