production categories

NEW for 2015

Award Categories (Professional, Community, Youth) will now be applied to theatre productions instead of theatre companies. 

No longer will companies that want to participate in multiple categories have to form “sister” companies to enter into different categories, eliminating the need for multiple liaisons with multiple log-ins and passwords..  Eligibility for participating theatre companies will remain the same, and each company will be entitled to enter 2 productions (or 3 if one qualifies as original) in EACH of the production categories.  (click here to view the NEW Production Category definitions and criteria)

Companies will still be responsible for having a primary adjudicator for every production they submit for adjudication.  One liaison can now oversee all productions for their company and all adjudicators within a company can cover assignments for each other. 

Please NOTE: It is the producing company’s responsibility to ensure that its productions meet the eligibility requirements and enter their shows in the correct category.

new requirements for original work

NEW FOR 2015

Original Play/Musical Production Eligibility Requirements have been adjusted to clarify what's eligible.

An Original Drama/Comedy/Musical is eligible for adjudication as an ORIGINAL drama, comedy, or musical if it meets the following criteria:

• The production must be, in the judgment of the NH Theatre Awards, a legitimate theatrical production
• Work must be original material -- not translated, adapted, or updated from an existing play, book, movie or other source UNLESS the work shows substantial originality compared with its source not limited to, but including, characters, plot, setting, original score, time period, dialog, etc.  The NH Theatre Awards will have the ultimate decision as to whether the work shows enough originality to qualify.
• Work must be unavailable through any publishing house
• Work must never have been produced in New Hampshire
• If a musical, a majority of the music must be written by the creator(s) or author(s) of the play
• If a musical, the songs and/or music must serve to propel the story and enhance character development. A sequence of musical numbers loosely connected by introductions, commentary, or vignettes with no concurrent plot does not qualify as an original musical. Musical revues, "revuesicals", concerts with "themes" or improvisational works are not considered to be eligible as an original production.

the "theater hero" award

NEW FOR THIS YEAR

Every participating theatre company may select their own “Theatre Hero” to be recognized by the NH Theatre community at this year’s Awards Show.  The Hero can be a board member, volunteer, on stage or backstage contributor that helps make your company succeed and may or may not get the recognition he/she deserves. 

This is NOT an adjudicated award, nor is this a “nomination” process.  ALL submissions (maximum 1 per company per year allowed) will be recognized.

Each group can choose the manner in which its theatre hero is selected and the chosen name should be provided to the NHTA’s no later than January 1, 2015. Liaisons should e-mail hero@nhtheatreawards.org with your company’s selection.

"Recognition of Excellence in Playwriting"

NEW FOR 2015

"Recognition of Excellence in Playwriting" will replace The Best Original Playwright Award, which is now defunct.

There will no longer be a “Best Original Playwright” Award adjudicated by company adjudicators.   All productions that meet the eligibility requirements as an Original Production will simply be adjudicated in the same manner as any other non-original production and be eligible in all the same award categories.

NEW COMMITTEE WILL CHOOSE RECIPIENTS

The NHTA has established a NEW means of acknowledging exceptional original scripts.  “Recognition of Excellence in Playwriting” will be awarded by the NHTA (not adjudicated by company adjudicators), determined by a committee of 3 NHTA Board members and 2 members-at-large selected at random from volunteers who are willing to read all of the eligible original scripts.  Only original scripts of original productions that are participating in the current year’s NHTA adjudication process will be considered. 

The committee can choose to recognize as few or as many original playwrights as it deems worthy in a given season.  The producing company will be responsible for providing a pdf file of the script and a cd of the music if a musical to the NH Theatre Awards prior to opening night of the production to be eligible..

Clarifications and Changes

• The definition of an "adjudicable" (eligible) performance now states:

The production must have a minimum of three (3) scheduled, authorized, open admission performances, all in the same venue within New Hampshire.  Rehearsals and performances that are "private", "restricted admission", or "invitation only" are not eligible for adjudication.

• Adjudicators will no longer be able to “Opt Out” of adjudicating Youth productions

As the system will now be production based and not company based with all production categories allowed under the same theatre organization, we are no longer allowing the youth adjudication “opt out”.  If you plan to adjudicate this year please be aware that the responsibility comes with possibly adjudicating youth productions.