Cabaret is a musical based on John Van Druten’s 1951 play I Am a Camera, which in turn was adapted from the 1939 short novel Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood. The book is by Joe Masteroff, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.

History, art and theatre are all about context. Unsurprisingly, over the course of the 47 years since Joel Grey first stepped out to a drum roll and cymbal crash, welcoming the audience to the Kit Kat Klub, a seedy nightclub in early Nazi-era Berlin, Cabaret has seen its share of changes. Several songs have made the transition from the 1972 film directed by Bob Fosse and Sam Mendes’ subsequent London stage revival. Some changes are more substantial than others. All these adjustments to the music and book are positive steps toward better understanding of the harsh reality of life in Germany between the wars, and the effect of a struggling economy on people – issues relevant in today’s world as they were in late 1966 when Cabaret first opened, with the US squarely in the middle of the Vietnam War. Rick Hayes’ production, playing through May 19th at St. Mark’s Church, is no exception. Some of his adjustments to the play are absolutely inspired in their ultimate impact. Thanks to Meghan Winch’s dramaturgical efforts (reproduced below), St. Mark’s Players provide plenty of historical background for an exceptionally difficult subject.

From David McMullin’s entrance, as the unctuous and morally ambiguous Emcee, to the very end, his presence and voice serve as powerful, ever-present reminders of the constant threat, even as he implores us to forget our troubles and enjoy what he and his Kit Kat girls have to offer.

Jarring real-world reality clashes with devil-may-care decadence and bohemia as American would-be author Cliff Bradshaw (David Wilder, in a performance reminiscent of Jimmy Stewart’s wild-eyed optimism), steps off the train in Berlin just at the turn of the year. He is enthusiastic and idealistic, clearly a fish out of water as he eventually comes to understand his environment.

Fräulein Schneider (Mary Ayala-Bush, with a voice warmly reminiscent of Lotte Lenya’s) provides us with a quick introduction to desperation and dashed hopes as a woman who survived World War I and has learned to make do. Ayala-Bush imbues her character with the virtues of a disillusioned youth and pragmatism in “So What?” while welcoming Cliff as a source of hope and income, however small.

The chemistry between Cliff and Sally Bowles works well, as they hook up in “Perfectly Marvelous” (with kudos to Ashley Zielinski for her flawless British accent); however, it is the relationship between Fräulein Schneider and Herr Schultz, an amiable and sincerely mystified elderly Jewish fruit vendor and boarding house resident (played by Stephen Yednock), especially in their several charming numbers together, that shed the most light on the plights of the older population who lived for so long in the shadow of endless wars. Schultz’s plaintive “I’m German” speaks volumes about those who met their ends with Hitler’s Final Solution.

The despicable pair, Fräulein Kost (Jill Vohr) and Ernst Ludwig (Mark Allen), ultimately draw these two couples into the horror of World War II’s nationalism and insanity.

Elijah Henry Lawrence’s rendition of “Tomorrow Belongs to Me,” a spectacularly beautiful anthem to German self-determination that devolves to a Nazi march, is just as chilling as it was when I worked on the show in college, some 30 years ago. The song contains all the fearsome power the Third Reich brought to bear on the German people. Lawrence’s pristine voice continues to raise goose bumps days after the show’s end.

By the time we reach Sally’s bittersweet swan song, “Cabaret,” into which Zielinski pours all her anger and fear, it’s clear this is a last desperate grasp at decadence before Germany finally succumbs to the power of Hitler and WWII.

If overt themes of sexuality and racism are the pivot point on which the second act revolves, especially in the way each character reacts to the trap of life in pre-Nazi Berlin, the conclusion is shockingly powerful in its simplicity, it is a natural, horrific conclusion to a story that continues to draw audiences for its music and story, almost fifty years after its première.

Rikki Howie’s ambitious choreography shines best in the lively “Money Song/Sitting Pretty,” a winning combination of the original Broadway version and the movie song that replaced it in some later productions.

Ceci Albert and Lisa Brownsword have made some interesting costume choices, in particular in the dress of the party-goers at the end of the first act, but in general the costumes work to enhance the story, and their interpretation of “Sitting Pretty” is just plain fun. Jerry M. Dale, Jr.’s lighting design marks the differences between nightclub and real world, and is most effective during the large production numbers.

