Theater News: IRNE Awards @ 22 — The Theater Bug, Renewed

But, amidst all this excitement, there was an undertow of concern in the crowd at this year’s IRNE Awards.

By Robert Israel

Standing on the dais at the Holiday Inn for the 22^nd annual Independent Reviewers of New England awards ceremony on Monday night, I surveyed a boisterous crowd of publicists, actors, set and lighting designers, directors and administrators, a diverse sampling that makes up the burgeoning Boston theater community. This lively group didn’t need the booze, available from two well-stocked bars, to fuel their enthusiasm, but they guzzled it anyway. There was an organic, infectious excitement to the event, the annual return of members of the theater community to Brookline each spring  to learn – from myself and the other judges – who has been chosen as the best.

But, amidst all this excitement, there was an undertow of concern in the crowd. Many were dressed in black garb out of solidarity for the victims of sexual abuse championed by the #MeToo Movement, one of the most recent exposures in the Boston arts community being the outing (in the NYTimes) of sexual predator Israel Horovitz at the Gloucester Stage Company.

This exposure hit home to the IRNE committee, too. An IRNE judge, Al Chase, who resigned two weeks before the event, was publicly exposed by Evan Gambardella, an actor now living in New York, who chronicled his abuse by Chase in a Facebook posting. To IRNE’s credit, a statement was issued condemning Chase’s behavior and urging Boston-area theaters to bar him from reviewing future productions. At the event, a representative from StageSource in Boston was on hand to direct those who may have experienced sexual harassment toward resources – including counseling at the Boston Rape Crisis Center.

Speaking for my fellow IRNE judges, Mike Hoban declared that “we support the brave action of Evan Gambardella in coming forward and sharing his trauma in order to shine a light on inappropriate and predatory behavior and the horrific consequences for its victims.”

This vital point made, let’s turn to the winners — the complete list is available here. Highlights included the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of Merrily We Roll Along, which took home seven awards, including Best Musical in the Large Stage category, and SpeakEasy Stage’s Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, which earned five Small Stage (including Best Play) honors. Speakeasy’s Bridges of Madison County earned four wins in the Small Stage – Musical category while Merrimack Rep’s The Royale also won three awards for Large Stage, including Best Play.

There were also heartfelt tributes to the late actors Larry Coen and Thomas Derrah and a special recognition of achievement to Robert Eagle (who battled another alleged sexual predator last year).

For this particular IRNE judge (who has been reviewing theater for decades), the awards ceremony affords an opportunity to meet, greet, and thank many of the theater people in the Boston community who, like myself, are firmly enamored of the stage. While chatting with Trinity Rep’s Phyllis Kay we both realized that, as youngsters, we were “bit” by the theater bug while attending Project Discovery productions in Rhode Island. May that bug continue to thrive throughout New England.

Robert Israel writes about theater, travel, and the arts, and is a member of Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE). He can be reached at risrael_97@yahoo.com.