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.

Joe Vago

The New Hampshire Theatre Awards (NHTA) Board of Directors proudly announce that Joe Vago will lead the creative team as Director for the 13th Annual New Hampshire Theatre Awards Show. Vago, a former NHTA Executive Director, has also served NHTA in myriad capacities for several multi-year terms. He has been involved in New Hampshire theatre for more than 23 years—as actor, director, technical director, and producer—and has participated in more than 70 theatrical productions. Vago also served New Thalian Players (NTP) as an incorporating Board Member, and as their First Vice-President, as well as having worked on more than a dozen of their productions. Vago is also a past President of Londonderry’s Music & Drama Company, and served as Technical Director for The Actorsingers of Nashua.

Joining Vago is Joel Mercier, who returns, for his seventh year, to tickle the ivories and wave the baton as NHTA’s Music Director. Mercier is a New England-based composer, director and music director, with credits from all over the country and with nationally recognized theatres, including Palace Theatre, New London Barn Playhouse, Northern Stage (VT), Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Great Lakes Theater (OH), and Goodspeed Opera House (CT). In New York City, Mercier has worked at The Duplex, Westbeth Theatre (Off-Broadway), and Nokia Theatre Times Square (Broadway). A graduate of The Hartt School of Music, Mercier served as Artistic Associate at New London Barn Playhouse for six seasons, a Guest Artist at Dartmouth College for the past four, and is currently the Artistic Director of the newly-founded NH Theatre Factory in Southern New Hampshire.

Joel Mercier

States NHTA Executive Director, Bryan Halperin, "We're very excited to have the show in the creative hands of Joe and Joel, who both have a lot of experience working on our Awards Shows. The NHTA team looks forward to bringing our entire theatre community together in celebration of New Hampshire's 2014 theatre season."  

Adds NHTA President, Gina Carballo, "My thought, when I look at who is at the helm, steering this ship toward our Awards Show gala, is that we have the perfect trifecta of talent in place. It's essential for me, as President, to be very clear, with anyone stepping into the creative positions for this show, about the course I want to take, and the desired end result. At the outset, Bryan, Joe, and Joel have been on board with my philosophy—that the NHTA body of membership is our primary focus always. I want our Awards Show to be a meaningful, positive and joyful experience for our members. It's not just about the awards; it's about our community.  Bryan, Joe, and Joel are each outstanding at what they do within this organization. They’re accomplished leaders who are driven and talented, each in their own right. To see them work, plan, and execute together is special, indeed. They're talented professionals who are eager to work hard in order to create something truly unique. It's inspiring to be around them individually, and even more so when they're together. As an organization, we're very lucky.”

NHTA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, registered with the Division of Charitable Trusts and Secretary of State. The NHTA has been formed and operates pursuant to and in accordance with RSA 292. The purpose of this organization is to provide professional and community theatres in New Hampshire the opportunity to showcase entertainment to audiences of all ages. For additional information and to learn more about the Awards presentation, contact us at Admin@NHTheatreAwards.org, or visit our website at www.NHTheatreAwards.org.

Remember last year when we all got together and talked about the upcoming NHTA season? The rules, the responsibilities, and the free candy? Well, we're doing it all again and we invite you to join us!

NH Theatre Awards annual training is a 3 hour session that keeps participating Adjudicators and Liaisons up to date on new policies and refresh their memories on the year long NH Theatre Award process.   To be an Adjudicator or Liaison you must have attended training but anyone is welcome to attend and learn more about the NH Theatre Awards process!

what's so important?

TWO BIG CHANGES

The curriculum has been given a brand new focus with a sweeping facelift!

We are restructuring the focus of training away from the "where and when" (dates & deadlines) to invest more in helping the adjudicators understand the "how and why" (critiquing and analysis). There are also rule changes for 2015!

There will be a NEW on-line element that can be done anytime, anywhere, at your convenience!

We are creating a new feature, an on-line review, to reinforce the "rules & regulations" information that is critical for you to know. This will optimize time spent in classroom sessions to focus on the adjudication "process".   

