Suzi Bass Awards Add New Categories for 2012-13 Season

At their annual meeting in July, The Suzi Bass Awards board of directors and members ratified several significant changes to performance and special awards given in recognition of outstanding professional theatrical work in the metro Atlanta area.

The major changes that will apply beginning with the upcoming 2012-2013 Suzi season include easing the eligibility requirements for the Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award, the addition of the Production – Theatre for Young Audiences category, and the creation of a Lifetime Achievement Award. Other refinements to the guidelines ensure that the Suzi Awards continue evolving to reflect the wide range of theatrical production in Atlanta.

Full guidelines and further information can be downloaded from the Suzi Awards website.

The Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award (GGM) is named for one of the founders of the Suzi Awards organization and recognizes a single work of an Atlanta-area playwright. Former rules required that the play receive a full production with paid performers. However, the Suzi members want to focus this award more on the play as written, and many of Atlanta’s playwrights get their work to full production in smaller professional theatres and festivals before larger-budget theatres are able to commit to full production of a new play.

After careful consideration and input from the playwriting community and theatres, the Suzi members have voted to eliminate the pay requirement as a qualification, allowing a broader scope of plays and playwrights to be considered. Each play submitted for the GGM will be read by a panel of playwrights, theatre professionals and theatre educators. The winner of the each year’s GGM Award will be announced at the Suzi Awards Ceremony in November. Past winners include Atlantans Robert Earl Price, Pearl Cleage and Margaret Baldwin. For submission forms and full GGM Award requirements, go to www.suziawards.org.

New Award Category: Production – Theatre for Young Audiences

This long-awaited category will be added to the 2012-2013 Suzi Awards season. After many years of wanting to include the amazing work created for families and children, this new category will provide specific recognition of those productions at Suzi Participating Theatres, which were previously ineligible for consideration. These productions will be judged by a small panel of experienced theatre professionals who will conference to choose nominees and a yearly winner. All other aspects of requirements and process will mirror those for other Suzi Performance Award categories.

Lifetime Achievement Award

In order to recognize theatre professionals whose extensive body of work has enriched the Atlanta community across many years, the Suzi members and board have created the Lifetime Achievement Award. Unlike the Spirit of Suzi Award, which recognizes organizations or persons with dedication to professional theatre, service to the community and the craft, or influence on young artists, the Lifetime Achievement Award will consider a person’s career, their body of work and their contribution to the artistic life of the metro area. Nominations for this award may be submitted by the public, through the Suzi Awards website, and will be considered by the board of directors of the Suzi Bass Awards.

For more information, visit the website at www.suziawards.org.

The Suzi Bass Awards, Inc. is a Georgia corporation operating under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Judges, Board Members and Committees are all staffed by volunteers, and Membership is open to anyone.

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