The nominations for the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre for the 2016-17 season have been announced by Theatre Philadelphia.
A total of 23 companies were recognized across 27 categories. 22 of the categories are determined by a group of 60 nominators and 12 judges, all theatre professionals. Five special awards (F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist; Virginia Brown Martin Philadelphia Award, for “a production that best leads audiences to a better understanding of the unique experience of particular segments of our global community”; June and Steve Wolfson Award for an Evolving Theatre Company; Victory Foundation Award for Outstanding Theatre Education Program; and Lifetime Achievement Award) – the first four of which include cash prizes totaling more than $75,000 – are decided by committee.
Arden Theatre Company leads this year’s nominations with a total of 39, followed by The Wilma Theatre with 16, People’s Light and InterAct Theatre Companies each receiving 13 nominations, and EgoPo Classic Theatre with 11.
The Barrymores will be awarded on Monday, October 30 at 7pm at the Merriam Theater on the Avenue of the Arts. Tickets for the ceremony and the after-party celebration at the University of the Arts’ Dorrance Hamilton Hall will go on sale on Monday, August 30th, at noon at Theatre Philadelphia.
Here are the 2017 Barrymore Award Nominations:
Outstanding Overall Production of a Play
Hand to God (Philadelphia Theatre Company)
How to Use a Knife (InterAct Theatre Company)
The Legend of Georgia McBride (Arden Theatre Company)
The Mountaintop (People’s Light)
The Seagull (EgoPo Classic Theater)
Stupid Fucking Bird (Arden Theatre Company)
When the Rain Stops Falling (The Wilma Theater)
Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
A Year with Frog and Toad (Arden Theatre Company)
Godspell (Eagle Theatre)
Gypsy (Arden Theatre Company)
The Light Princess (Arden Theatre Company)
Lizzie (11th Hour Theatre Company)
Monty Python’s Spamalot (Resident Theatre Company)
Outstanding Direction of a Play
Steve H. Broadnax III (The Mountaintop, People’s Light)
Emmanuelle Delpech (The Legend of Georgia McBride, Arden Theatre Company)
Brenna Geffers (Anna, EgoPo Classic Theater)
Claire Moyer (Radiant Vermin, Inis Nua Theatre Company)
Aaron Posner (Stupid Fucking Bird, Arden Theatre Company)
Lane Savadove (The Seagull, EgoPo Classic Theater)
Blanka Zizka (When the Rain Stops Falling, The Wilma Theater)
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Kate Galvin (Lizzie, 11th Hour Theatre Company)
Kristin McLaughlin Mitchell (Monty Python’s Spamalot, Resident Theatre Company)
Terrence J. Nolen (Gypsy, Arden Theatre Company)
Steve Pacek (The Light Princess, Arden Theatre Company)
Ted Wioncek III (John and Jen, Eagle Theatre)
Charlotte Cushman Award for
Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play
Jaylene Clark Owens (Vanessa, WHITE, Theatre Horizon)
Sarah Gliko (Marianne, Constellations, The Wilma Theater)
Eleanor Handley (Romaine Helger, Witness for the Prosecution, Bristol Riverside Theatre)
Patrese D. McLain (Camae, The Mountaintop, People’s Light)
Kittson O’Neill (The Pilot, Grounded, InterAct Theatre Company)
Susan Riley Stevens (Emma Goldman, Marcus/Emma, InterAct Theatre Company)
Samantha Rosenstrater (Shelly, Grand Concourse, Theatre Horizon)
Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play
Akeem Davis (Jackson, Buzzer, Theatre Exile)
Akeem Davis (Marcus Garvey, Marcus/Emma, InterAct Theatre Company)
Scott Greer (George, How to Use a Knife, InterAct Theatre Company)
Jered McLenigen (Roland, Constellations, The Wilma Theater)
