... and the Envelope Please.

The results of the Connect Savannah's poll of the Best of Savannah for 2008 are officially in, and we would like to thank the community for the support.

To begin, The Savannah Dramaturgy, was chosen as the runner up for best blog in the city. We would like to thank our readers for the support on this, and hope to improve our services to the theatrical community in order to claim the top spot from Creative Coast next year!

Further, congratulations go to Mr. Benjamin Wolfe, of Armstrong Atlantic State University, for his selection in the "Best Director" category. The competition this year was most certainly stiff, and as such Mr. Wolfe's accomplishment is significant. Word is that he will be teaching theatre to youngsters out on Hilton Head Island, and they will most certainly be well served.

Also up for honours is Ms. Faith Boles with the choice of "Best Actor." Her performances in Midnight Cry, Grease, and Pippin have established her as a strong talent and we hope to see her further. Also, a strong contender was Ryan McCurdy, who came in as runner-up.

But the most significant point is the choice of Shakespeare on Love/Savannah Shakespeare Festival as the "Best Local Theatre Production/Play" and runner up for "Best Festival thats Not St. Patrick's." This is a significant accomplishment, nearly topping two categories and giving the venerable Film Festival a run for its money. This is a real testament to the power and effectiveness of JinHi Soucey Rand's vision and execution that the Shakespeare Festival was able not only to draw together the majority of the city's theatrical community, but that an often complaicent city was willing to sit up and notice it.

And yet, most disturbingly of all, The Savannah Dramaturgy notes that the city's department of Cultural Affairs has not made provision for the continuation of this project. Though we, along with the rest of the world, are willing to admit that economic times are tough, now is not the time to abandon the single most significant theatrical events that our community has undertaken. It is somewhat disturbing to walk about the Cultural Affairs space and note the fairly extravagant level of support visual artists receive (the modern and spacious gallery, effective studio, etc.), along with the fact that visual artists are allowed to sell their work for profit. If I recall correctly, directors working for Cultural Affairs are not allowed to pay their actors. I would ask Eileen Baker and Debra Zumstein, the effective heads of the department overall, why this disparity exists, and why they have turned their backs on something as significant as the 22-year-old Savannah Shakespeare Festival.

We ask you, our readers, to support us and the theatrical community in getting this institution reinstated. Giving up an inch may lead to a dangerously slippery slope.

The Arts/Culture Results can be found here.