From the San Diego Union Tribune:

LET'S NOT FORGET THE TECHIES

While the world awaits the televised whoop-de-do of Oscar night, Allen -- along with the Einsteins of movie magic -- were weeks ago unceremoniously named winners of the Scientific and Technical Awards by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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Argh. The headline alone is enough to turn me off.

Sorry, Salzberg - (Smile)

alright alright....in the interest of peace,Jeff, what if we started calling the dancers and all artistic performing staff - dancies? Would this perhaps serve to illustrate your point?

Actually, that's exactly what I've done, Babs, on more than one occasion.<P>

Flyman
From The Stage


Awards are good for technicians. A few days work, short hire periods, simple lighting and sound requirements, in and out in a day. Or rather awards ceremonies are good for technicians - but are they such a good idea if technicians are the recipients?

In the case of all awards the question has to be asked ” What are they for?”

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Managers and backstage staff to be included in new TMA awards
By Alistair Smith for The Stage


Managers, backstage and front of house staff will for the first time be recognised at this year’s restructured Theatrical Management Association Awards.

The awards, which have been running since 1991, will now be split into two separate categories - the TMA Theatre Awards and the TMA Management Awards. The theatrical prizes will continue to be presented at the annual ceremony in October, while the new set, for those involved offstage, will be allocated at the organisation’s conference in November.

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Out from behind the scenes into the spotlight
From The Stage


Several millennia ago, in the earliest days of theatre, there was no doubt a collection of highly skilled individuals on hand to bemoan the fact that, unlike the pampered darlings on stage, their own efforts never received public recognition.

Fast forward several thousand years and a similar huddle can be found backstage and front of house at most modern venues. It is the enduring frustration of those working behind the scenes that their essential contribution must go unacknowledged in the wider world.

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Technical Talk
By Barbara Eifler for The Stage

We may be hiding in the shadows most of the time and the public might not always know what it is that we actually do but it does not mean we are not appreciated. Every year The Stage sponsors the Stage Management Association Award and every year directors, actors, production managers, technicians, producers and managers make the effort to send in nominations.

Sometimes only one award is presented but mostly there will be such outstanding nominations both in the individual and the team category that the selection committee feels two awards are necessary.

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