Aubie Merrylees (Tyrone, Jason, Hand to God, Philadelphia Theatre Company)
Matteo Scammell (Casey, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Arden Theatre Company)
Lindsay Smiling (Steve, How to Use a Knife, InterAct Theatre Company)
Bowman Wright (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, The Mountaintop, People’s Light)
Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical
Kim Carson (Chanteuse, Sleeping Beauty, People’s Light)
Alex Keiper (Lizzie Borden, Lizzie, 11th Hour Theatre Company)
Mary Martello (Rose, Gypsy, Arden Theatre Company)
Nicole Stacie (Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, New Freedom Theatre)
Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical
Alex Bechtel (Prince/Witch, The Light Princess, Arden Theatre Company)
Ben Dibble (Toad, A Year with Frog and Toad, Arden Theatre Company)
Steve Pacek (Gordon Michael Schwinn, A New Brain, Theatre Horizon)
Tim Rinehart (Black Stache, Peter and the Starcatcher, Eagle Theatre)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play
Carla Belver (Genevieve, John, Arden Theatre Company)
Nancy Boykin (Older Elizabeth Law, When the Rain Stops Falling, The Wilma Theater)
Taysha Canales (Younger Gabrielle York, When the Rain Stops Falling, The Wilma Theater)
Eleni Delopoulos (Radiant Vermin, Inis Nua Theatre Company)
Melanye Finister (Older Gabrielle York, When the Rain Stops Falling, The WIlma Theater)
Hillary Parker (Liz, You for Me for You, InterAct Theatre Company)
Stephanie N. Walters (Lamb 1, Peaceable Kingdom, Orbiter 3)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play
David Bardeen (Frog, Grand Concourse, Theatre Horizon)
J Hernandez (Carlos, How To Use a Knife, InterAct Theatre Company)
Dan Hodge (Dev, Stupid Fucking Bird, Arden Theatre Company)
Mikeah Ernest Jennings (Rexy & Jason, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Arden Theatre Company)
Stephen Rishard (Joe Ryan, When the Rain Stops Falling, The Wilma Theater)
Ed Swidey (Trigorin, The Seagull, EgoPo Classic Theatre)
Greg Wood (Dr. Sorn, Stupid Fucking Bird, Arden Theatre Company)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical
Rachel Brennan (Bridget Sullivan, Lizzie, 11th Hour Theatre Company)
Rachel Camp (June, Gypsy, Arden Theatre Company)
Caroline Dooner (Louise, Gypsy, Arden Theatre Company)
Leigha Kato (Mouse, Bird, Mole, Squirrel, Young Frog, A Year with Frog and Toad, Arden Theatre Company)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical
Malik Akil (Tulsa, Gypsy, Arden Theatre Company)
Doug Hara (Mr. Bungee, A New Brain, Theatre Horizon)
Steve Pacek (Bird, Lizard, Snail, Mole, Father Frog, A Year with Frog and Toad, Arden Theatre Company)
Josh Totora (Sam Slug, Sleeping Beauty, People’s Light)
Outstanding Scenic Design
Tony Cisek (The Mountaintop, People’s Light)
Paul Kuhn (The Birds, Curio Theatre Company)
Tim Mackabee (John, Arden Theatre Company)
Sara Outing (How We Got On, Azuka Theatre)
Matt Saunders (When the Rain Stops Falling, The Wilma Theater)
Thom Weaver (The Seagull, EgoPo Classic Theatre)
Outstanding Costume Design
Oana Botez (Adapt! The Wilma Theater)
Richard St. Clair (A Year with Frog and Toad, Arden Theatre Company)
Nikki Delhomme (Sleeping Beauty, People’s Light)
Olivera Gajic (The Legend of Georgia McBride, Arden)
Rebecca Kanach (Peaceable Kingdom, Orbiter 3)
Jill Keys (The Light Princess, Arden Theatre Company)
Kayla Speedy (Lizzie, 11th Hour Theatre Company)
Outstanding Lighting Design
Joshua Schulman (The Mountaintop, People’s Light)
Maria Shaplin (The Legend of Georgia McBride, Arden Theatre Company)
Masha Tsimring (Grounded, InterAct Theatre Company)
