Artist of the Year runners-up: Sequoia Nagamatsu, Ananya Chatterjea, the Understudy

Sequoia Nagamatsu

Minneapolis writer Sequoia Nagamatsu spent seven years working on a collection of linked stories that take place in the near future and in the distant future, all centered around a deadly pandemic that changes the course of world events — only to have it hit its publication date right after a deadly pandemic that changed the course of world events.

COVID-19 had nothing to do with his book while he was writing it, and its appearance right before publication worried Nagamatsu, because who would want to read a book about a deadly plague during a deadly plague?

Just about everyone, it turns out, and "How High We Go in the Dark" garnered rave reviews, becoming a New York Times bestseller and editor's choice, a pick for Roxane Gay's book club, long-listed for the Andrew Carnegie Medal, and short-listed for a multitude of other honors, including the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize and the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize. Nagamatsu is currently on sabbatical from St. Olaf College in Northfield, where he is a professor. His next novel, "Girl Zero," will be published in 2024.

Laurie Hertzel

Ananya Chatterjea

Choreographer Ananya Chatterjea pierces through pressing issues of our time with an uncompromising pursuit of truth through her dance artistry. Her latest work, "Nün Gherāo," which Ananya Dance Theatre premiered at the O'Shaughnessy in September, shined a light on a covered-up massacre of Bengali Hindu Dalit refugees in Marichjhapi, India, during the 1970s. The work, filled with sounds of the jungle and rich imagery, linked past horrors to social justice struggles happening now.

ADT had been slated to preview the work at the Erasing Borders Dance Festival in New York last August, but in an open letter, Chatterjea shared that the work had been censored by the Indo-American Arts Council because of its political content. However, the IAAC board denied this, saying it "did not meet the Call for Submission criteria."

Chatterjea has been working on "Nün Gherāo" since receiving a McKnight Artist Fellowship in 2021. It was a gripping work infused with rhythm and emotion, buoyed by a layered score by Spirit McIntyre, and a mix of strong ensemble work and solo and duet moments by the ADT dancers. As a dancer herself, Chatterjea's fierce spirit shines through the thunder of her footwork and the flow of her arm movements.

Besides her work as an artist, Chatterjea contributes to her academic field of dance through writing and teaching. This year, "Dancing Transnational Feminisms: Ananya Dance Theatre and the Art of Social Justice," which Chatterjea co-edited with Hui Niu Wilcox and Alessandra Lebea Williams, was released through the University of Washington Press.

Sheila Regan

The Understudy

A case could be made that theater might not have happened this year if it weren't for actors who, often at the last minute, filled in when members of the cast were ill. With COVID-19 variants still making plays precarious, understudies were there to keep things stable and help make sure that illnesses didn't spread through casts.

It used to be rare to see understudies take the stage, but this year we got used to seeing them, even early in the runs of shows. China Brickey went on before opening night — in previews — at the Guthrie Theater's "A Raisin in the Sun." Monica E. Scott took the stage two days after opening in "Parks" at History Theatre and, script in hand but rarely consulted, she was terrific. On the other end of the spectrum, Reese Britts had to call out of playing the title role in the final performances of "Jelly's Last Jam" when he became ill.

Shows without understudies to fill gaps had to cancel performances but others, such as "Emma" at the Guthrie Theater, "Footloose" at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, "Annie" at Children's Theatre Company and Jungle Theater's current "Georgiana & Kitty," kept entertaining audiences because talented actors such as Mo Perry, Becca Hart and Maggie Cramer were ready to go.

In a time when companies are redefining how to make theater in a healthy way, understudies will continue to be a crucial part of assuring that, even if some of the leads can't go on, the show will.

Chris Hewitt