The theatre community gathered at the Auburn Saloon last week to hear the nominees for the 2007 Betty Mitchell Awards
“Both, is the short answer,” says DJ Kelly, head of the steering committee for the Betty Mitchell Awards. “The way that the ground rules are set up is that we ask the nominating committee to take in all of those creative aspects. So, for example, if they're looking at a set designed for the Joyce Doolittle Theatre or one for the Jubilee Auditorium, they take into account the limitations present. We see how they're using their creativity to its fullest advantage regardless of whatever limitations they may face.”
This year marks the awards’ 10th anniversary and to celebrate, the steering committee altered the performance categories to better represent achievements in musical theatre and comedy. Though both of these were recognized before, specific awards were devised in order to make their acknowledgment more explicit.
“We didn't want to break anything down into smaller groups and ghettoize anyone, because we think they can compete on the same level,” says Kelly. “We also took a look at, anecdotally, what the theatre community thought were missing. So we revamped the performance awards to allow for better recognition of comedic and musical performances. It's not to say that one is better than the other, it's just that there are so many amazing performances going on around town that we wanted to recognize as many as possible.”
Across-the-board recognition is one of the board’s primary tenants. Another difference between the Bettys and the many awards ceremonies on television throughout the year is its divorce from the forces of community politics. The nomination process is handled through a special board whose members are kept secret from everyone except the box office attendees who arrange their tickets. This ensures the nomination board’s separation from even the rest of the award’s organizational body, and its non-bias.
“When we're selecting the nominating committee, they get together once at the beginning of the year, and then they go off on their merry way and see all the shows they were instructed to see,” says Kelly. “They touch base about mid-year to talk about how it's going. Because they're so anonymous, we select them to represent a wide variety of disciplines. Both genders, emerging and established artists, and maybe an educator. I think we've been really successful.”
Despite all the changes they’ve undergone since their inception, the original purpose of the Bettys is still upheld by the current board. For that reason, they remain a mainstay of the community, and one of its most anticipated events every year. “They exist for two reasons,” says Kelly. “The first is that recognition they provide. The second reason is that it's a fantastic way to bring the community together and celebrate the past season on the eve of the new season. It's a good way for practitioners to get together, which is something they're seldom able to do.”
For more information and the list of this year’s nominees, visit www.bettymitchellawards.com.