Most disappointing are serious sound issues relating to poorly connected body microphones (not the first time I’ve noted problems with SMP’s sound system). Depending on flawed wiring has the unfortunate effect of tearing the audience out of the moment because we are unable to understand all the words to the songs or dialogue.

Cabaret was the production that launched my theatre career and this is the third version I’ve seen, in addition to the movie. While I know the show, my companion did not, and she was lost several times during the performance we saw. It’s a shame to see such hard work damaged by failed technology. Music Director J.N. Wickert, III is to be commended for keeping his “Beautiful” orchestra from taking over the space, especially in light of the sound system.

Bravo to the cast and crew in general for a performance well done, in spite of the sound’s considerable flaws.

Director’s Note

Approaching such a well know show as Cabaret can be problematic because the Fosse movie is so well-known, as is Liza Minnelli’s performance. But the movie, as is often the case, is not the original stage musical. Many changes were made for the film and plot lines dropped, so if you are seeing the stage musical for the first time, be prepared to be surprised.

I approached Cabaret as more of a serious piece of theater set in a decadent, troubling time for Germany and the world. You will walk out humming the songs but hopefully you will also walk out with a sense of sadness at the loss of innocent lives and a cultural heritage that left us with people who disappeared from physical existence but not from our hearts and minds.

-Rick Hayes

Dramaturg’s Notes

Historical Context

“And there was a city called Berlin in a country called Germany, and it was the end of the world.”

A scant 10 years before the start of Cabaret, Germany was in shambles; WWI was lost, and reparations in the billions were breaking the country’s economic back. In April of 1919, 1 US dollar was worth 12 marks. By December of 1923, 1 US dollar was worth approximately 4 trillion marks. A huge portion of the male population of working age were dead or injured from the fighting, and many of the women left behind were turning to prostitution in the city streets to keep themselves and their families from starving.

In an effort to appease the victors and ease the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles, the German political system was heavily altered and liberalized. The new Weim[a]r Republic, so named for a German town that had managed to retain relative peace throughout the Great War, was a strongly democratic system, with suffrage at 20 and a political system designed to keep any one faction from controlling the government. This was a major shift in German society, and the resulting confusion and extremism birthed more than 20 separate coalitions from all across the political spectrum.

By 1923, however, Germany’s prospects were brightening. Gustav Stresemann was chancellor for 100 days, and remained foreign minister until his death. He was instrumental in Germany’s recovery, managing to work with Britain and France to bring down the crushing reparations bill, halting the steep inflation with the introduction of a new currency, and raising $800 million in loans, mostly from America. For the next several years, relative prosperity reigned.

This new, more permissive social structure coupled with the sudden infusion of cash made Berlin a cultural epicenter. Art, music, theater and science all experienced major booms, and Germans and tourists alike flocked to the city to experience the cultural renaissance. The explosion of creativity coupled with the more relaxed views of sex brought on in part by the widespread prostitution also made Berlin a major site for erotic entertainment. There were an estimated 500 establishments devoted to sexual expression, including several clubs catering to the homosexual population.

When the stock market crashed in 1929, just three months before the opening scene of Cabaret, it was disastrous for the tenuous hold Germany had on prosperity. All of the American loans that were keeping Germany’s economy afloat were called in at once, and the country was plunged once again into poverty. The freewheeling parties and sexual freedom, which had been a kind of celebration of good fortune, now became a desperate clinging to a life that reality could no longer support.

The world of Cabaret is filled with severe disappointment, and it is in that terrible disillusionment with a system that held so much promise that the Nazis were able to seize power.

Come to us, they said. The republic couldn’t take care of you. We will.

-Meghan Winch

Cast (In Order of Appearance)

• Emcee: David McMullin
• Anika: Rosemary Lane
• Api Von Schnitzel: Nila Kay
• Cece: Heather Nadolny
• Greta: Nikki Gerber
• Helga: Meg Glassco
• Hazel: Cassandra Prickett
• Kizzy: KJ Jacks
• Lana: Toby Nelson
• Yummy/Fraulein Kost: Jill Vohr
• Waiter/Conductor/Bobby/Guard: Elijah Lawrence
• Maitre D/RudylVictor/Taxi Man/Coco: Rudy Schreiber Jr.
• Sally Bowles: Ashley Zielinski
• Cliff Bradshaw: David Wilder
• Ernst Ludwig: Mark Allen
• Fraulein Schneider: Mary Ayala-Bush
• Herr Schultz: Stephen Yednock
• Max: Rick Warfield

