Yesterday, Patrick Lee of theater blog Just Shows To Go You announced the nominees for the 2009-2010 season’s Independent Theatre Bloggers Association awards, a nice antidote to the producers’ ball Tony Awards and even the Off-Broadway-exclusive Lortels. The New York-based ITBA, for which Lee is the Awards Director, give prizes in Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway categories, and in addition to acknowledging some major awards-overlooked shows on the Great White Way (Superior Donuts) and just off it (Bloodsong of Love at Ars Nova), the smallest shows are their bread and butter.
Productions waiting for the Obies (a week from Monday) with bated breath might be reassured to see their titles in the ITBA’s Outstanding Off Off Broadway category, which includes Alice in Slasherland at HERE (pictured), Girls in Trouble at the Flea, Rescue Me at the Ohio, and Young Jean Lee’s Lear at Soho Rep. Though only in their second year, the ITBA Awards are only going to become more important and influential as more and more theater critics fall into the category of being independent bloggers, a category that also allows for the participation of professional theater artists. The winners will be announced on May 20.