18 Silver Palm Awards to Honor Theatrical Excellence in 2011-12, 12/3

The Silver Palm Theatre Awards committee, founded five years ago to honor theatrical excellence in South Florida, has announced that this year it will present the coveted award to 18 individuals.

"The Silver Palm Awards are presented annually to those who've made an outstanding or unique contribution to the South Florida Theatre season," explained Silver Palm Awards Chairman Tony Finstrom. "There are no nominees, no winners or losers, and no limit to the number of citations given in any 'category,' though there really are no official categories."

Finstrom (a playwright), Beacon TV talk show host Iris Acker, and South Florida International Press Club President and critic Ron Levitt compose the Silver Palm committee, which receives recommendations from South Florida journalists and theatre critics before the final list of recipients is determined.

This year's Silver Palm Advisory Council consisted of Christine Dolen (The Miami Herald), Bill Hirschman (Florida Theater On Stage), Hap Erstein (The Palm Beach Post & Palm Beach ArtsPaper), John Lariviere (TalkinBroadway.com), J.W. Arnold (South Florida Gay News), Roger Martin (miamiartzine.com), Richard Cameron (Theatre Chat, examiner.com), Skip Sheffield (Boca Raton Tribune & Atlantic Ave Magazine), and South Florida freelance theatre journalists Mary Damiano and Michelle F. Solomon.

Silver Palm Awards have been presented to over 60 individuals and/or groups during the previous four theatre seasons, and the "2011-2012 Season" consisted of shows that opened between September 1st, 2011 and August 31st, 2012.

This year, for the first time, previous recipients of this award (six of them) will be honored for a second time.

The awards presentation will be held at the annual Theatre League Holiday Party on Monday, Dec. 3rd, at a downtown Fort Lauderdale venue that will soon be announced. The party is scheduled from 7:30 to 11 p.m, and is open to the public, but there is an admission charge. Theatre League members attend free of charge. Call League Executive Director Andie Arthur for reservations at 954-557-0778.

For more information on South Florida's Silver Palm Theatre Awards, go to: http://www.silverpalmawards.com.

2011-2012 Silver Palm Award recipients are:

*Joseph Adler, Director - for his outstanding direction of "Race," "Red," "The Motherf**ker With The Hat," and "Time Stands Still" ... (previously won for his work in the 2008-2009 theatre season)

*Katherine Amadeo, Actress - for her outstanding performance in "The Turn of the Screw"

*Michael Amico, Set Designer - for his outstanding set designs for "All My Sons," "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds," and "Master Harold and the Boys"

*David Arisco, Director - for his outstanding direction of "Next to Normal" and "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol"

*Jim Ballard, Actor - for his outstanding performances in "All My Sons," "Side Effects," and "The Fantasticks"

*Ken Clement , Actor - for his outstanding performances in "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol," "Becky's New Car," and "The Last of the Red Hot Lovers"

*Mark Della Ventura, Playwright / Actor - for his outstanding new work: "Small Membership," and his outstanding performances in "Small Membership" and "Lobby Hero"

*Christopher Demos-Brown, Playwright - for his outstanding new work: "Captiva" ... (previously won for his work in the 2009-2010 theatre season)

*Todd Allen Durkin, Actor - for his outstanding performances in "Captiva," "A Steady Rain," and "A Measure of Cruelty"

*Kim Ehly, Playwright - for outstanding new playwright: "Baby GirL"

*Lindsey Forgey, Actress - for outstanding new talent through her performances in "Baby GirL," "Into the Woods," "Urinteown," and "Xanadu"

*Island City Stage - for the outstanding debut of a New Theatre Company with "The Twentieth Century Way" (to the producer)

*Jodie Langel, Actress - for her outstanding performances in "Next to Normal" and "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"

*Margaret M. Ledford, Director - for her outstanding direction of "After the Revolution," "The Unseen," and "The Turn of the Screw" ... (previously won for her work in the 2008-2009 theatre season)

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