A couple of grains of SALT!

SALT Awards • SALTY Awards

In 2003, Art Zimmer, publisher of The Syracuse New Times established the Syracuse Area Live Theater (SALT) Awards to "bestow a high level of recognition and appreciation upon persons involved in Syracuse-area live theatre, thus creating a wider appreciation and awareness of live theatre among the general public." These awards, Syracuse’s version of Broadway’s Tony Awards, were created as a way to celebrate the theatre community of Onondaga County and Cazenovia, plus the companies in the CNY area that produce professional shows, touring shows, and summer-only shows.

Appleseed Productions was honored by the inaugural SALT Awards with four nominations: The Dining Room, The Foreigner, and A Shayna Maidel for Play of the Year and Jon Wilson for Director of the Year. We were elated when The Foreigner was announced as the winner in that category.

At the 2004 SALT Awards, Appleseed was once again honored when its production of Children of a Lesser God won the award for Play of the Year! Plus, the winners of the Director of the Year (Sharee Lemos), Non-Performer of the Year (Shannon Tompkins), and People’s Choice Actor of the Year (Bill Molesky) awards worked closely with us during 2004.

In addition, Appleseed's production of Moreau was also nominated for Play of the Year, and we had our finger in seven other individual nominations: three for Actress of the Year, two for Actor of the Year, one for Music Director of the Year, and one for People’s Choice Actress of the Year.

For the 2005 calendar year, while not honored with any awards, Appleseed once again had a piece of seven SALT nominations: two for Actress of the Year in a Play, three for Actor of the Year in a Play, and two for Director of the Year of a Play.

At the 2007 awards ceremony, which was for the 2006 calendar year, Appleseed garnered 10 nominations and got its name back on the winners list with the presenting of the Director of the Year of a Musical award to Sharee Lemos, who directed The Spitfire Grill for Appleseed (as well as Hello, Dolly! for The Talent Co.). The Spitfire Grill also received a nomination for Musical of the Year and Whose Life Is It Anyway? received a nomination for People's Choice Production of the Year.

The other seven individual nominations received were: one for Leading Actress of the Year in a Musical, two for Supporting Actress of the Year in a Musical, one for Leading Actress of the Year in a Play, one for Supporting Actress of the Year in a Play, one for for Supporting Actor of the Year in a Play, and one for People's Choice Actor of the Year.

At the 2008 SALT Awards ceremony (which were for the 2007 calendar year), Appleseed received 16 nominations and remained on the winners list with the presenting of the Supporting Actor of the Year in a Musical award to Paul Gundersen for his portrayal of "Benjamin Franklin" in 1776 and the People's Choice Actor of the Year to Gerrit Vander Werff, Jr., who appeared in Our Town and Sorry! Wrong Chimney! (plus an ensemble role in Chess for simply new theatre). 1776 also received nominations for Musical of the Year, People's Choice Production of the Year, Director of the Year of a Musical (Dustin M. Czarny), and People's Choice Actress of the Year (Patricia Elise Catchouny)

The other 10 nominations received were: one each for Director of the Year of a Play, Costumer of the Year, Music Director of the Year, People's Choice Actress of the Year, and People's Choice Actor of the Year; two for Non-Performing Person of the Year; and three for the Sandra C. Haase Memorial Award.

To see more specifics on the above nominations and award winners, go to our Awards page.

In 2005, the Syracuse Area Live Theater Youth (SALTY) Awards were established as a spin-off of the SALT Awards as the answer to the much-asked question, "Why doesn't SALT have a youth category?"

Now SALTY will offer much, much more. A variety of categories means that Onondaga County high school productions, theatre educators, performers ages 18 and below, and community theatre companies that produce youth theatre and/or feature child/teen actors are eligible for SALTY Awards. Every high school has been invited to register for SALTY consideration, and in deference to each district's own decision, no schools will be considered that do not wish to participate. For the 2005-2006 season, ten Onondaga County high schools chose to participate in SALTY.

At the first annual awards, which encompassed the 2005-06 season, Appleseed was honored to win the Best Play and Best Actress in a Play (Jane Garlow) awards in the Community Theater category for its production of Spider's Web.

At the award ceremony for the 2006-07 season, Appleseed’s production of The Diviners was honored to win the awards for Best Play, Best Actor in a Play (Navzad N. Dabu), Best Actress in a Play (Katelyn Remington), and Best Supporting Actress in a Play (Jane Garlow). The show also received nominations for the Best Supporting Actor in a Play and Best Ensemble awards. In addition, Appleseed's artistic director, Jon Wilson, was nominated for (though did not win) the SALTY's Lifetime Achievement Award.

At the award ceremony for the 2007-08 season, Appleseed swept the Community Theater Play categories when its productions of Our Town won the awards for Best Play and Best Supporting Actress in a Play (Bethany Harris); Playing With Fire (after Frankenstein) won Best Actor in a Play (Mark Weatherup); The Left Hand Singing won Best Actress in a Play (Jecoura R. Fields), and The Dragon won Best Supporting Actor in a Play (Navzad N. Dabu). Other nominations received: Our Town - Best Actor-Play and Best Supporting Actor-Play; Playing With Fire (after Frankenstein) - Best Play and Best Ensemble; and The Dragon - Best Play, Best Supporting Actor-Play, and Best Supporting Actress-Play. In addition, Appleseed's artistic director, Jon Wilson, was again nominated for (though again did not win) the SALTY's Lifetime Achievement Award.

To see more specifics on the above nominations and award winners, go to our Awards page.

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