Awards season is heating up in Boston’s Theatre community, and once again this year Northeastern’s faculty, staff, students, and alumni are shining among the nominees.  First up, the IRNEs:

The IRNE Awards honor the best of the previous year’s actors, directors, choreographers, designers and companies across the full spectrum of large, mid-size and fringe theater companies in Boston and New England.  Congratulations to senior Kaya Simmons for his 2017 IRNE Nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his professional debut in Mud Blue Sky. Other nominees from the Northeastern community include alumni Michael Underhill and Matthew Zahnzinger; guest faculty/artists John Malinowski, Dave Remedios, Jenna Lord, and Eric Levenson; and general manger Darren Evans’ company Theatre on Fire for Dog Act. The IRNES will be held on April 24.

In May, the Elliot Norton Awards will be presented for the 35th time.  This year’s ceremony features the theme Alternative Acts, celebrating the Boston area’s theater community, future artists, and the importance of the arts in our country. Congrats to chair Scott Edmiston for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, which received four nominations including Outstanding Director, Production, Actor, and Actress. This year’s recipient of the Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence is Diane Paulus, Artistic Director of the American Repertory Theater. Paulus was selected for the 2014 TIME 100, TIME Magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Two-time Tony Award-winning actress Cherry Jones will be the Guest of Honor at the much-anticipated annual event. Jones last appeared on Broadway in THE GLASS MENAGERIE. The ceremony will be held at the Huntington Theatre on May 15.

Congratulations to all the nominees.  Go Huskies!