OCTOGENARIAN ACTOR, playwright and director Tomás MacAnna received a special tribute award at the 13th annual Irish TimesIrish Theatre Awards last night.
MacAnna, a former artistic director of the Abbey Theatre, Tony Award winner and author of several plays including
Winter Wedding, Scéeal Scéalaí
and the docu-drama
Glittering Spears
, was unable to attend. The award, presented by Abbey director Fiach MacConghail, was accepted on MacAnna's behalf by his daughter Fiona MacAnna.
Actors Mark O'Regan and Michael James Ford were comperes for the event, which took place at Dublin's Vicar Street.
The award for best production went to No Worst There is None, directed by Dylan Tighe for the Stomach Box in association with Poetry Ireland.
Annie Ryan was named best director for the Corn Exchange Theatre production of Freefall, which also won the best new play award for Michael West.
Stella McCusker won the best actress award for her performance as Mag in the Lyric Theatre production of The Beauty Queen of Leenaneby Martin McDonagh.
The best actor award went to Denis Conway as the Irish Man in Druid Theatre's production of Tom Murphy's The Gigli Concert.
Maeve Fitzgerald's performance as Woman in Anú's production of Basingarnered her the best supporting actress award. Bryan Burroughs won best supporting actor for his role in the Barabbas' production of Johnny Patterson: The Singing Irish Clownby Little John Nee.
Wexford Opera Festival's production of John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles, directed by James Robinson, won Best Opera.
The Best Lighting award went to Sinead Wallace for Landmark's production of David Harrower's Knives in Hens, while Maree Kearns won the award for best set for Frank McGuinness' Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, produced by Nomad in association with Livin' Dred.
Rodrigo Rodriguez won the Best Costume award for the Core Dublin production of The Trojan Womenby Euripides, which he also co-directed with Alan King. Winners in the new Best Sound category were Ben Delaney and Conor Linehan for the Abbey Theatre production of Tom Murphy's The Last Days of a Reluctant Tyrant.
The Judges' Special Award went to Tania Banotti for her leadership in the National Campaign for the Arts.
Pictures and full coverage of the awards will appear in tomorrow's Irish Times, while highlights will be screened on TG4's Imeallon Wednesday at 11pm.