Ahhhhhh!

I know I've been m.i.a. but it's mostly because I've been enjoying my summer and my friends. Here's some awesome news!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Nominations announced

Sorry for the delay in getting these out. Below is the text of a press release that will go out later this evening. Sorry if the formatting makes it hard to read. Congrats to all of the nominees. If you are getting to this page from Facebook and have questions, some may be answered by this post. More commentary to follow...

Theatre awards to feature new categories, special recognitions
Second annual "Artsies" to be held at Empire Theatre on October 18th

Richmond, VA - The Richmond Theatre Critics Circle (RTCC) has announced the nominees for the Second Annual RTCC "Artsies" Awards for the 2008-09 season, including several new nomination categories and several special recognitions. The group, which was organized to recognize excellence in professional theatre produced in the Richmond area, will hold a black-tie awards gala at 7:00 P.M. on Sunday, October 18th at the Empire Theatre with local NBC newscaster Aaron Gilchrist acting as Master of Ceremonies. Nominations for the Awards are listed below.

"We really hope to kick it up to the next level with this year's awards," asserts RTCC's newest member, John Porter, theatre critic for WCVE Public Radio. "A bigger venue, more star power, and an expanded number of nominees should help us build on the tremendous success of last year's inaugural event." The awards ceremony will feature musical performances from productions nominated for Best Musical. Scheduled presenters include Mayor Dwight Jones and best-selling author David L. Robbins.

RTCC has made nominations in twenty categories, adding recognition for Best Ensemble Acting, Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design, and Outstanding Achievement in Hair or Makeup Design. The Liz Marks award in recognition of extraordinary ongoing contribution to the Richmond-area theatre scene will be presented to the families of Wamer "Buddy" Callahan and Lou Rubin, two of the co-founders of the Swift Creek Mill Theatre.

"There were so many wonderful productions this year, it was difficult to narrow many of the categories down," adds Mary Burruss, an RTCC co-founder and theatre critic for Style Weekly magazine, citing the seven nominees included in the category for Outstanding Achievement in Set Design. RTCC is also giving special recognition for outstanding Fight Choreography to Vanessa Passini for her work on Richmond Shakespeare's "Henry V" and for Outstanding Dialect Direction to Amanda Durst for her work on several productions this past season.

Winners in each of the categories will be announced at a black-tie gala awards ceremony is being sponsored in part by the C.F. Sauer Company and Richmond CenterStage, with media sponsorship provided by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

All proceeds from the awards ceremony will go to support the Richmond Theatre Artists Fund, a fund established by the Richmond Alliance of Professional Theatres to help those in the Richmond theatre community who fall on hard of times due to illness, injury or extenuating circumstances. Members of the RTCC include Mary Burruss (Style Weekly magazine), Susan Haubenstock (Richmond Times-Dispatch), Julinda Lewis (Richmond Times-Dispatch), John Porter (WCVE), David Timberline (Style Weekly magazine), and Joan Tupponce (JoanTupponce.com).

Formal attire is encouraged for the awards ceremony, which is open to the public. Tickets for the event are $10 and can be purchased from the Theatre IV box office by calling 344-8040.

Nominations for the Second Annual Richmond Theatre Critics Circle Awards
for the 2008-2009 theatre season

Category
Best Musical
Altar Boyz, Swift Creek Mill Theatre
Annie, Theatre IV
The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Firehouse Theatre Project
Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
tick, tick...Boom!, Stage 1 Theatre Company

Best Direction - Musical
Robin Arthur, Annie, Theatre IV
Patti D'Beck,, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Chase Kniffen, Children's Letters to God, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Chase Kniffen, tick, tick...Boom!, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Tom Width, Altar Boyz, Swift Creek Mill Theatre

Best Actor - Musical
Brett Ambler, tick, tick...Boom!, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Gordon Bass, Annie, Theatre IV
Zak Resnick, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Christopher Stewart, Summer of '42, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Paul Valley, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Firehouse Theatre Project

Best Actress - Musical
Kim Jones Clark, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Firehouse Theatre Project
Audra Honaker, tick, tick...Boom!, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Maggie Marlin, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Robyn O'Neill / Angela Shipley, Side Show, Swift Creek Mill Theatre
Joy Williams, Annie, Theatre IV

Best Supporting Actor - Musical
Timothy Ford, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Chris Hester, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Firehouse Theatre Project
Christopher Hlusko, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Drew Seigla, Summer of '42, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Sean Williams, Altar Boyz, Swift Creek Mill Theatre

Best Supporting Actress - Musical
Ellie Atwood, Summer of '42, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Nancy McMahon, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Firehouse Theatre Project
Linda Poser, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Maggie Roop, Annie, Theatre IV
Ali Thibodeau, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre

