The Seattle Theatre Writers have announced nominations for the 2012 Gyspy Rose Lee Awards. The Gypsies are one of three major honors for theatre in Seattle. The others include The Footlight Awards and Theatre Puget Sound’s Gregory Awards.
The Footlight Awards are chosen by Seattle Times theatre critic, Misha Berson, at the end of each calendar year. The Gregorys are chosen by a group of 60 nominators who apply to serve terms of as many as three years. A handful of those 60 nominators review each show, applying a numerical value to all pertinent aspects of the production. The top five in each category then become the nominees. TPS members vote for the winners, which are announced in October.
The Gypsies fall between these extremes of monarchy and representative democracy with awards chosen by a group of working critics (including this one) who hash out the nominees and winners through a mix of voting and discussion.
These annual awards are devoted to recognizing excellence across the economic spectrum of professional Seattle theaters. To that end the nominations and awards are divided by the size of the producing company’s budget with small budget theatres competing against similarly small theatres leaving ACT, Intiman, and Seattle Rep to hammer it out with Fifth Avenue, Strawberry Workshop, and Seattle Shakespeare, among others.
Winners will be announced on Friday, January 25th. The nominees are as follows:
Excellence in Production of a Play (Large Budget):
Accidental Death of an Anarchist — Strawberry Theatre Workshop
Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Pygmalion — Seattle Shakespeare Company
The Pitmen Painters — ACT Theatre
Excellence in Production of a Play (Small Budget):
Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope
Kittens in a Cage — Annex Theatre
Superior Donuts — Seattle Public Theater
Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre
Excellence in Production of a Musical (Large Budget):
The Producers — Village Theatre
Excellence in Production of a Musical (Small Budget):
A Mouse Who Knows Me — Annex Theatre
Avenue Q — Balagan Theatre
Spring Awakening — Balagan Theatre
Excellence in Direction of a Play (Large Budget):
Gabriel Baron — Accidental Death of an Anarchist — Strawberry Theatre Workshop
Valerie Curtis-Newton — Dirty Story — Intiman Theatre
Allison Narver — Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Jeff Steitzer — Pygmalion — Seattle Shakespeare Company
Excellence in Direction of a Play (Small Budget):
Russ Banham — Superior Donuts — Seattle Public Theater
David Burnett — Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre
Desdemona Chiang — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope
Suzanne Cohen — Odin’s Horse — Mirror Stage Company
Excellence in Direction of a Musical (Large Budget):
Steve Tomkins — The Producers — Village Theatre
Excellence in Direction of a Musical (Small Budget):
Eric Ankrim — Avenue Q — Balagan Theatre
Eric Ankrim — Spring Awakening — Balagan Theatre
Excellence in Performance as a Lead Actor (Large Budget):
Mark Anders — Pygmalion — Seattle Shakespeare Company
Ryan Higgins — Accidental Death of an Anarchist — Strawberry Theatre Workshop
David Hogan — The Art of Racing in the Rain — Book-It Repertory
Trieu Tran — Uncle Ho to Uncle Sam — ACT Theatre
Excellence in Performance as a Lead Actor (Small Budget):
Richard N. Sloniker — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope
John Q. Smith — Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre
Excellence in Performance as a Lead Actress (Large Budget):
Suzanne Bouchard — The Glass Menagerie — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Kirsten Potter — Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Jennifer Lee Taylor — Pygmalion — Seattle Shakespeare Company
Excellence in Performance as a Lead Actress (Small Budget):
Mary Ewald — Happy Days — New City Theater
Hannah Victoria Franklin — White Hot — Marxiano Productions
Sarah Milici — Suddenly Last Summer — Theatre 9/12
Sarah Rudinoff — Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre
Excellence in Performance as a Supporting Actor — any non-lead (Large Budget):
Peter Crook — Clybourne Park — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Nick DeSantis — The Producers — Village Theatre
Jason Harber — Accidental Death of an Anarchist — Strawberry Theatre Workshop
Dan Kremer — Antony and Cleopatra — Seattle Shakespeare Company
Excellence in Performance as a Supporting Actor — any non-lead (Small Budget):
Dumi — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope
Stephen Hando — Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre
Charles Norris — Superior Donuts — Seattle Public Theater
Ray Tagavilla — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope
Excellence in Performance as a Supporting Actress — any non-lead (Large Budget):
E. Faye Butler — Pullman Porter Blues — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Ryah Nixon — Rent — The 5th Avenue Theatre
Jeanne Paulsen — Pygmalion — Seattle Shakespeare Company
Excellence in Performance as a Supporting Actress — any non-lead (Small Budget):
Susannah Burney — Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre
Angela DiMarco — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope
Nike Imoru — Titus Andronicus — upstart crow
Morgan Rowe — Emerald City — Live Girls! Theater