Completion of the survey will be required, in addition to the classroom training, to be a commissioned adjudicator or liaison in 2015.

we are getting started earlier

We're getting started earlier, which means participating companies need to get liaisons' and adjudicators earlier!

• PLEASE select your adjudicators and liaison ASAP so they can get to training in time
• Watch for notice when the 2015 Company Application Form is available. 
• The deadline for company application submission is December 15th.

PLEASE RSVP
Please RSVP your planned attendance date to Training@NHTheatreAwards.org 

Due to this sweeping change in format and content, attendance will be mandatory for all adjudicators and liaisons for next season (2015).   But  with these improvements and coming upgrades to the website this fall, the NHTA will FINALLY be able to implement a process for proven, experienced adjudicators to forgo attending training next year!

the specifics - how to get there

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU. WE'LL BRING THE COFFEE!

DIRECTIONS TO JEAN'S PLAYHOUSE: 10/25 9am

ADDRESS: 34 Papermill Dr, Lincoln, NH 03251

Special Instructions: Behind Price Chopper/Movie Theatre complex.  Parking lot in front of building, double glass doors.

DIRECTIONS TO PARISH HALL: 11/5 6:30pm

ADDRESS : 33 Maple Street, Henniker, NH

Special Instructions:  Park between Congregational Church and Parish Hall. Enter by center door. Call 568/5102 if you get lost.

FURTHER DIRECTIONS UPCOMING!

CANCELATIONS DUE TO WEATHER
Cancelations due to weather will be announced via email and on our website www.NHTheatreAwards.org 12 hours in advance.

QUESTIONS?
Please email Training@NHTheatreAwards.org with any questions.  Please allow our staff of volunteers 1-4 business days to respond.

New Hampshire Theatre Awards (NHTA) has elected Bryan Halperin as their new Executive Director. Halperin, a founder of and Executive Director of The Winnipesaukee Playhouse since its inception in 2004, comes to NHTA with a vast palette of experience. Halperin is involved with all facets of the Playhouse’s operation. In addition to running its day-to-day operations, Halperin also writes directs, produces, and performs in its plays and musicals. His children’s musical series on environmental education has toured elementary schools throughout the state. He has won several New Hampshire Theatre Awards for directing, and received multiple Finalist nods in the playwright, director and actor categories. Halperin is also the creator of the Playhouse’s Playwriting Project, for which he teaches, in the fall, teens and adults how to write a one act play, and then produces and showcases, in the spring, a new play festival. For the past seven years, Halperin has also served as Producer/Director (and occasional actor) for the Winni Players’ Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day Staged Reading. 

"I'm thrilled to be getting involved more formally with the NH Theatre Awards at this exciting time in its development.” Halperin says. “For me, theatre is all about community building and I see the NHTAs as an opportunity to expand that objective to a larger, state-wide community.  Having experience producing and directing theatre on the youth, community and professional levels in NH allows me to reach out to and relate to all the participating groups at the various levels and understand the challenges and opportunities they face and figure out how the NHTAs can support and enhance what they do."

States NHTA President, Gina Carballo, "Our Board of Directors and Operations Committee have a great deal of admiration and respect for Bryan. He is our top choice for the Executive Director position. He is a natural leader and possesses the vision, fortitude, and comportment required to implement NHTA’s goals, now and in the future.  Bryan and I share a parallel vision about this organization—our members must always be our top priority, and we must execute our initiatives with utmost integrity. Having a like-minded person lead this organization with me, with the bonus of Bryan's credentials, excites me about the bright future of the New Hampshire Theatre Awards.” 

New Hampshire Theatre Awards (NHTA) Board of Directors Seeks New Executive Director 

SEARCH EFFECTIVE THROUGH MAY 19, 2014 

The NH Theatre Awards Board of Directors currently seeks applicants for the position of Executive Director. The position encompasses statewide prominence and high visibility in the theatre community, and beyond. The term is one year and multiple terms may be served. This is a paid stipend position. 

