Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theatre Award!

I am not at all surprised to announce that the first ever winner of the Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theatre Award goes to everyone's favorite theatre company, The House!

Congratulations, you wacky people you.

The criteria for the award was ... your theatre company had to have been in existence for at least three years and not more than ten. The company had to be a member of the League and also had to provide certain information including budget, marketing info, history, mission, letters of recommendation and what the company would do with the money.

GreyZelda was nominated for the award and member Lisa Wilson and musician Kristen Strezo wrote wonderful letters for their consideration but our l'il theatre company wasn't moved forward into the final eight that members could vote on. I had a distinct feeling after dropping our little packet off for consideration that The House would win. I wish I could have placed a bet. The final eight were:

BARREL OF MONKEYS
COLLABORACTION
SILK ROAD THEATRE PROJECT
THE GIFT THEATRE
THE HOUSE THEATRE OF CHICAGO
THE HYPOCRITES
THE UTOPIAN THEATRE ASYLUM (T.U.T.A.)
TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY

We're League members for all the little good that's done our small theatre company (each year the renewal comes up and each year we wonder if it's worth it - it still hasn't proved to be that great on the small theatre end, but we're patient people however pessimistic we might appear) and were able to vote for the winner. We voted for the Gift Theatre. They're located in our new neighborhood and seem to have an interesting body of work to their name. They start with a 'G'. Ah, well. Maybe next year!

What's amazing though, folks, is ... when we found out that we wouldn't be a part of the final eight and thought that particular window was closed ... a financial door was opened from a private donor allowing us to move forward with our next show! Wonderfully wonderful. Season annoucnment coming any minute!