Month: January 2019

I was recently invited to be an auxiliary member of Seattle’s only critic/reviewer circle, the Seattle Theater Writers! They ask members to see at least 100 shows per year. The auxiliary supports the selection process for the annual Gypsy Rose Lee Award nominees and winners. See this press release for the 2018 nominees.

Seattle’s critics’ circle announces Nominees of Excellence in Seattle theatrical productions. Spanning dozens of theater companies and productions, from large and prominent to small and humble, the Gypsy Rose Lee Awards honor the excellence found in as much professional theater as we reviewers can attend in a year. Named in honor of the famed theater entrepreneur and Seattle native, Gypsy Rose Lee, and in a nod to the vast numbers or theater practitioners forced to travel the country to earn their living, the Gypsys seek to acknowledge the excellence of the Seattle theater community. (The group’s online presence is at http://www.facebook.com/SeattleTheaterWriters.)

Our aim in developing the awards is to entice the general public to consider seeing excellent theatrical events at myriad venues they may never have thought about before! Try these productions, we suggest, and you might find them excellent!

The winners will be announced February 1, 2019.

And without further ado, arranged in 33 categories in two divisions (Large Theaters and Small Theaters), the 2018 Gypsy Rose Lee Award Nominees are (by category, in alpha order by name):

Excellence in Production of a Play:

(Large Theaters):

• Frost/Nixon – Strawberry Theatre Workshop
• Native Gardens – Intiman Theatre
• The Picture of Dorian Gray – Book-It Repertory Theatre
• The Wolves – ACT Theatre
• Two Trains Running – Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage

(Small Theaters):

• An Octoroon – ArtsWest
• Hand to God – Seattle Public Theater
• Hir – ArtsWest and Intiman Theatre
• Skeleton Crew – ArtsWest
• The Nether – Washington Ensemble Theatre

Excellence in Production of a Musical:

• Annie – 5th Avenue Theatre
• Hairspray – Village Theatre
• Kiss Me, Kate – 5th Avenue Theatre
• Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill – ArtsWest
• The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes – Village Theatre

Excellence in Direction of a Play:

(Large Theaters):

• Juliette Carrillo – Two Trains Running (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage)
• Sheila Daniels – The Wolves (ACT Theatre)
• Rosa Joshi – Richard III (Seattle Shakespeare Company and upstart crow collective)
• Malika Oyetimein – And in This Corner: Cassius Clay (Seattle Children’s Theatre)
• Victor Pappas – The Picture of Dorian Gray (Book-It Repertory Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

• Peggy Gannon – Year of the Rooster (MAP Theatre)
• Kelly Kitchens – Hand to God (Seattle Public Theater)
• Jay O’Leary – Skeleton Crew (ArtsWest)
• Brandon J. Simmons – An Octoroon (ArtsWest)
• Jennifer Zeyl – Hir (ArtsWest and Intiman Theatre)

Excellence in Direction of a Musical:

• Valerie Curtis-Newton – Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (ArtsWest)
• Brandon Ivie – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)
• Steve Tomkins and Timothy McCuen Piggee – Hairspray (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Performance in a Play as a Lead Actor (Male):

(Large Theaters):

• Andre G. Brown – And in This Corner: Cassius Clay (Seattle Children’s Theatre)
• Jim Gall – Native Gardens (Intiman Theatre)
• Eugene Lee – Two Trains Running (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage)

(Small Theaters):

• Evan Barrett – Hir (ArtsWest and Intiman Theatre)
• Ben Burris – Hand to God (Seattle Public Theater)
• Lamar Legend – An Octoroon (ArtsWest)
• Ryan Schlecht – ASL Midsummer Night’s Dream (Sound Theatre Company)
• James Weidman – The Nether (Washington Ensemble Theatre)

Excellence in Performance in a Musical as a Lead Actor (Male):

• Joshua Carter – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)
• Joshua Castille and E.J. Cardona – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (5th Avenue Theatre)
• Nick DeSantis – Hairspray (Village Theatre)
• Timothy McCuen Piggee – Annie (5th Avenue Theatre)

