Month: February 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 awardees.

The votes are in and the nominees have been announced! And now, the worthy recipients of the 2018 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards are finally able to get the recognition they richly deserve.

While you read the list of winners, which includes the very first Triple Tie the Seattle Theater Writers has ever awarded, consider all the various companies that are named and the variety of productions they reflect. Have you gone to all of them? There are so many to sample and so much theater to get excited about. Here’s to a great 2019!

Congratulations to all the terrific companies who provided excellent entertainment for our audiences throughout 2018.

With 33 categories in two divisions (Large Theaters and Small Theaters). the 8th Annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards of 2018 go to:

Excellence in Production of a Play:

(Large Theaters):

Two Trains Running – Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage

(Small Theaters):

TIE Hand to God – Seattle Public Theater

TIE Hir – ArtsWest and Intiman Theatre

Excellence in Production of a Musical:

The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes – Village Theatre

Excellence in Direction of a Play:

(Large Theaters):

Victor Pappas – The Picture of Dorian Gray (Book-It Repertory Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

Kelly Kitchens – Hand to God (Seattle Public Theater)

Excellence in Direction of a Musical:

Brandon Ivie – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)

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

(Large Theaters):

Eugene Lee – Two Trains Running (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage)

(Small Theaters):

Ben Burris – Hand to God (Seattle Public Theater)

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

Joshua Castille and E.J. Cardona – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (5th Avenue Theatre)

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

(Large Theaters):

Amy Thone – Frost/Nixon (Strawberry Theatre Workshop)

(Small Theaters):

TIE Sunam Ellis – Hand to God (Seattle Public Theater)

TIE Tracy Michelle Hughes – Skeleton Crew (ArtsWest)

TIE Gretchen Krich – Hir (Artswest and Intiman Theatre)

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

Cayman Ilika – Kiss Me, Kate (5th Avenue Theatre)

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

(Large Theaters):

Brandon J. Simmons – The Picture of Dorian Gray (Book-It Repertory Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

Jose Abaoag – An Octoroon (ArtsWest)

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

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):

Sarah Harlett – Frost/Nixon (Strawberry Theatre Workshop)

(Small Theaters):

Gabriella O’Fallon – The Nether (Washington Ensemble Theatre)

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

Shaunyce Omar – Hairspray (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Performance as an Ensemble:

(Large Theaters):

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)

(Small Theaters):

Hir – Artswest and Intiman Theatre (Gretchen Krich, Charles Leggett, Adrian Kljucec, Evan Barrett)

Excellence in Set Design:

(Large Theaters):

Misha Kachman – Two Trains Running (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage)

(Small Theaters):

Burton Yuen – Skeleton Crew (ArtsWest)

Excellence in Costume Design:

(Large Theaters):

Ron Erickson – The Picture of Dorian Gray (Book-It Repertory Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

Sadiqua Iman – Skeleton Crew (ArtsWest)

Excellence in Lighting Design:

(Large Theaters):

Andrew D. Smith – The Picture of Dorian Gray (Book-It Repertory Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

Ryan Dunn – The Nether (Washington Ensemble Theatre)

Excellence in Sound Design:

(Large Theaters):

Rob Witmer and Meghan Roche – Richard III (Seattle Shakespeare Company and upstart crow collective)

(Small Theaters):

D.R. Amromin – Silhouette (Annex Theatre)

Excellence in Musical Direction:

RJ Tancioco – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Choreography or Movement:

Michele Lynch – Kiss Me, Kate (5th Avenue Theatre)

Excellence in Local Playwriting:

Christopher Dimond – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Local Composing:

Christopher Dimond and Michael Kooman – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Video Design:

Ahren Buhmann – Parliament Square (Pony World Theatre)

For more information, go to http://www.facebook.com/SeattleTheaterWriters.