By Jonathan Abarbanel
Victory Gardens Theatre has been named recipient of the 2001 Antoinette Perry "Tony" Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. The award, and a $25,000 check from Clairol’s Nice 'n Easy, will be presented to Victory Gardens’ leaders as part of this year’s Tony Awards ceremonies in New York on June 3.
"This belongs to everyone who believed in VG," artistic director Dennis Zacek told an emotional group on Monday. "Every artist, every board member and the audiences. It also belongs to the critics. We know you don't always agree with us, but we need a referee."
The announcement of the annual special award was made Monday (May 7) by the American Theatre Wing and the League of American Theatres and Producers, the co-sponsors of the Tony Awards.
Victory Gardens (VG) was cited for its crucial and influential role in the growth and development of the off-Loop theatre industry in Chicago, and for its exemplary commitment to Chicago-area theatre artists, to multi-culturism and to the development of new work. In addition to its resident Playwrights Ensemble, a body of artists unique among American regional theatres, VG also created and nurtured the Latino Chicago Theatre Company, and today offers performing space and marketing support at below-market rates to a variety of smaller, younger producing organizations.
Victory Gardens was founded in 1974 by a consortium of theatre artists including directors Stuart Gordon, June Pyskacek and Mac McGinnes, author Warren Casey (Grease), and actors Cordis Fejer, Robert Maguire, Cecil O’Neal and David Rasche. Dennis Zacek succeeded to the artistic directorship within a few years, and was joined by Marcelle McVay as managing director. Zacek and McVay, now husband and wife, have provided VG’s team leadership ever since, even surviving an attempted coup by the VG board last year. Artists associated with VG, especially the Playwrights Ensemble, as well as major long-time funders and individual patrons sided with Zacek and McVay in no uncertain terms in their dispute with the VG board, which was forced to withdraw its proposal to place an executive leader over Zacek and McVay.
Over a period of many years, Victory Gardens has been crucial to the careers of numerous theatre artists, especially playwrights such as Claudia Allen, Lonnie Carter, Steve Carter, Dean Corrin, Rick Cleveland, John Logan, Scott McPherson, Nicholas Patricca, James Sherman, Charles Smith, Jeffrey Sweet and Kristine Thatcher among others. The company also has nurtured long and sustained relationships with actors, designer, stage managers and directors including Galen Ramsey, Sandy Shinner (associate artistic director), Andre de Shields, Julie Harris, Mike Nussbaum, Roslyn Alexander, Mary Griswold and Jeff Bauer to name just a few. Victory Gardens will have a budget of $1.8 million in Fiscal 2002, and will produce seven shows.
Nominations and voting for the Regional Theatre Tony Award are conducted in strict confidentiality by the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA), which recommends a winner to the Tony Awards producers. Chicago scores a hat trick with VG: it’s the only city with three winners of the Regional Theatre Tony Award. Victory Gardens follows Steppenwolf (1985) and Goodman (1992).