Excellence in Performance in a Play as a Lead Actor (Female):

(Large Theaters):

• Mary Ewald – Timon of Athens (Seattle Shakespeare Company)
• Sarah Harlett – Richard III (Seattle Shakespeare Company and upstart crow collective)
• Kirsten Potter – Ibsen in Chicago (Seattle Repertory Theatre)
• Amy Thone – Frost/Nixon (Strawberry Theatre Workshop)
• Dedra D. Woods – Wild Horses (Intiman Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

• Nabilah Ahmed – A Small History of Amal (Forward Flux Productions and Pratidhwani)
• Sunam Ellis – Hand to God (Seattle Public Theater)
• Tracy Michelle Hughes – Skeleton Crew (ArtsWest)
• Gretchen Krich – Hir (Artswest and Intiman Theatre)
• Eleanor Moseley – Wit (SecondStory Repertory)

Excellence in Performance in a Musical as a Lead Actor (Female):

• Caitlin Frances – Disenchanted (Mamches Presents)
• Cayman Ilika – Kiss Me, Kate (5th Avenue Theatre)
• Felicia Loud – Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (ArtsWest)

Excellence in Performance of a Play as a Supporting Actor (Male) – any non-lead:

(Large Theaters):

• William Hall Jr. – Two Trains Running (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage)
• Chip Sherman – And in This Corner: Cassius Clay (Seattle Children’s Theatre)
• Brandon J. Simmons – The Picture of Dorian Gray (Book-It Repertory Theatre)
• Michael Winters – Timon of Athens (Seattle Shakespeare Company)
• Joseph Steven Yang – The Great Leap (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company)

(Small Theaters):

• Jose Abaoag – An Octoroon (ArtsWest)
• Martyn G. Krouse – Hand To God (Seattle Public Theater)
• Charles Leggett – Hir (Artswest and Intiman Theatre)
• Christopher Quilici – Peerless (ArtsWest)
• Shane Regan – Year of the Rooster (MAP Theatre)

Excellence in Performance of a Musical as a Supporting Actor (Male) – any non-lead:

• Peter Crook – Hairspray (Village Theatre)
• Chris Ensweiler – Matilda (Village Theatre)
• Jeff Steitzer – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Performance of a Play as a Supporting Actor (Female) – any non-lead:

(Large Theaters):

• Cheyenne Barton – The Wolves (ACT Theatre)
• Julie Briskman – Timon of Athens (Seattle Shakespeare Company)
• Christine Marie Brown – The Wolves (ACT Theatre)
• Sarah Harlett – Frost/Nixon (Strawberry Theatre Workshop)
• Annette Toutonghi – Ibsen in Chicago (Seattle Repertory Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

• Allyson Lee Brown – Skeleton Crew (ArtsWest)
• Caitlin Frances – Smoke and Dust (Macha Theatre Works)
• Annelih GH Hamilton – Don’t Split the Party (Transparent Storytelling Group)
• Gabriella O’Fallon – The Nether (WET)
• Jéhan Òsanyìn – An Octoroon (ArtsWest)

Excellence in Performance of a Musical as a Supporting Actor (Female) – any non-lead:

• Ann Cornelius – Matilda (Village Theatre)
• Lisa Estridge – Mamma Mia (5th Avenue Theatre)
• Robyn Hurder – Kiss Me, Kate (5th Avenue Theatre)
• Shaunyce Omar – Hairspray (Village Theatre)
• Jasmine Jean Sim – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Performance as an Ensemble:

(Large Theaters):

