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Theater lives: The Drammy Awards are tonight!

By Barry Johnson
June 11, 2012
Featured, Theater

Camille Cettina and Todd Van Voris in "(I Am Still) The Duchess of Malfi"
/Photo: Owen Carey

Last night, New York celebrated Broadway with the Tony Awards, which is cool and all, and very well may be a harbinger of touring shows that will roll into Portland in the near future, but with the possible exceptions of Peter and the Starcatcher and Clybourne Park, the Tony Awards don’t have THAT much to do with theater in Portland and Oregon.

But the Drammy Awards do, and the Portland theater community will be donning and adjusting its finery for tonight’s celebration! Here are the details, via the Drammy Press release:

WHAT: 33rd Anniversary Drammy Awards
WHERE: Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W. Burnside St., Portland
WHEN: Monday, June 11:  6 pm social hour and slide presentation; 7 pm Awards presentation
COST: FREE ADMISSION, no-host bar
DRESS: Theatrical, elegant, innovative. Costumes are encouraged.

Yes, that said FREE ADMISSION.

If you’ve never been to a Drammy Awards ceremony, you really should go once, especially if you hit more than a show or two in a year. This year actor Todd Van Voris is the master of ceremonies (that’s him as the evil Cardinal in (I Am Still) The Duchess of Malfi), which should make things roll along very smoothly and affably.  And sure, it’s VERY insider-y, but that’s part of the fun, watching the Portland theater community come together. And there’s some tension involved. Some will walk away with Drammy Awards; some won’t. And they do enjoy winning!

The Drammy Awards are mostly about the recognition of good work in the theater. The Drammy Committee members see dozens of shows every year, and their choices mark the ones that they think stand out. I often don’t agree with them. I didn’t even when I served on the committee! But I’m always intrigued by the selections, especially if I’ve seen a number of the shows and performances they’ve settled on. Either I wish I’d seen something I didn’t get to or I find myself re-playing something  in my mind that I did see. And then that gets me thinking about what constitutes “artistry” on stage, and though I don’t believe that’s a measurable entity, it’s one I know exists. And it’s one I think it’s important to honor, probably more than this one time a year.

So, to each and every actor, director, designer, playwright, stage manager and those who support them behind the scenes or in the audience, Happy Drammy Awards!

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