Who Says There’s No Theatre in LA?

A guest post by Native Voices Production Coordinator Caroline Chang

 

There was the looming chance of rain Monday night , but luckily the skies cleared up over the Autry National Center as members of the LA theatre community dropped in for the LA Stage Alliance Ovation Nominees Announcements.

For those of you who don’t know, the LA Stage Alliance is an organization which brings together and builds awareness and support for performing arts organizations in Los Angeles. They host the annual Ovation Awards which is the “only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles, created to recognize excellence in theatrical performance, production and design in the Greater Los Angeles area”. And Native Voices had the honor of being asked to host this year’s Ovation Nominee Announcements!

It was a great night with old theatre friends, and new ones. As well as a great reception by Cheers Catering before the event. The energy was calm but electrifying – ah, so that’s where the thunder and lightning went! Yes, a clear night sky, conversations about theatre, and bruschetta and cracked pepper hummus. What could be better?

The announcements opened with a presentation by Native Voices. David Burton, Managing Director, kicked it off with thanks from and info about The Autry and our new exciting exhibitions up and coming (come see Siqueiros, its fabulous!). Then next stepped up Tonantzin Carmelo and Kalani Queypo, who both effervescently introduced Native Voices to the audience of theatre professionals. What a great opportunity and such apt folks to do the job!

The next day, David remarked to me that “Native Voices at the Autry was delighted and proud to be the host venue for this year’s ovation nominee announcements. This event was a wonderful reminder of the great talent and diversity reflected in the Los Angeles theatre community. We are happy that NV has long contributed to that diversity and grateful that we had the opportunity to share our accomplishments and future goals with our LA theatre family. Many of the new friendships forged last night could lead to some interesting or surprising collaborations in the future. Wouldn’t that be cool?" I think so! Oh, the possibilities!

The rest of the evening went smoothly as winners from last year’s Ovation Awards announced the nominees. It was exciting to be surrounded by that much talent! And congrats to the nominees! Man, it was terrific year in theatre, don’t you agree?

Special thanks to Terrence McFarland, Doug Clayton, Neal Spinler, Phloe Pontaoe and to everyone at the LA Stage Alliance for putting together a fabulous evening! This year’s Ovation Awards Ceremony will be hosted by the Cabrillo Music Center and the Thousand Oaks Performing Arts Plaza on January 17th, 2011.

And a final thought from Caroline:

Theatre in LA is scattered, in pockets of the city here and there with no veritable “Broadway” (as much as those have tried to make it happen). Like much of the cultural activity in LA, you won’t know it until you stumble upon, it hits you in the face, and you take a chance, but it will dazzle you and find a way to connect with you, and you’ll come back wanting more (trust me).

And the performing arts community is big and small at the same time, much like the city itself. Its full of the experimental, contemporary, traditional, avant-garde, classics, remakes, stars and up and comers, the good, the bad, and the ugly (and the beautiful, its LA of course!).

It’s all over the map. Somebody is always doing theatre in LA.

 

And that’s how we like it.