• And in This Corner: Cassius Clay – Seattle Children’s Theatre (Sydney Andrews, Andre G. Brown, Andrew Lee Creech, Brace Evans, Bria Samone Henderson, Lamar Legend, Charles Leggett, Cobey Mandarino, Chip Sherman)
• Native Gardens – Intiman Theatre (Julie Briskman, Sophie Franco, Jim Gall, Phillip Ray Guevara, Gloria Alcala, Yolanda Suarez)
• The Picture of Dorian Gray – Book-It Repertory Theatre (Ian Bond, Anastasia Higham, Imogen Love, Jon Lutyens, Michael Patten, Chip Sherman, Brandon J. Simmons, Jon Stutzman)
• The Wolves – ACT Theatre (Cheyenne Barton, Emma Bjornson, Christine Marie Brown, Madilyn Cooper, Meme Garcia, Rachel Guyer-Mafune, Emilie Hanson, Alyssa Norling, Zoe Tziotis Shields, Martha Kathryn Smith)
• Two Trains Running – Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage (Eugene Lee, Nicole Lewis, William Hall Jr., Carlton Byrd, Reginald Andre Jackson, David Emerson Toney, Frank Riley III)

(Small Theaters):

• 5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche – Fantastic.Z Productions (Jessica Severance, Jana Gueck, Jane Martin, Jessica Stepka, Alexandria Stevens)
• A Small History of Amal – Forward Flux Productions and Pratidhwani (Nabilah Ahmed, Gurvinder Pal Singh, Abhijeet Rane, Meenakshi Rishi, Varsha Raghavan, Jay Athalye)
• An Octoroon – ArtsWest (Lamar Legend, Mike Dooly, Jose Abaoag, Jessi Little, Heather Persinger, Dedra Woods, Jéhan Òsanyìn, Jazmyne Waters)
• Hand to God – Seattle Public Theater (Ben Burris, Sunam Ellis, Arjun Pande, Hannah Mootz, Marty Krouse)
• Hir – Artswest and Intiman Theatre (Gretchen Krich, Charles Leggett, Adrian Kljucec, Evan Barrett)
• Skeleton Crew – ArtsWest (Tracy Michelle Hughes, Allen Miller III, Charles Wright, Allyson Brown)
• Year of the Rooster – MAP Theatre (Brandon Ryan, Shane Regan, Mia Morris, Zenaida Rose Smith, Lantz Wagner)

Excellence in Set Design:

(Large Theaters):

• Catherine Cornell – MAC BETH (Seattle Repertory Theatre)
• Shawn Ketchum Johnson – Richard III (Seattle Shakespeare Company and upstart crow collective)
• Misha Kachman – Two Trains Running (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage)
• Pete Rush – The Picture of Dorian Gray (Book-It Repertory Theatre)
• Matthew Smucker – Matilda (Village Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

• Lex Marcos (with Mandy Greer) – Parliament Square (Pony World Theatre)
• Christopher Mumaw – Hand to God (Seattle Public Theater)
• Tristan Roberson – The Nether (Washington Ensemble Theatre)
• Julia Hayes Welch – An Octoroon (ArtsWest)
• Burton Yuen – Skeleton Crew (ArtsWest)

Excellence in Costume Design:

(Large Theaters):

• Ron Erickson – The Picture of Dorian Gray (Book-It Repertory Theatre)
• Alex Jaeger – Hairspray (Village Theatre)
• G.W. (Skip) Mercier – Ibsen in Chicago (Seattle Repertory Theatre)
• Rose Pederson – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)
• Melanie Taylor Burgess – Matilda (Village Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

• Cherelle Ashby and Jonelle Cornwell – She Kills Monsters (Theater Schmeater)
• Amy Baldwin – 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche (Fantastic.Z Productions)
• Kat Henwood – The White Snake (ReACT Theatre)
• Sadiqua Iman – Skeleton Crew (ArtsWest)
• Pete Rush – Hir (Artswest and Intiman Theatre)

Excellence in Lighting Design:

(Large Theaters):

• Robert J. Aguilar – MAC BETH (Seattle Repertory Theatre)
• Geoff Korf – Richard III (Seattle Shakespeare Company and upstart crow collective)
• Sherrice Mojgani – Two Trains Running (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage)
• Andrew D. Smith – The Picture of Dorian Gray (Book-It Repertory Theatre)
• Matthew Webb – The Journal of Ben Uchida: Citizen 13559 (Seattle Children’s Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

• Ryan Dunn – The Nether (Washington Ensemble Theatre)
• Emily Leong – Peerless (ArtsWest)
• Thorn Michaels – Hand to God (Seattle Public Theater)
• Thorn Michaels – Ironbound (Seattle Public Theater)
• Rick Paulsen – Lonely Planet (AJ Epstein Presents)

