ARTICLE: Tony Awards Cutting 2 Trophies

[ejsmith3130]

http://www.broadwayworld.com//article/Breaking-News-Tony-Awards-Committee-Meets-Changes-Rules-for-Revival-Authors-Erases-2-Creative-Categories-for-2014-15-20140611#.U5lPIMjn9LN

If you haven't read already, it appears that the Tony's will no longer be awarding trophies to Sound Designers. I know we have had the conversation about awards for Stage Management, and how it is difficult to measure what we do, but Sound design always seemed like a pretty obvious thing to me.

Here is a link to a petition to get the awards re-instated: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/470/217/554/reinstate-the-tony-award-categories-for-sound-design-now/#sign

[Michelle R. Wood]

Here's a great quote from signer Stephen Trask:

I can't imagine the success of my musical "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" without the talents of our Tony Award nominated sound designer Tim O'Heir and his amazing team. The sound required for that show shouldn't even be possible in an century old dramatic house like the Belasco, designed before amplification and with the idea of making the spoken voice resonate in the back of the upper sections. The tireless work this crew performed, from auditioning speakers and microphones, to interacting with the set design, to constant refinement of the sound to adjust to the specifics of the performances and the vagaries of the theater, was one of the lynchpins of this production.

[nick_tochelli]

I know it's an unoriginal thought (because everyone and their mother has already said it), but I would LOVE a sound designer protest where they just cut the mics on the Tony Awards next year.

And just when I was getting into the Tony's again...might have to go back to boycotting them again.

[SMMeade]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwp64mZdchM

Not sure if it'll happen at the Tonys, but this video has pretty much the same idea.

[K_Darby]

I looked up more on this subject trying to find out why they decided to cut these awards.

There has been no official announcement but two members supposedly said that the driving factors were "Many Tony voters do not know what sound design is or how to assess it; a large number of Tony voters choose not to cast ballots in sound design categories because of this lack of expertise; and some administration committee members believe that sound design is more of a technical craft, rather than a theatrical art form that the Tonys are intended to honor".

NY Times Article: Tony Committee Decision to Drop Sound Design Awards Prompts Noisy Outcry

EDIT: Fixed link. - PSMK

[MatthewShiner]

It's very odd choice, especially when there is actually a push for more technical categories - such as projections - I wish they would have pulled down to best sound design (for both musicals and plays) . . . rather then eliminate that category at all.

I think there is a push to break out of the technical awards and have a smaller group (like the Oscars do) nominate them, and then maybe have teh whole group vote.

I think rather then dump the category, they should have spent time and effort to educate the voters on the importance of sound design.