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On June 13, two days after the Tonys, Actors鈥� Equity Foundation honored four of their own for performances on Broadway and off that were given during the year just ended.

First, the Clarence Derwent Award鈥攁t 72 the oldest honor on Broadway and named for the actor who served as Equity president from 1946 to 1952鈥攚ent to the most promising female and male on the New York metropolitan scene. In this case, Katrina Lenk for her performances in Indecent (now closing June 25)and The Band鈥檚 Visit鈥攁nd to Will Pullen as a volatile young factory worker in Sweat.

The intent of the second honor鈥攖he Richard Seff Award鈥攊s to acknowledge a veteran male and female in a supporting role. It was named after the 89-year-old character actor who specialized in such parts鈥攁nd he was very much present in the Equity meeting room to see it go to Anthony Chisholm (Jitney) and Barbara Barrie (Significant Other).

鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe people cry at these things鈥擨 get so mad,鈥� Lenk said, batting back her own tears with a laugh. She was presented the prize by one of her co-stars in The Band鈥檚 Visit, George Abud.

鈥淭hese past couple of years since I moved to New York, I鈥檝e been so fortunate to work on so many projects that fulfill me artistically,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a dream to be challenged as an artist and as a person and to constantly learn and be inspired.鈥�

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Pullen was cited for his Broadway debut but has been distinguishing himself with a rangy array of blistering and/or touching performances Off-Broadway (Scarcity, The Wayside Motor Inn, and Punk Rock, for three). This being his first award ever, he confessed he was quite nervous but managed to distribute his gratitude carefully all the same.

鈥淚鈥檇 like to thank Oskar Eustis and everybody at The Public for this opportunity and for bringing this very, very important story to Broadway,鈥� Pullen said of Sweat, which just posted a June 25 closing notice at Studio 54. He also thanked his Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Lynn Nottage, 鈥渨ho will go down as one of the great American playwright of our time or any time. She writes characters with depth, complexity and humanity, and I am so fortunate that she gave me the responsibility of bringing this person to life on stage every night.鈥� And there were also some very kind words for 鈥渙ur fearless leader,鈥� director Kate Whoriskey.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e also my severest critics鈥攖hey let me have it!鈥� she added. 鈥淗owever, they are the best things that ever happened to me鈥攊ncluding the grandchildren they have given me鈥攁nd I wanted to say I鈥檓 so happy they鈥檙e here today. Their father and my husband [Theatreworks USA founder] Jay Harnick, loved the theatre more than anybody I ever knew. If he were here today, he would be so thrilled with this ceremony. So, to you all from the entire Harnick family and not just me, I want to say thank you so much. This is really a thrill, and I am very honored to accept the award.鈥�

Ruben Santiago-Hudson, a Derwent- and Tony-winning actor in August Wilson鈥檚 Seven Guitars and the director of the Tony-winning revival of Wilson鈥檚 Jitney, introduced Chisholm by doing a hilarious, over-the-top imitation of him. They had co-starred in another Wilson play, Gem of the Ocean, and Wilson had to cut one of Chisholm鈥檚 big speeches because he was delivering it with a mouthful of cornbread and beans and splattering food all over Santiago-Hudson鈥檚 hat.
A third of the Jitney cast鈥擬ichael Potts, Harvy Blanks and Tony-nominated John Douglas Thompson鈥攚ere there to witness his win and smiled when he suggested they all share the wealth. 鈥淧eople I worked with鈥攖hey should all be up here because this should be an ensemble acknowledgement,鈥� he declared. 鈥淎ugust wrote one of the purest ensemble pieces you could ever imagine. The Tony Award Committee should have a category for Best Ensemble.鈥�

It was a sentiment that brought a quick, robust response from the Equity members.
The judges鈥� panel for these AEF awards hasn鈥檛 got an actor on it: Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Daily News; Adam Feldman, Time Out New York; Susan Haskins, Theater Talk; David Rosenberg, The Hour Newspapers; and the author of this story, 半岛体育/Observer.