Excellence in Sound Design:

(Large Theaters):

• Erin Bednarz – MAC BETH (Seattle Repertory Theatre)
• Brendan Patrick Hogan – Frost/Nixon (Strawberry Theatre Workshop)
• Johanna Melamed – The Picture of Dorian Gray (Book-It Repertory Theatre)
• Christopher Walker – Ride the Cyclone (5th Avenue Theatre and ACT Theatre)
• Rob Witmer and Meghan Roche – Richard III (Seattle Shakespeare Company and upstart crow collective)

(Small Theaters):

• D.R. Amromin – Silhouette (Annex Theatre)
• Mariah Brougher – The Nether (Washington Ensemble Theatre)
• Stephon Jamaa’l Dorsey – Skeleton Crew (ArtsWest)
• Matt Starritt – An Octoroon (ArtsWest)
• Rob Witmer – Hand to God (Seattle Public Theater)

Excellence in Musical Direction:

• Dennis Castellano – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (5th Avenue Theatre)
• Zhenya Lavy – The Maids/Vexations (Akropolis Performance Lab)
• RJ Tancioco – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Choreography or Movement:

• Al Blackstone – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)
• Alice Gosti (movement) and Peter Dylan O’Connor (fight) – Richard III (Seattle Shakespeare Company and upstart crow collective)
• Michele Lynch – Kiss Me, Kate (5th Avenue Theatre)
• Crystal Dawn Munkers – Hairspray (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Local Playwriting:

• Christopher Dimond – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)
• Nathan Kessler-Jeffrey – Don’t Split the Party (Transparent Storytelling Group)
• Joy McCullough-Carranza – Smoke and Dust (Macha Theatre Works)
• Lauren Yee – The Great Leap (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company)
• Y York – The Impossibility of Now (Thalia’s Umbrella)

Excellence in Local Composing:

• Christopher Dimond and Michael Kooman – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)
• Scotto Moore – Silhouette (Annex Theatre)
• David Molina – Two Trains Running (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage)

Excellence in Video Design:

• Ahren Buhmann – Parliament Square (Pony World Theatre)
• Tristan Roberson – The Nether (Washington Ensemble Theatre)
• Suzi Tucker – Veils (Macha Theatre Works)

About Seattle Theater Writers: Founded in 2010 by Miryam Gordon and comprised of local writers and reviewers, Seattle Theater Writers is a group of critic/reviewers dedicated to raising public awareness of theater practitioners and the work produced by professional theater organizations. Seattle Theater Writers’ hope is that these awards might encourage theater attendance and enjoyment of our rich cultural offerings. Born from this mission are the annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards, recognizing excellence in Seattle theater across 33 categories.

The participants in this year’s award process were R. Barron (http://www.seattlegayscene.com), Miryam Gordon (Seattle Gay News and http://miryamstheatermusings.blogspot.com), Rosemary Jones (http://www.seattletheateranddance.com), Dusty Somers (freelance critic), and Michael Strangeways (http://www.seattlegayscene.com).

A growing (years long) reality regarding reviewing and reviewers has reduced the number of reliable and credible critics writing today. 2018 saw an editorial change for the Seattle Times that amounted to changing their coverage from reliable to occasional. The Stranger now prints every two weeks and The Weekly has downsized considerably. Long-time reviewers moved away or retired. We wish this were not the reality, but we have little control over this trend.

To support the reviewers’ nominations, STW has established an Auxiliary of theater-going members, some of whom are also theater practitioners and all of whom are ardent fans of theater. All members go to multiple dozens of productions per year, many over 100. The Auxiliary supports our Round Two (of the three “round” process) in the selection process where points are given to the dozens of nominees and individuals select their top five in each category. The Auxiliary points are used to support STW members’ choices as we pick our nominees and winners.

For more information, go to http://www.facebook.com/SeattleTheaterWriters. The Notes section of the Facebook page shows the evolution of the awards.