October 11 – November 18, 2012
Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd Street, New York City, United States
United Solo, the world’s largest solo theatre festival, concluded its third annual season with a closing ceremony held on Sunday, November 18, 2012 at Theatre ROW on 42nd Street in New York City. Local and international performers, special guests, and festival team members gathered to celebrate the one hundred solo productions that were offered this fall.The awards were presented by Allan Corduner, a British actor internationally acclaimed for his role in the Oscar‑winning film “Topsy‑Turvy,” by Martin and Rochelle Denton, the founders of Indie Theater Now, and by several members of the United Solo Academy.
The 2012 uAward went to John Leguizamo for his outstanding performance in Ghetto Klown. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Leguizamo said: One-man show is the thing that I live for, the thing that made me, the thing I can’t live without because it’s my mode of expression. I wanted to do this piece to inspire the youth of America that if I can make it, then you can make it. And that was the simple message. And I think one-man shows can do that. They can give a very personal message because… it’s the most honest communication that I know of. So this particularly means a lot to me. And I want to thank all of you and especially the people nominated alongside of me. Hugh Jackman, the great Kathy Griffin, John Hurt, all these great talented people, and this award is for all of us. Thank you.
The 2012 United Solo Awards went to:
Best Production for Wrap Your Heart Around It by LynnMarie Rink, produced by Paul Miller
Best One-Man Show for Beyond Words by Bill Bowers
Best One-Woman Show for Longing for Grace by Grace Kiley
Best Direction for Austin Pendleton for Longing for Grace
Best Actor for Anthony Nikolchev in The Echoes Off The Walls Underground…
Best Actress for Ann Morrison in Linda Lovely Goes To Broadway
Best Comedian for Frank Ingrasciotta in Blood Type: RAGU
Best Storyteller for Antonio Sacre in Let Them Eat Meat
Best International Show for Medea’s Got Some Issues by Ana Asensio, Spain
Best Encore for OH MY IRMA by Haley McGee
Best Drama for Neon Man and Me by Slash Coleman
Best Comedy for BIO‑HAZARD: (a relative comedy) by Sarah Elizabeth Greer
Best Musical for Normality by Pedro Kruger
Best Period Piece for Death In Venice In First Person by Rory Lance
Best Variety Show for Bubba by Michael Thomas Walker
Best Stand-up for EMERGENCY A La Carte by Nancy Redman
Best Multimedia for free•dom – a solo of many people by Andressa Furletti
Best Educational Piece for For the BENEFIT of Miss JENNIE GOURLAY by Billy Hipkins
Best Movement for Rebecca VerNooy in Across Time
Best Improvisation for Talk to me about Shame by Julian Goldhagen
Best Documentary for Cry of the Mountain by Adelind Horan
Best Dramatic Script for On The Outskirts Of Everything by Tim Collins
Best Comedic Script for The Bronx Queen by Joe Gulla
Best Non-Fiction Script for URBAN ZEN by Navida Stein
Best Adaptation for Modern Prometheus: Frankenstein with Mary Shelley by Virginia Bartholomew
Best Premiere for Trevor’s Fire by Blake Walton
Best Short Solo for Daughter of Salt by Kathleen Cole Burke
Best Emerging Artist for Sebastien Heins in Brotherhood: The Hip Hopera
Best Lighting Design for Coby Beck, Mutant Olive
Best Costume Design for Michael Growler, Beyond Words
Best Makeup for Elle Murphy, Longing for Grace
Best in Social Networking for Father Forgive Me For I Have Sinned by Jose Roldan Jr.
First Sold-Out Show for Bully by Lee J. Kaplan
Audience Award for Anita Hollander in Still Standing
2012 United Solo Festival Guide