At the fourth annual AACTA Onyx Awards for African-Americans in theater and dance, on Friday at the Radisson Hotel, Monroeville, guest speaker Tamara Tunie noted, "as African-Americans we have a long legacy of being storytellers, so we continue to tell our stories through theater."

A native of Homestead and a graduate of Carnegie Mellon, Tunie is an actress on TV ("Law and Order: SVU"), on Broadway ("Julius Caesar," "Oh Kay!") and on film ("Devil's Advocate"). She is also a Broadway producer ("Spring Awakening" and "Radio Golf").

"I'm here as a missionary to spread the gospel of live theater," she said, encouraging the audience to take someone to a live show who has never been. "I'm not talking about fast-food theater; I'm talking about filet mignon theater. Tell your friends and family they don't have to wait for Tyler Perry to come to town."

	Monica Haynes, Post-Gazette Among those honored at the African American Council of Theater Arts Onyx Awards June 29 were Grace Kelly Kalassa from "Sarafina!," winner of best actress in a musical. Click photo for larger image.

Tunie pointed out that African-Americans can have some say in how they're portrayed by investing in local theater. It doesn't have to be a big check, she said. She challenged the audience to put the money where it counts: "We have so much power, and our black power is really green power." Or should be. She said being one of very few African-American producers on Broadway, and the only woman, "sends a shiver down my spine -- and not in a good way."

Tunie received AACTA's new Pride of Pittsburgh Award, given to someone who lived or was educated in Pittsburgh who has excelled in the arts and serves as a positive role model.

AACTA's Rob Penny Lifetime Achievement Award, named for the prolific playwright, poet and teacher, given for the fourth year, went to Marsha Ekunfeo, a teacher and mentor in the Pittsburgh Public Schools for more than 34 years. A native of Rochester, Beaver County, and a graduate of Carlow College, Ekunfeo teaches visual arts with a primary concern for the student and for the richness of the African artistic experience.

The Volunteer of the Year Award went to Vince Sims of WPXI, who for the fourth year served as master of ceremonies. He presided over the main business of the evening, the presentation of awards mainly for theater.

AACTA is the African American Council on the Arts, founded by Victoria Thompson Bey and run by her and a board of a dozen, with a primary goal of honoring black theater.

Christopher Rawson, Post-Gazette Mark Clayton Southers, best director of a play, with Victoria Thompson Bey, founder of AACTA. Click photo for larger image.

In practice, at present, this means picking the year's best shows and performances of Pittsburgh's three predominantly black companies, Kuntu Rep, New Horizon and Pittsburgh Playwrights. Black productions or individual performances at other theaters may become eligible in future years, if a judging methodology can be devised.

For 2007, Kuntu's "Sarafina!" swept 11 of the 13 musical awards, the other two going to the annual "Black Nativity." Pittsburgh Playwrights' "Piano Lesson" led the play awards with seven (including best Equity actor), but four different plays shared the nine others.

Jonathan Berry won best actor in both a musical and a play.

Musicals

Choreography: Oronde Sharif and Ayisha Morgan-Lee, "Black Nativity."

	Virginia Sherwood, NBC Tamara Tunie -- "I'm here as a missionary to spread the gospel of live theater." Click photo for larger image.

Costumes: Mary Mease Warren, "Sarafina!"
Ensemble: "Sarafina!"
Lights: Jason Peroney, "Sarafina!"
Sets: Kenneth Ellis, "Sarafina!"
Sound: "Sarafina!"
Direction: Olusegun Ojewuyi, "Sarafina!"
Musical Director: James Alston, "Sarafina."
Musical Production: "Sarafina!"
Lead Actor: Jonathan Berry, "Black Nativity."
Supporting Actor: Leslie "Ezra" Smith, "Sarafina!"
Lead Actress: Grace Kelly Kalassa, "Sarafina!"
Supporting Actress: Genna Styles, "Sarafina!"

Plays

Costumes: Deryck Tines, "Piano Lesson."
Ensemble: "Pill Hill," New Horizon.
Lights: Eric Smith, "Pill Hill."
Sets: Kenneth Ellis, "Sing Black Hammer," Kuntu.
Sound: Brendon Elder, "Corp Values," Pittsburgh Playwrights.
Direction: Mark Clayton Southers, "Piano Lesson."
Production: "Piano Lesson."
Lead Actor: Jonathan Berry, "Pill Hill."
Supporting Actor: Kevin Brown and Wali Jamal, both "Piano Lesson."
Lead Actress: Vanessa German, "Relativity," Kuntu.
Supporting Actress: Stephanie Batiste, "Relativity."
Minority Actor: Joseph Martinez, "Corps Values."
Make Up: Cheryl El Walker.
Up and Coming Youth Actress: Taylor Whitley, "Piano Lesson."
Up and Coming Youth Actor: Emmanuel Lewis Walker, "Dreamgirls."
Equity Actor: Alan Bomar Jones, "Piano Lesson."

In addition, there were five People's Choice Awards, determined by online votes. Chosen as best play was Kuntu's "Relativity" and best musical, "Sarafina!" Best Actor, without reference to any one of his many appearances, was Kevin Brown, and the two Best Actresses were Stephanie Batiste ("Relativity") and Mamothena Mothupi ("Sarafina!").