(Photo © Paul Kolnik)
Felicia P. Fields and Jason Ritter have been selected to receive the annual Clarence Derwent Award honoring the most promising female and male performers on the New York metropolitan scene, while Jayne Houdyshell and Jim Dale have been selected to receive the annual Richard Seff Award, given to honor a character actor, 50 years of age or older, for the best performance in a supporting role in a Broadway or Off-Broadway production. Both awards, which carry cash prizes, are given out by Actor’s Equity Association, and the presentation will take place on August 1 at their Manhattan office.
Fields was recognized for her performance as Sofia in The Color Purple, for which she has also received a Tony Award nomination. A well-known actress in her native Chicago, she has not previously starred in New York. Ritter was cited for his performance in the Lincoln Center Theatre production of Wendy Wasserstein’s Third. He had previously appeared Off-Broadway in The Beginning of August.
Dale was recognized for his performance as Mr. Peachum in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of The Threepenny Opera, for which he has also been recognized by a Tony nomination, the Drama Desk Award, and the Outer Critics Circle Award.
Houdyshell was honored for her performance as Ann in Lisa Kron’s Well on Broadway, for which she has received a Tony nomination. When the play was performed at the Public Theatre in 2004, Ms. Houdyshell received the Obie Award and Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Lucille Lortel Award nominations.
The Judges’ Panel for both awards includes: Betty Corwin, Director of Special Projects,Theatre on Film & Tape Archive of the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts; Adam Feldman, Time Out NY; Arne Gundersen, President of the Actors’ Equity Foundation; Harry Haun, Playbill; Michael Kuchwara, The Associated Press; Patrick Quinn, President of Actors’ Equity Association; David Rosenberg, Back Stage; Michael Sommers, The Star Ledger; and Douglas Watt, The Daily News.