Orchestra

• Piano: Valerie A. Higgs
• Keyboard: Jeff Kempskie
• Reeds: Katrina Ambrose, Renae Smith, Gwyn Jones, Mitch Bassman, Chris Epinger, Jeff Kahan, Bryan Cook, Miles Smith
• Violin: Kirby Lee, Devon Oviedo
• Cello: Tom Zebovitz
• Trumpet: Paul Weiss, Jose Oviedo
• Trombone: Rick Schultz
• Percussion: Manny Arciniega
• Audition Pianists: Matt Jeffrey, Amy Conley
• Rehearsal Pianists: Matt Jeffrey, Amy Conley, Jeff Kempskie

Production Team

• Director: Rick Hayes
• Music Director: J.N. Wickert III
• Choreographer: Rikki Howie
• Stage Manager: Madison Hartke-Weber
• Technical Director: RC Bates
• Producer: Meghan Winch
• Accompanist: Valerie A. Higgs
• Dance Captain: Rosslyn R. Fernandez
• Sound Board Operator: Josh Canary
• Lighting Design: Jerry M Dale, Jr
• Master Electrician: Jerry M Dale, Jr
• Light Board Operator: Roger Munter
• Properties Design: Heather Cipu, Cameron Lane
• Set Design: Rick Hayes
• Set Construction: RC Bates
• Costume Design: Ceci Albert, Lisa Brownsword
• Make-Up Consultant: Rick Hayes
• Box Office Manager: Colin Redick
• House Managers: Sarah Reed, Rachel McConnell
• Photography: Chuck Divine, Colin Redick
• Poster/Cover Art: Jennifer Reitz

Disclaimer: St. Mark’s Players provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

• 2nd Star Productions
• Aldersgate Church Community Theatre
• The Alliance Theatre
• The Arlington Players
• Capital City Players of DC
• Bowie Community Theatre
• Castaways Repertory Theatre
• Taking Flight Theatre Company
• Chevy Chase Players
• Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Damascus Theatre Company
• Dominion Stage
• Elden Street Players
• Fauquier Community Theatre
• Greenbelt Arts Center
• Hard Bargain Players
• Kensington Arts Theatre
• Laurel Mill Playhouse
• Little Theatre of Alexandria
• McLean Community Players
• Montgomery Playhouse
• Port City Playhouse
• Port Tobacco Players
• Prince George’s Little Theatre
• Prince William Little Theatre
• Providence Players of Fairfax
• Reston Community Players
• Rockville Little Theatre
• Rockville Musical Theatre
• St. Mark’s Players
• Silver Spring Stage
• Tantallon Community Players
• Vienna Theatre Company

The nominations are provided by category and then by theater.

The Award Presentation will be held on March 17th at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia. Tickets can be purchased for $15.50 at the Birchmere Box Office or through Ticketmaster (additional fees will apply). Last year the ceremony sold out, so order your tickets early!

In each of the thirty-eight categories, five nominees were selected based on the average scores of eight judges. In some categories, due to score ties, more than five nominees are announced. Nominations are provided in alphabetical order by nominee.

Nominations for outstanding technical achievements

Outstanding Set Design in a Musical

• Bill Brown & Chad Wheeler, Meet Me in St. Louis, Damascus Theatre Company
• Matt Karner, Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Tim Kirk & Martha Lynch, Into the Woods, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Russell Kopp, A Little Night Music, Arlington Players
• John Merritt, Ryan Mudd, Ben Simpson, The Sound of Music, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding Set Design in a Play

• John Coscia, You Can’t Take It With You, Providence Players of Fairfax
• John Downing, Heaven Can Wait, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• John Downing, Witness for the Prosecution, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Raedun Knutsen & Chip Gertzog, Side Man, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Jane B. Wingard, The Lion in Winter, 2nd Star Productions

Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical

• Matt Karner & Joel Richon, Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Tim Kirk & Kirk Noé, Into the Woods, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Jim Korte & Bill Rippey, Meet Me in St. Louis, Damascus Theatre Company
• Ryan Mudd, The Sound of Music, Port Tobacco Players
• Joe Stine & John Merritt, The Wizard of Oz, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding Set Construction in a Play