Thom Weaver (Gypsy, Arden Theatre Company)
Thom Weaver (Lizzie, 11th Hour Theatre Company)
Thom Weaver (The Seagull, EgoPo Classic Theater)
Yi Zhao (When the Rain Stops Falling, The Wilma Theater)
Outstanding Sound Design
Christopher Colucci (When the Rain Stops Falling, The Wilma Theater)
Lucas Fendley (How We Got On, Azuka Theatre)
Damien Figeuras (Antihero, Tribe of Fools)
Rob Kaplowitz (Grounded, InterAct Theatre Company)
Daniel Perelstein (Adapt! The Wilma Theater)
Toby Pettit (Lizzie, 11th Hour Theatre Company)
Chris Sannino (The Birds, Curio Theatre Company)
Outstanding Original Music
Alex Bechtel (The Light Princess, Arden Theatre Company)
Alex Bechtel (Sleeping Beauty, People’s Light)
Christopher Colucci (When the Rain Stops Falling, The Wilma Theater)
Michael Hahn and Liz Filios (An Iliad, Lantern Theater Company)
Andrew Nelson (The Arsonists, Azuka Theatre)
Marina Sadovksa (Adapt! The Wilma Theater)
Daniel Perelstein (Stupid Fucking Bird, Arden Theatre Company)
Outstanding Choreography / Movement
Terry Brennan (School Play, Tribe of Fools)
Michael Consenza (Anthihero, Tribe of Fools)
Melanie Cotton (The Legend of Georgia McBride, Arden Theatre Company)
Brenna Geffers and K.O. Delmarcelle (Anna, EgoPo Classic Theatre)
Jenn Rose (Gypsy, Arden Theatre Company)
Samantha Reading (Mauritius, Act II)
Derek Roland (Monty Python’s Spamalot, Resident Theatre Company)
Outstanding Music Direction
Alex Bechtel (The Light Princess, Arden Theatre Company)
Dan Kazemi (Lizzie, 11th Hour Theatre Company)
Amanda Morton (A Year with Frog and Toad, Arden Theatre Company)
Jason Neri (Godspell, Eagle Theatre)
Ryan Touhey (Gypsy, Arden Theatre Company)
Outstanding Ensemble in a Play
Anna (EgoPo Classic Theatre)
How To Use a Knife (InterAct Theatre Company)
The Legend of Georgia McBride (Arden Theatre Company)
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (People’s Light)
Peaceable Kingdom (Orbiter 3)
The Seagull (EgoPo Classic Theatre)
When the Rain Stops Falling (The Wilma Theater)
Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical
Gypsy (Arden Theatre Company)
The Light Princess (Arden Theatre Company)
Lizzie (11th Hour Theatre Company)
Monty Python’s Spamalot (Resident Theatre Company)
Sleeping Beauty (People’s Light)
Independence Foundation Award for
Outstanding New Play/Musical
Anna by Brenna Geffers and the Ensemble (EgoPo Classic Theatre)
How to Use a Knife by Will Snider (InterAct Theatre Company)
The Light Princess by Anthony Lawton and Alex Bechtel (Arden Theatre Company)
Marcus/Emma by Mary Tuomanen (InterAct Theatre Company)
Peaceable Kingdom by Mary Tuomanen (Orbiter 3)
WHITE by James Ijames (Theatre Horizon)
Lifetime Achievement Award
Penelope Reed, Director Emeritus of Hedgerow Theatre Company, in recognition of her significant contributions to the theatre community.
F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist
Rachel Camp
Jaylene Clark Owens
Katherine Fritz
Allison Heishman
Mary Tuomanen
Rebecca Wright
* The winner will receive $15,000. Each finalist will receive $2,000.
Virginia Brown Martin Philadelphia Award
Buzzer (Theatre Exile)
The Mountaintop (People’s Light)
Peaceable Kingdom (Orbiter 3)
WHITE (Theatre Horizon)
* The winner will receive $25,000. Each finalist will receive $2,500.
June and Steve Wolfson Award for an Evolving Theatre Company
The Bearded Ladies Cabaret
Curio Theatre Company
EgoPo Classic Theatre
Quintessence Theatre Group
Simpatico Theatre
Tribe of Fools
* The winner will receive $10,000.
Victory Foundation Award for
Outstanding Theatre Education Program
Curio Theatre Company
Lantern Theater Company
Theatre Exile
Theatre Horizon
* The winner will receive $7,500.
