Congratulations to Kathy Manning for being named Atlanta Theatre Buzz’s PERSON OF THE YEAR. We’ll second that emotion!

As well as working with many different theatre companies around town, Kathy has been the Essential Theatre’s Prop Mistress of the Universe for some years now, as well as serving as a Stage Manager and All-Around-Indispensible-Contributor. Here’s what Atlanta Buzz had to say:

For the 2 people in Atlanta who don’t know Kathy, we will give you a little background. Kathy is a true unsung hero of local theatre. There is not a person who works harder and complains less.

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Essential Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hardy has had his first short story published, in the British fantasy anthology POSTSCRIPTS: THE COMPANY HE KEEPS. Hardy has sold two additional stories, and is the prize-winning author of over twenty produced plays, including SALLY AND GLEN AT THE PALACE, presented as part of the 2010 Essential Theatre Play Festival, and for which he was named the Critic’s Pick for Best Atlanta Playwright by Creative Loafing. SALLY AND GLEN was listed as one of the best theatre productions of the year by Atlanta Theatre Buzz and the Sunday Paper.

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The Best of 2010
by Brad Rudy

Best Actor In A Play
Jacob York-Sally and Glen at the Palace (Essential)

Best Director Of A Play
Ellen McQueen-Sally and Glen at the Palace

Best Play
Peter Hardy’s Sally and Glen at the Palace

Congratulations to all the other folks who got mentioned, especially friends and Essential colleagues like Spencer Stephens, Topher Payne, Jane Kroessig, Matt Felten, Bethany Ann Lind and Brad Raymond!

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National News: Atlanta
by Pamela Turner

When I first came to Atlanta it surprised me. I’d expected something that was a slightly urban version of Deliverance with a little dash of Scarlett’s Tara thrown in. My former husband and I moved from our native Pacific North-west because of his job promotion and my resulting chance to go to grad school. He didn’t like it and returned, but I stayed, mostly because of school, but also because what I found was a city with an active arts scene and some pretty cool green spaces. This kind of misconception followed by pleasant surprise was revisited on me two times this summer.

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On December 12, the Essential Theatre was represented at WordFeast, an annual literary reading event that benefits the Atlanta Food Bank. Theroun D’Arcy Patterson, winner of the 2011 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award for his family drama A THOUSAND CIRCLETS, was there to read a scene from the play with Betty Hart, who will be directing the Essential Theatre’s World Premiere production this summer, as part of the Essential Theatre Play Festival (running in July and August at the Actor’s Express space).

Also performing their work at WordFeast were prize-winning writers like Pearl Cleage,

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Gabriel Jason Dean, winner of the 2010 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award for QUALITIES OF STARLIGHT, has another production coming up – D’ANGELICO, opening in January as part of FronteraFest in Austin, Texas.

Back in 2000, we produced the World Premiere of Atlanta writer Karla Jennings’ IMAGES IN SMOKE (named one of the Best Shows of the Year by Creative Loafing), and since then she’s gone on to score multiple awards, productions and commissions. Now she’s won the Northern Kentucky University Y.E.S. competition for her play MONSTROUS BEAUTY, which will be produced there in April, and then October will see the World Premiere of her Tea Party spoof WHACKING THE TURKEY at Denver’s And Toto Too Productions.

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WordFeast: Food for the Body and Soul! December 13th 7:30 pm at Actors Express. The work of 2011 Playwriting Award Winner Theroun Patterson will be included.

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We’re proud to announce that Atlanta playwright Theroun D’arcy Patterson has been named as the winner of the 2011 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award for his script A THOUSAND CIRCLETS.

This powerful and emotional work falls into the classic tradition of the American family drama, telling the tale of an African-American clan trying to heal old wounds as they face new challenges – and just as they are poised to reach the pinnacle of their professional success, the father’s illness threatens to bring it all crashing down. The Essential Theatre Playwriting Award is the only competition of its kind,

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The Essential Theatre is proud to have won five Metropolitan Theatre Awards at the MAT Ceremonies held on Sunday, Sept. 26 at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center. Our 2009 production of Joan Ackermann’s ICE GLEN won the prizes for Best Director of a Play (Ellen McQueen), Best Major Supporting Actor In A Play (Jim Sarbh), Best Lighting Design for a Play (Trish Harris), and Best Scenic Design for a Play (Rob Hadaway). The Essential Theatre’s World Premiere production of Vynnie Meli’s JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS won the award for Best Original Work.

The Essential Theatre would like to congratulate all the winners and all the nominees!

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As artistic director of Essential Theatre, PETER HARDY has been Atlanta’s de facto midwife of new local plays. In the summer of 2010, however, Hardy put the spotlight on his own script, Sally and Glen at the Palace, and the nostalgic dramedy packed enough punch to upstage many of Essential’s productions going back for years. www.essentialtheatre.com

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