• John Coscia, You Can’t Take It With You, Providence Players of Fairfax
• John Downing, Heaven Can Wait, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• John Downing, Witness for the Prosecution, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Chip Gertzog et al, Side Man, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Bernie Gmiter, Bob Schroth, Bill Glikbarg, Deathtrap, McLean Community Players
• Timothy Hinton & David Johnson, August Osage County, Reston Community Players
• John Merritt, To Kill A Mockingbird, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical

• Nancy Daugherty et al, Into the Woods, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Jill Hanger, Rhonna Johnson, Betsy Stevens, The Sound of Music, Port Tobacco Players
• Ronna Johnson, The Wizard of Oz, Port Tobacco Players
• Jane B. Wingard, Fiddler on the Roof, 2nd Star Productions
• Jane B. Wingard, Oklahoma, 2nd Star Productions

Outstanding Set Painting in a Play

• Erin Cumbo et al, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, Port City Playhouse
• Chip Gertzog, Side Man, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Mary Hutzler, Heaven Can Wait, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Jane B. Wingard, Bloody Murder, 2nd Star Productions
• Jane B. Wingard et al, The Lion in Winter, 2nd Star Productions

Outstanding Set Decoration and Set Dressing in a Musical

• Sheila Draper, The Sound of Music, Port Tobacco Players
• Lindsey Hays, A Little Night Music, Arlington Players
• Ronna Johnson, The Wizard of Oz, Port Tobacco Players
• Tim Kirk, Into the Woods, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Maria Littlefield, Meet Me in St. Louis, Damascus Theatre Company

Outstanding Set Decoration and Set Dressing in a Play

• Lisa Church & Chip Gertzog, You Can’t Take It With You, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Edd Miller, Chapter Two, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Kathy White, Side Man, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Dinnie Whitson, Cathy Farnsworth, Christine Whitson, Deathtrap, McLean Community Players
• Jane B. Wingard et al, The Lion in Winter, 2nd Star Productions

Outstanding Properties in a Musical

• Avery Burns, A Little Night Music, Arlington Players
• Terri Fortney-Beinert, The Sound of Music, Port Tobacco Players
• Maria Littlefield, Meet Me in St. Louis, Damascus Theatre Company
• Richard Perryman et al, Into the Woods, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Joanne D. Wilson, Fiddler on the Roof, 2nd Star Productions

Outstanding Properties in a Play

• Emily Besuden, Jerry Gideon, Dick La Porte, Deathtrap, McLean Community Players
• Mary Jo Ford & Alexandra Lee, August Osage County, Reston Community Theatre
• Chip Gertzog, You Can’t Take It With You, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Susan Kaplan, Side Man, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Robbie Snow et al, Sleuth, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Joanne D. Wilson, The Lion in Winter, 2nd Star Productions

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical

• Kevin Boyce, Night of the Living Dead, The Musical, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Garret R. Hyde, Fiddler on the Roof, 2nd Star Productions
• Tim Kirk, Into the Woods, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Ben Levine, Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre
• B. Keith Ryder, A Little Night Music, Arlington Players
• Tommy Scott, The Sound of Music, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play

• Ken & Patti Crowley, August Osage County, Reston Community Players
• Ken & Patti Crowley, Cantorial, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Frank Florentine & Shirley Panek, Chapter Two, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Chip Gertzog, Side Man, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Bob Zeigler, Deathtrap, McLean Community Players

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical

• Keith Bell, A Little Night Music, The Arlington Players
• Kevin Garrett, Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Tim Kirk, Into the Woods, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Matt Rowe, Night of the Living Dead, The Musical, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Gerhard Straub, The Wizard of Oz, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play

• Chris Alpiar, Equus, Taking Flight Theatre Company
• Jamie Coupar, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Silver Spring Stage
• Jimmy Gertzog & Chip Gertzog, Side Man, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Stan Harris, Flowers for Algernon, Elden Street Players
• Janice Rivera, Cantorial, Little Theatre of Alexandria

Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical

• Pat Brennan, The Sound of Music, Port Tobacco Players
• Pat Brennan, The Wizard of Oz, Port Tobacco Players
• Eleanor Dicks, Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Grant Kevin Lane, A Little Night Music, The Arlington Players
• Susan Noé & Martha Lynch, Into the Woods, Fauquier Community Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design in a Play

• Patricia Kratzer et al, Enchanted April, Silver Spring Stage
• Jean Schlichting & Kit Sibley, Heaven Can Wait, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Robbie Snow, You Can’t Take It With You, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Linda Swann, The Lion in Winter, 2nd Star Productions
• Beth Terranova, Cinderella Waltz, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Beth Terranova, Going to St. Ives, Colonial Players of Annapolis

Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical

• Heather Bauer & Kaitelyn Bauer, The Wizard of Oz, Port Tobacco Players
• Kristina Friedgen, Sweeney Todd, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Eric Jones, Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Tim Kirk & Rebecca Carver, Into the Woods, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Larissa Norris, Dreamgirls, Dominion Stage

Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play

• Laurie T. Freed & Cast, Enchanted April, Silver Spring Stage
• Beth Harrison, Side Man, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Beth Harrison, You Can’t Take It With You, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Sheila Hyman & Shemika Berry, The Taming of the Shrew, Castaways Repertory Theatre
• Sue Pinkman, Lend Me A Tenor, Reston Community Players

Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical

• Shemika Berry, The Color Purple, Tantallon Community Players
• Kristina Friedgen, Sweeney Todd, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Malca Giblin, Dreamgirls, Dominion Stage
• Malca Giblin, Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Bette Williams, A Little Night Music, The Arlington Players

Outstanding Hair Design in a Play

• Beth Harrison, You Can’t Take It With You, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Chanukan Jane Lilburne, Heaven Can Wait, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Robin Parker & Hannah Wolf, All the King’s Women, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Gina Quaye, Going to St. Ives, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Arthur Rodger, Flowers for Algernon, Elden Street Players
• Bette Williams, Witness for the Prosecution, Little Theatre of Alexandria

Outstanding Special Effects

• John Decker & Kevin Boyce, Night of the Living Dead, The Musical, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Chip Gertzog, You Can’t Take It With You, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Tim Kirk, Into the Woods, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Keith Linville, Joe Stine, John Merritt, The Wizard of Oz, Port Tobacco Players
• Jordan Rose & Doe B. Kim, Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre

Nominations for outstanding performances by an actor or actress

Outstanding cameo in a musical

• Joseph Aquilina as “Kyle,” Legally Blonde, Reston Community Players
• Chrissy Barnett Miller as “Jolene Oakes,” Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Damascus Theatre Company
• Karen Batra as “Marge MacDougall,” Promises, Promises, The Arlington Players
• Erica Drezek as “Berthe,” Pippin, Greenbelt Arts Center
• Brenda Parker as “Church Soloist,” The Color Purple, Tantallon Community Players

Outstanding cameo in a play

• Katherine Bisulca as “Sales Girl,” Red Scare on Sunset, Prince William Little Theatre
• Bob Burnett as “Beverly Carlton,” The Man Who Came to Dinner, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Carleigh Jones as “Doris,” The Hollow, Laurel Mill Playhouse
• Stuart Orloff as “Teen Charlie,” Flowers for Algernon, Elden Street Players
• Yvonne Paretzky as “Addie,” The Little Foxes, Rockville Little Theatre
• Shelley Rochester as “Mrs. Winsley,” Stop Kiss, Silver Spring Stage
• Mark Yeager as “Beverly Weston,” August Osage County, Reston Community Players

Outstanding featured actress in a musical

• Annie Coffman as “Anne Egerman,” A Little Night Music, The Arlington Players
• Amy Dolan as “The Mother Abbess,” The Sound of Music, Port Tobacco Players
• Annie Ermlick as “Sister Mary Amnesia,” Nunsense, The Alliance Theatre
• Shanice Jones as “Sofia,” The Color Purple, Tantallon Community Players
• Molly Hicks Larson as “Paulette Buonofuonte,” Legally Blonde, Reston Community Players
• Anne Marie Pinto as “Petra,” A Little Night Music, The Arlington Players

Outstanding featured actor in a musical

• Stephen Deininger as “Tateh,” Ragtime, Laurel Mill Playhouse
• Michael J. Galizia as “Jud Fry,” Oklahoma, 2nd Star Productions
• Malcolm Lee as “Jimmy Early,” Dreamgirls, Dominion Stage
• Gary Saddon as “Ali Hakim,” Oklahoma, 2nd Star Productions
• Stephen Yednock as “Nicely-Nicely Johnson,” Guys and Dolls, Tantallon Community Players