Responsibilities:

• Attend all monthly Board of Directors (BOD) meetings 
• Oversee and manage Operations Committee (OC), including overseeing all meetings and reporting activity to NHTA BOD, liaise with Board President and Treasurer on all NHTA business, as needed, and oversee with OC the Adjudication process and training modules.
• Manage relationships with all participating and non-participating theatre groups (Professional and Community)  
• Oversee Awards Night planning and logistics, including pre- and post-Awards events, and VIP arrangements and seating
• Manage and track, with OC, all subcommittee activities 
• Work with OC on development of policies, procedures, and best practices  
• Ensure website functionality, content accuracy, timeliness of updates, and update technology as needed 
• Address with timeliness communications between OC and participating theatre companies 
• Manage, track, and maintain fiscal budget within BOD and Treasurer parameters 
• Maintain current, and solicit new, relationships with Awards Night vendors 
• Comply with all set benchmarks for Awards Night schedule/calendar of events, and After-party

Qualifications/Experience required:

• Organizational spokesperson
attributes, with outstanding personal and presentational skills
• Ability to define and productively interact with broad-range audiences  

• Staged productions, including large-scale special and/or theatrical events 

• Productive nonprofit board relations
• General marketing 
and public relations concepts and practices as applicable to theatre organizations
• Positive volunteer relations and leadership initiatives

How to Apply: 

Interested applicants may email a cover letter and résumé to:

Gina M. Carballo

President, New Hampshire Theatre Awards

ginacarballo@nhtheatreawards.org

Interviews with the Board of Directors will be held on Monday, May 19th, 2014 at 7PM at the offices of New Hampshire Magazine, 150 Dow Street, Manchester, NH.

To be considered for this position, attendance on this date is mandatory.

The NH Theatre Awards held its 2014 Annual Meeting with the public on Saturday March 22nd and had several announcements:

Board elects Gina M. Carballo as President of the NHTA.

The NHTA Board of Directors has announced Gina M. Carballo as President of the NH Theatre Awards.

"The tangible contributions Gina has brought to our organization have been without equal," Gregg says.  "This succession plan has been in place for quite some time, and the entire Board is thrilled to have her as our President."

"I am honored to be chosen as President of this organization," Carballo says.  "It is my hope that we can empower our committees and volunteers to continue the great work they do, and to recognize them for their dedicated efforts."

In addition, Matty Gregg has been elected to the role of Vice President.  Mo Demers will be staying with the Board in her capacity as Treasurer, and Katie Collins as Secretary.  There were no changes to the "At Large" membership.

Fundraising Subcommittee Formed, Matty Gregg elected Chair

Because of the successful results from focused efforts to improve adjudication and the event, The NH Theatre Awards formed its first Board subcommittee today.  The focus of this subcommittee will be on fundraising.

"We realize the importance of continuing to grow our organization," Carballo said. "We have made fundraising a main priority, and have asked Matty to make it his key focus for 2014."

"Adjudication and the Event have a dedicated body of people striving to improve them," Gregg said.  "Fundraising is such an important part of what we do, and I am honored to lead this priority.”

The NH Theatre Awards Board of Directors invites all participating theater companies, liaisons, and adjudicators to attend our Annual Meeting on Saturday, March 22nd, 2014 at NH Magazine's Office in Manchester NH.
 
The Annual meeting will begin promptly at 2:00pm and conclude at 4:00pm. There will be a wine and cheese reception immediately following the Annual Meeting.
 
During our Annual Meeting there will be updates from our President Matty Gregg, our Executive Director Bob Frasca, and our Treasurer Mo Demers.
 
We will also discuss this years Areas Of Focus and conclude with an Open Forum.
 
NH Magazine's offices are located at:
McClean Communications   
150 Dow Street
2nd Floor, Entrance #1
Manchester NH, 03101
 
We look forward to seeing you Saturday afternoon!
 
Gina M. Carballo
Vice President NH Theatre Awards

Thanks to Arnold Imaging for taking these great photos at the NH Theatre Awards photo station for the 12th Annual NH Theatre Awards.

Please visit their website to view the Photo Station images at

www.arnold-imaging.com/nhtheatreawards

Please consider purchasing your pictures to help keep the Photo Station photographers available for the awards show.  The prices are quite reasonable!

• 5" x 5" Print    $1.50
• 5" x 7" Print    $1.50
• 8" x 10" Print   $4.95