The work of the casting director is at its most seamless when it appears most effortless -- when a show or project has been so perfectly cast it feels like fate. Ironically, the casting director's work is often at its best when it is most invisible.
It's therefore nice to see casting professionals get some love from their peers, who understand better than anyone the challenges they face. The Casting Society of America has announced winners of its 27th Annual Artios Awards. The bi-coastal award ceremonies were held in Los Angeles at The Beverly Hilton Hotel and at the District 36 in New York.
Presented annually to honor outstanding achievements in casting, The Artios Awards are given on the criteria of originality, creativity and contribution of casting to the overall quality of a project. The term "Artios" is from the ancient Greek word meaning "perfectly fitted."
Each year, in addition to the awards presented to casting directors for their achievements in Theatre, Television, and Film casting, the Casting Society of America also recognizes industry notables with the New York Apple Award (given by the casting community in recognition of an individual who has made a special commitment to the New York entertainment industry through their collaboration with casting directors), a Career Achievement Award (recognizing the recipient's contribution to the industry as a whole, and their inclusion of the casting director in the overall creative process), and the Hoyt Bowers Award (for outstanding contribution to the casting profession; Hoyt Bowers was a brilliant casting director and a supportive mentor who created an atmosphere in which creativity could flourish). This year's honorees were: in New York, Academy Award-winner Whoopi Goldberg will take home the New York Apple Award; and in Los Angeles, Dick Wolf will receive the Career Achievement Award, and Meg Liberman, the Hoyt Bowers Award.
This year's 2011 Artios Award Recipients included:
Big Budget Feature - Drama
The Social Network, Laray Mayfield
Big Budget Feature - Comedy
Red, Deborah Aquila, Mary Tricia Wood, Craig Fincannon (Location Casting), Lisa Mae Fincannon (Location Casting), Robin D. Cook (Location Casting)
Feature - Studio or Independent -- Drama
The King's Speech, Nina Gold
Feature - Studio or Independent -- Comedy
The Kids Are All Right, Laura Rosenthal, Liz Dean (Los Angeles Casting)
Low Budget Feature - Drama/Comedy
Winter's Bone, Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee *
Animation Feature
Toy Story 3, Kevin Reher, Natalie Lyon
Daytime Drama Series
"General Hospital," Mark Teschner
Television Pilot Drama
"Boardwalk Empire," Ellen Lewis
Television Pilot Comedy
"Raising Hope," Dava Waite Peaslee
Television Series Drama
"The Good Wife," Mark Saks
Television Series Comedy
"Modern Family," Jeff Greenberg
Television Movie / Mini Series
"Mildred Pierce," Laura Rosenthal
Children's Series
"The Suite Life on Deck," Dana Gergely, Brandi Brice
Television Animation
"Spongebob Squarepants," Sarah Noonan *
Short Film
Ollie Klublershturf vs. The Nazis, Alyssa Weisberg
New York Broadway Theatre - Drama
The Normal Heart, Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler
New York Broadway Theatre - Comedy
Good People, David Caparelliotis
New York Broadway Theatre - Musical
The Book of Mormon, Carrie Gardner
New York Theatre -- Comedy/Musical
Trust, Mele Nagler
New York Theatre -- Drama
Three Sisters, James Calleri
Regional Theatre East
Follies, Laura Stanczyk
Regional Theatre West
August: Osage County, Samantha Barrie
Leap of Faith, Bernard Telsey, Justin Huff
Los Angeles Theatre
Much Ado About Nothing, Michael Donovan
SPECIAL HONOREES
Career Achievement Award
Dick Wolf
Hoyt Bowers Award
Meg Liberman
The New York Apple Award
Whoopi Goldberg
* Note: Shared Credit with Non-CSA Casting Director(s)
