Detroit Red Honored by Boston Theatre Critics Association

ArtsEmerson’s February 2020 production of Detroit Red came away with two Elliot Norton Awards on Monday, May 11: Outstanding Actor for Eric Berryman, who played a young Malcolm X, and Outstanding New Script for Will Power.

The Elliot Norton Awards, presented by the Boston Theatre Critics Association, honors the best in Greater Boston theatre. The awards were announced online, and will be mailed to winning companies.

Detroit Red tells the story of Malcolm Little’s time in Boston, before he became the famous civil rights leader. Written by Power, a pioneer of hip-hop theatre, the show premiered at Emerson’s Paramount Center on February 1.

Three former Performing Arts affiliated faculty members also were honored on May 11.

Paula Plum won Outstanding Actress for her role in SpeakEasy Stage Company’s The Children. Catherine Stornetta won Outstanding Musical Direction for Moonbox Productions’ Parade. And the late Johnny Lee Davenport, who died in February 2020, was posthumously awarded the Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence.

Davenport, 69, performed with Shakespeare & Company for 16 seasons, and performed on Chicago stages throughout the 1990s. He also had roles in films including The Fugitive, U.S. Marshals, and Ted.