IT Awards Staff
We would like to acknowledge and thank our friends throughout the New York Theatre community who helped make the dream of these awards a reality.
The Honorary Awards Committee
is responsible for the selection of the recipients of the Honorary
Awards. Its members also act as advisors in the development of the
awards process and as arbitrators in the case of production awards
disputes.
Founding Directors
Jason Bowcutt - Upon graduating from the University of Utah's Actors Training Program, Jason received the Kenneth Washington Scholarship to move to Washington DC and work with the Shakespeare Theatre. Jason's acting carrer eventually brought him to New York where he received a Drama Desk nomination, Helen Hayes Award nomination and recognition from the Drama League for his role as Nathan Leopold in the Outer Critics Circle Award winning play "Never the Sinner". Jason continued to act in New York as well as many Regional Theatres including Signature Theatre, McCarter Theatre, Guthrie Theatre, Rep Theatre of St. Louis and Cincinnati Playhouse. Jason's varied work activities have had him working in theatrical casting agencies as well as non-theatrical businesses throughout New York. Artistically Jason began directing and producing Off-Off-Broadway leading to his co-founding of the IT Awards. Since that time Jason has produced and event managed with many organizations including serving as Conference Planner for the Utah Arts Council's 2007 'Mountain West Conference on the Arts'.
Shay Gines graduated from the Actors Training Program at the University of Utah with a dual degree in theatre and marketing. She then made the smartest decision of her life and (despite her father’s wishes) choose to pursue a career in theatre. Since then she has done everything from spackling walls at the Pasadena Playhouse and running follow-spot for the Pioneer Theatre Company to serving as the Artist in Residence for Touchstone Theatre. She has performed in theatres of all sizes from 30 seats to 1,000 across the country, from L.A. to NYC. She is an award winning producer whose Off and Off-Off-Broadway shows include: Home Again Home Again Jiggity Jig, What the F**k?!, Hamlet and Muse of Fire. Shay was a Founding Member and the Producing Director for Esperance Theatre Company. She is currently one half of the producing team for Theatrical Fair, an active member of TOSOS II and of Emerging Artists Theatre Company where she also serves as an Associate Director.
Nick Micozzi
is originally from northeast Ohio, where he founded Prodigal
Theatre Group. In New York, he has been a member of Esperance
Theatre Company, Pure Pop Rep, and The Splinter Group. He trained
and worked with Jim Slowiak (Grotowski’s Objective Drama) and
Shakespeare & Co. in Lenox, MA. Acting credits include FringeNYC,
The Chekhov Vaudevilles Festival, The Pure Pop 2000 Festival, Tybalt
in Romeo and Juliet, Lucio in Measure for Measure,
Bernard in Death of a Salesman, Sam in Pervy Verse,
Luka in The Bear, and Iago in Othello. Recently,
Nick played "Tom" in Patrice Johnson's film King's County,
which screened at the Urban World Film Festival in New York, and
the festival circuit in the US and Europe. Nick's
producer credits include Off-Off-Broadway: The Pure Pop Theatre
Festival, The Chekhov Vaudevilles Festival, and Trojan Productions'
The Illiad; Off-Broadway: Flags and Belfast Blues. He was the founder of the free Off-Off-Broadway
listings site, NYonstage.com, and directs the Official Liveblog of Times Square New Years Eve.
Staff
Akia (Company Manager) is an active member of the flourishing Off-Off & Off Broadway theatre communities having produced, directed, and performed with numerous NYC companies since 1997. She is the Company Manager for the international sensation, Blue Man Group at the Astor Place Theater. Akia is also the Founding Artistic Director of the Rising Sun Performance Company, now in entering its 10th season, and has been involved on all levels with each of its 35+ productions. A Board Member of The Paul Butterfield Fund & Society, and serves on the NY It Awards honorary awards committee and as an At-Large Judge. Past notable credits include working on staff at Horse Trade Theatre Group, serving as General Manager for FRIGID New York’s inaugural year, returning as Volunteer Coordinator in 2009; and as Production Coordinator for nationally acclaimed Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, overseeing the playwrights unit and INSIGHT 13 production series. Akia has also received critical acclaim for her direction of “Hellcab”, “Goodnight Lovin’ Trail” & the NYC Premiere of “The Last Supper”. She is a proud recipient of the New York Innovative Theatre Awards “Founders Award” for her contributions to the organization.
Hillary Cohen (Judge Wrangler and Special Projects Coordinator) Hillary saw her first off-off-Broadway play as a second grader in 1988 and has been hooked ever since. Her non-profit management work represents experience with the operation of varied community service organizations including Philadelphia's Mayor's Commission on Technology, Vox Populi co-operative art gallery, Manhattan Theatre Club, Film Forum, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the JEHT Foundation, Visiting Nurse Service of New York, the Innocence Project, the Pearl Theatre Company, New York Theatre Workshop, and Baruch College/CUNY. Hillary was as a stage management intern for 2002 O'Neill Playwright's Conference. Her New York stage management credits include Cantata (Playwrights Theatre of New York), Danny and the Deep Blue Sea and Causin' A Scene (Big Step Productions), Chopin's Preludes (HERE American Living Room series), and several great Emerging Artists Theatre Company shows. She has served as a resident stage manager for Emerging Artists and was the company's Production Manager for their 2004-05 season. Hillary is a graduate of Drexel University with a degree in Corporate Communication and a Theatre Production minor. She attended the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University for her Master of Public Administration degree with a concentration in Non-Profit Management.
Desmond Dutcher (Judge Wrangler) - a professional actor for over 15 years, Desmond has appeared in regional theatre and Off-Off-Broadway as well as in TV & film projects. He is also a voiceover artist and proudly lends his voice to the annual NY IT Awards Ceremony. During the day, Desmond works in the field of Broadcast Advertising for DDB-Worldwide Communications handling one of their most high-profile clients.
Morgan Lindsey Tachco (Community Relations Manager) originates from Thousand Oaks, California. Practically born in a booth, Morgan has been involved in countless productions both onstage and off. Favorite roles on the ‘other coast’ include lead roles in The Zoo Story, Ruthless!, Equus, Sweet Charity, and Laundry and Bourbon (Produced by Dick Van Dyke). Morgan worked as a Performance Coach at the Ill-Fated Club Disney until she relocated to New York in 1999. She has since worked in every theatrical capacity from wearing a bow tie at the New Amsterdam Theatre (The Lion King), to touring with the National Theatre of the Performing Arts (Tartuffe – Mme. Pernelle/Bailiff). Off stage credits include Naked Angels and York Shakespeare. In 2003, Morgan met Horse Trade through the resident company Edge of Insanity portraying Laura Sands in the coming of dick. With Edge, she co-produced the revival of Galaxy Video and the world premiere of its sequel, Galaxy Video 2. She then joined Horse Trade as Associate Producer. Two years and a FRIGID Festival later, she finds herself gloriously smack in the middle of Off-Off Broadway as Horse Trade’s Artistic Producer. She continues her acting career as well, most recently receiving critical acclaim for dual roles in JMTC’s We Call Her Benny (first-ever FRIGID Festival), and her portrayal of Laura Bush in Dumbya’s Rapture (Rough Theater). She can also be seen in the Box Office at Second Stage Theatre. Morgan is excited to serve as The Innovative Theatre Awards’ Community Outreach Manager and is honored to join this extremely talented family in recognizing this vital art form. Morgan resides in Brooklyn with Zooey and their crazy little extended family. They, along with her actual family not to mention Justin and Missy, deserve great thanks and kudos for their undying love and support.
