Theatre LA Awards Looking for a Name; Public Invited to Free Taper Lab Rehearsals

Many Los Angeles theater practitioners suffer from Tony envy.

The public perception of New York as the theatrical capital is due, in part, to the national attention given the Tony Awards each year.

The latest attempt to honor Los Angeles theater with the same sort of gloss that the Tonys apply to Broadway will be Nov. 20, when Theatre LA presents its first Governors Awards, at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Unlike the Tonys, these won’t be competitive awards presented for individual achievement during the last year. There are more shows produced in Los Angeles than on Broadway, and they’re dispersed over a wider area. It would be difficult for a panel of judges to see them all.

If Theatre LA were to attempt Tony-like awards, “all of our judges would have no life apart from going to the theater,” said Franklin Levy, who is producing the Governors Awards show.

Instead, the Governors Awards are modeled after the Kennedy Center Honors. They will be presented for lifetime achievement, and the initial 15 recipients were announced several months ago.

At the black-tie ceremony, the recipients will receive bronze statuettes designed by Robert Graham of “Olympic Gateway” fame. The 13-inch-tall statuettes feature “a dark patina finish with gold leaf accents,” according to a Theatre LA statement. Near the top, on a convex plate, is “a primitive representation of the classical tragedy and comedy masks.”

No, the statuette doesn’t light up, although it does resemble a lamp in photographs.

The award doesn’t yet have a name, like Tony or Oscar or Emmy, said Theatre LA executive director Karen Rushfield. “We’d love to get (a name) before the ceremony, but we don’t want one that’s associated with one theater or individual.”

Anyone with bright ideas for a name is welcome to write to Stage Watch.

Levy plans lavish tributes to three of the musically oriented recipients: satirical songwriter Billy Barnes, Los Angeles Civic Light Opera founder Edwin Lester and musical comedy star Mary Martin. The other recipients--Marla Gibbs, Charlton Heston, Jack Lemmon, Lu Leonard, Dick Lochte, Mako, Luis Valdez, Joel Wachs and (in memoriam) John Allison, Gilmor Brown and Henry Fonda--will receive spoken encomiums from a star-studded list of presenters. John Larroquette will be the master of ceremonies.

Most of the creative talent behind the event--the stars, Levy, director David Galligan, sculptor Graham and set designers Dorian Vernacchio and Deborah Raymond--are donating their efforts, and the Pasadena Playhouse is donating the space, but the event still has a $75,000 budget.

Expenses include the services of the party planning firm Events Unlimited, musicians and dancers, set and award construction, travel expenses for some of the presenters and recipients, printing and mailing of invitations and publicity, and the champagne reception that will follow the event. Tickets cost $30 or $50 for Theatre LA members and $150 or $500 for others.

Information: (213) 614-0556.

TAPER LAB: The public is welcome to attend free rehearsals and readings of the 19 plays in progress that are part of the Mark Taper Forum’s Taper Lab ’89 New Work Festival, at the 99-seat Taper, Too, Oct. 30-Dec. 20.

Among the writers represented in this year’s festival are Paul Linke, Ron Hutchinson, John Steppling, Kelly Stuart, George C. Wolfe, Philip Kan Gotanda, Murray Mednick and many others.

The most notable product of last year’s festival was Bill Cain’s “Stand-Up Tragedy,” which went on to full productions at Taper, Too and the Taper main stage and is now moving on to Hartford Stage Company and Arena Stage in Washington.

Eleven workshops will be held on Mondays and Tuesdays, beginning with Linke’s “Further Conversations/Life After Time” on Oct. 30, and eight readings will be presented on Wednesdays, beginning Nov. 8 with “Water Play,” by Sally Nemeth.

Reservations are necessary: (213) 972-7373.

MORE PLAYS IN PROGRESS: Joseph Scott Kierland’s Los Angeles Playwrights Group has moved to the Pasadena Playhouse. Previously housed at Los Angeles Actors’ Theatre, Camelot Artists, the Burbank Theatre Guild and Lorimar Productions, the play-writing workshop will meet Wednesday evenings at the Playhouse. “We’re very proud to have Joe’s group join us as yet another educational component here,” said Playhouse artistic director Susan Dietz.

Among the plays developed through the workshop since its founding in 1981 are Kitty Johnson’s “Triplet,” Bill Barker’s “Best Wishes,” Jim Geoghan’s “Only Kidding” and “Tom and Jerry,” Kieran Angelini’s “At the Mat,” Mark Kemble’s “Names” and James Carroll Pickett’s “Dream Man.”

WINNERS of the Nuevo L.A. Chicano TheatreWorks play competition at Plaza de la Raza are Evelina’s Fernandez’s “How Else Am I Supposed to Know I’m Still Alive?” and Richard A. Gutierrez’s “At Least She’s Still a Virgin.” The two one-acts will be presented at the Plaza’s Margo Albert Theatre, Oct. 27-Nov. 19.

Information: (213) 223-2475.