Best Musical Direction
Sandy Dacus, tick, tick...Boom!, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Paul Deiss, Altar Boyz, Swift Creek Mill Theatre
Paul Deiss, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Jimmy Hicks, Children's Letters to God, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Tony Williams, Summer of '42, Stage 1 Theatre Company

Best Choreography
Robin Arthur, Annie, Theatre IV
Patti D'Beck, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Mickey Nugent, Altar Boyz, Swift Creek Mill Theatre

Best Play
Children of a Lesser God, Barksdale Theatre
The Clean House, Barksdale Theatre
Eurydice, Firehouse Theatre Project
True West, Henley Street Theatre Co
Well, Barksdale Theatre

Best Direction
Steve Perigard, The Clean House, Barksdale Theatre
Bruce Miller, Children of a Lesser God, Barksdale Theatre
Bo Wilson, True West, Henley Street Theatre Co
Rusty Wilson, Eurydice, Firehouse Theatre Project
Keri Wormald, Well, Barksdale Theatre

Best Actor - Play
David Clark, True West, Henley Street Theatre Co
Tony Foley, True West, Henley Street Theatre Co
Joe Inscoe, Eurydice, Firehouse Theatre Project
Landon Nagel, Children of a Lesser God, Barksdale Theatre
Scott Wichmann, Richard III, Henley Street Theatre Co

Best Actress - Play
Robin Arthur, The Clean House, Barksdale Theatre
Bianca Bryan, The Clean House, Barksdale Theatre
Laine Satterfield, Eurydice, Firehouse Theatre Project
Erica Siegel, Children of a Lesser God, Barksdale Theatre
Jody Strickler, Well, Barksdale Theatre

Best Ensemble Acting
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richmond Shakespeare
Altar Boyz, Swift Creek Mill Theatre
Children's Letters to God, Stage 1 Theatre Company
The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Firehouse Theatre Project
Driving Miss Daisy, Barksdale Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Play
Larry Cook, Eurydice, Firehouse Theatre Project
Brandon Crowder, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Henley Street Theatre Co
Richard Gregory, Children of a Lesser God, Barksdale Theatre
Michael Hawke, Arsenic & Old Lace, Swift Creek Mill Theatre
Steve Moore, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Henley Street Theatre Co

Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Play
Jolene Carroll / Jackie Jones, Arsenic & Old Lace, Swift Creek Mill Theatre
Elise Boyd, Inspecting Carol, Sycamore Rouge
Jan Guarino, The Clean House, Barksdale Theatre
Marta Rainer, Rabbit Hole, Firehouse Theatre Project
Stefani Zabner, Of Mice and Men, Swift Creek Mill Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design
Joe Doran, Altar Boyz, Swift Creek Mill Theatre
Joe Doran, Of Mice and Men, Swift Creek Mill Theatre
Lynne Hartman, The Clean House, Barksdale Theatre
Kenny Mullens, Children's Letters to God, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Kenny Mullens, Summer of '42, Stage 1 Theatre Company

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design
Rebecca Cairns / Ann Hoskins, Henry V, Richmond Shakespeare
Sue Griffin, The Clean House, Barksdale Theatre
Sue Griffin, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Elizabeth Weiss Hopper, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Theatre IV
Charlotte Schiff / Betty Williams, All My Sons, Chamberlayne Actors Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in Set Design
Brian Barker, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Theatre IV
Phil Hayes, Eurydice, Firehouse Theatre Project
Lin Heath, All My Sons, Chamberlayne Actors Theatre
Ron Keller, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Keith Saine, Translations , Sycamore Rouge
Mercedes Schaum, Summer of '42, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Tom Width, Of Mice and Men, Swift Creek Mill Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design
Buddy Bishop, Chapter Two, Chamberlayne Actors Theatre
Derek Dumais, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Theatre IV
Bryan Harris, Eurydice, Firehouse Theatre Project
Derome Scott Smith, From the Mississippi Delta, African American Repertory Theatre
Wendy Vandergrift, Summer of '42, Stage 1 Theatre Company

Outstanding Achievement in Hair / Makeup Design
Sue Griffin, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Sarah Grady, Annie, Theatre IV
Junior Oxendine, Pulp, Richmond Triangle Players
Elizabeth Weiss Hopper, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Theatre IV

Outstanding Achievement, in Dialect Direction
Amanda Durst, Multiple productions

Outstanding Achievement in Fight Choreography
Vanessa Passini, Henry V, Richmond Shakespeare

Liz Marks Memorial Award for Ongoing Contribution to Richmond Area theatre
Wamer "Buddy" Callahan, Lou Rubin