Excellence in Performance as an Ensemble (Large Budget):
Accidental Death of an Anarchist — Strawberry Theatre Workshop (Ryan Higgins, Jason Harber, Timothy
Hyland, Galen Joseph Osier, MJ Sieber, Rhonda J. Soikowski)
Old Times — ACT Theatre (Anne Allgood, Cheyenne Casebier, Jeffrey Frace)
Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre (Kirsten Potter, Basil Harris, Montana von Fliss)
The Pitmen Painters — ACT Theatre (Daniel Brockley, Christine Marie Brown, Frank Lawler, Charles Leggett,
Jason Marr, Joseph P. McCarthy, Morgan Rowe, R. Hamilton Wright)
Excellence in Performance as an Ensemble (Small Budget):
Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope (Richard Nguyen Sloniker, Dumi, Ray Tagavilla, Patrick Allcorn, Angela
DiMarco)
Kittens in a Cage — Annex Theatre (Francesca Mondelli, Katie Driscoll, Lisa Viertel, Laurel Ryan, Tracy Leigh,
Erin Pike, Erin Stewart)
Titus Andronicus — upstart crow (Amy Thone, Kate Wisniewski, Tracy Hyland, Brenda Joyner, Rhonda
Soikowski, Kelly Kitchens, Ki Gottberg, Nike Imoru, Peggy Gannon, Sarah Harlett, Therese Diekhans, Zoey
Belyea, Kacey Shiflet, Nicole Merat, Terri Weagant, Donna Wood)
Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre (Sarah Rudinoff, John Q. Smith, Stephen Hando, Susanna Burney, Emily
Chisholm)
Excellence in Set Design (Large Budget):
Scott Bradley — Clybourne Park — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Matthew Smucker — Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Carey Wong — A Single Shard — Seattle Children’s Theater
Excellence in Set Design (Small Budget):
Bryan Boyd and Suzi Tucker — The Illusion — Sound Theater Company
Timothy Siciliano — The Skriker — Janice Findley Productions
Craig Wollam — Superior Donuts — Seattle Public Theater
Deanna Zibello — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope
Excellence in Costume Design (Large Budget):
Ron Erickson — Accidental Death of an Anarchist — Strawberry Theatre Workshop
Catherine Hunt — Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Deanne Middleton — Pygmalion — Seattle Shakespeare Company
Deb Trout — Romeo and Juliet — Intiman Theatre
Excellence in Costume Design (Small Budget):
Eve Cohen — The Skriker — Janice Findley Productions
Katie Hegarty — The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls — WET
Nina Moser — Happy Days — New City Theater
Kimberley Newton — Titus Andronicus — upstart crow
Excellence in Lighting Design (Large Budget):
Michelle Habeck — A Single Shard — Seattle Children’s Theatre
L.B. Morse — Hedda Gabler — Intiman Theatre
Rick Paulsen — No Man’s Land — ACT Theatre
Andrew D. Smith — Pygmalion — Seattle Shakespeare Company
Excellence in Lighting Design (Small Budget):
Robert Aguilar — Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre
Amiya Brown — The Skriker — Janice Findley Productions
Geoff Korff — Titus Andronicus — upstart crow
Jessica Trundy — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope
Excellence in Sound Design (Large Budget):
Evan Mosher — The Bells — Strawberry Theatre Workshop
Chris R. Walker — Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Robertson Witmer — The Art of Racing in the Rain — Book-It Repertory
Excellence in Sound Design (Small Budget):
Paul Hansen — The Skriker — Janice Findley Productions
Michael White Hayes — Team of Heroes: Behind Closed Doors — Annex Theatre
Jay Weinland — Odin’s Horse — Mirror Stage Company
Excellence in Musical Direction (Large Budget):
Jmichael — Pullman Porter Blues — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Tim Symons and Bruce Monroe — The Producers — Village Theatre
Excellence in Musical Direction (Small Budget):
Kimberley Dare — Spring Awakening — Balagan Theatre
Excellence in Choreography or Movement (Large Budget):
Kristin Bohr Holland — The Producers — Village Theatre
Sonya Dawkins — Pullman Porter Blues — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Denis Jones — Damn Yankees — The 5th Avenue Theatre
Excellence in Choreography or Movement (Small Budget):
Pat Graney — The Skriker — Janice Findley Productions
Paul Ray — Disco Pigs — Sound Theater Company and Giant Productions
Lexi Scamehorn and Kathryn Van Meter — Spring Awakening — Balagan Theatre
Excellence in Local Playwriting
Kelleen Conway Blanchard — Kittens in a Cage — Annex Theatre
Keri Healey — Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre
S.P. Miskowski — Emerald City — Live Girls! Theater
Robert Schenkkan — A Single Shard — Seattle Children’s Theatre
Excellence in Local Composing
John Ackerman — Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre
Christian “Lil Kriz” Beeber — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope
Myra Platt and Theresa Holmes — Prairie Nocturne — Book-It Repertory
Anastasia Workman — Cafe Nordo: Somethin’s Burning
The seven Seattle theater writers and reviewers that participated in this year’s slate include: Jose Amador (Seattle Star), Stefan D-W (The SunBreak), Miryam Gordon (Seattle Gay News and CultureMob), Jerry Kraft (Seattle Actor), Greg Scheiderer (West Seattle Weisenheimer), Michael Strangeways (Gay Seattle Scene), and Scott Taylor (Drama in the Hood). All members see and review a significant number of performances throughout the year in order to recommend nominees for excellence in theater. Group members may alter each year.