Outstanding featured actress in a play

• Monica Garcia as “Mother McGee,” Cinderella Waltz, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Lorraine Magee as “Virginia,” Clean House, Elden Street Players
• Gayle Nichols-Grimes as “Mattie Fae Aiken,” August Osage County, Reston Community Players
• Gayle Nichols-Grimes as “Vernadette Simms,” The Dixie Swim Club, Port City Playhouse
• Shelley Rochester as “Costanza,” Enchanted April, Silver Spring Stage
• Lois A. Stanziani as “Helga ten Dorp,” Deathtrap, McLean Community Players

Outstanding featured actor in a play

• Chuck Dluhy as “Roma,” Glengary Glen Ross, Elden Street Players
• Michael Kharfen as “Levene,” Glengary Glen Ross, Elden Street Players
• Stuart Rick as “Benjamin Hubbard,” The Little Foxes, Rockville Little Theatre
• John Shackelford as “Max Levene,” Heaven Can Wait, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Kevin Wallace as “Victor Fleming,” Moonlight and Magnolias, Colonial Players of Annapolis

Outstanding lead actress in a musical

• Madeline Botteri as “Monica,” Rooms, A Rock Romance, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Shawnee Louise Coleman-Lining as “Effie Melody White,” Dreamgirls, Dominion Stage
• Andrea Gerald as “Cellie,” The Color Purple, Tantallon Community Players
• Jennifer Lyons Pagnard as “Mrs. Lovett,” Sweeney Todd, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Farrell Parker as “Dot/Marie,” Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre

Outstanding lead actor in a musical

• Ryan Burke as “Georges/George,” Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Eric Jones as “Ian,” Rooms, A Rock Romance, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Fred Nelson as “Tevye,” Fiddler on the Roof, 2nd Star Productions
• Gabriel T. Potter as “Freddy Benson,” Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Damascus Theatre Company
• Brent Stone as “Fredrik Egerman,” A Little Night Music, The Arlington Players

Outstanding lead actress in a play

• Lolita-Marie as “May N’Kame,” Going to St. Ives, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Heather Quinn as “Dr. Cora Gage,” Going to St. Ives, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Lee Slivka as “Barbara Fordham,” August Osage County, Reston Community Players
• Mary Suib as “Violet Weston,” August Osage County, Reston Community Players
• Jo Sullivan as “Jennie Malone,” Chapter Two, Colonial Players of Annapolis

Outstanding lead actor in a play

• Dann Alagna as “Zed,” Cinderella Waltz, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Matt Baughman as “Charlie Gordon,” Flowers for Algernon, Elden Street Players
• Phil Hosford as “Ralph Wantage,” Frozen, Rockville Little Theatre
• Sandy Irving as “Richard Nixon,” Frost/Nixon, Greenbelt Arts Center
• Ryan Manning as “Max Levene,” Lend Me A Tenor, Reston Community Players

Nominations for outstanding achievement in overall production

Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography

• Steve Lada, August Osage County, Reston Community Players
• Steve Lada, Equus, Taking Flight Theatre Company
• Carl Brandt Long, Deathtrap, McLean Community Players
• Carl Brandt Long, Man of La Mancha, McLean Community Players
• Kevin Robertson, The Taming of the Shrew, Castaways Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Choreography

• Richelle “Rikki” Howie, Dreamgirls, Dominion Stage
• Martha Lynch, Into the Woods, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Taurean Maray Barber, The Color Purple, Tantallon Community Players
• Vincent Musgrave, A Chorus Line, Rockville Musical Theatre
• Corinne Shumaker, The Music Man, Fauquier Community Theatre

Outstanding Music Direction

• LaVar Betts, The Color Purple, Tantallon Community Players
• John-Michael d’Haviland, A Little Night Music, The Arlington Players
• John-Michael d’Haviland, Dreamgirls, Dominion Stage
• John-Michael d’Haviland, Spring Awakening, Dominion Stage
• David Rohde, Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

• Brian Douglas, Fiddler on the Roof, 2nd Star Productions
• Christopher Dykton, A Little Night Music, The Arlington Players
• Craig Petinatti, Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Joshua Redford, Legally Blonde, Reston Community Players
• Charla Rowe, The Color Purple, Tantallon Community Players

Outstanding Direction of a Play

• Gloria DuGan, Flowers for Algernon, Elden Street Players
• Jimmy Gertzog, Side Man, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Ron Giddings, Moonlight and Magnolias, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Edd Miller, Going to St. Ives, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Andrew JM Regiec, August Osage County, Reston Community Players

Outstanding Musical

• A Little Night Music, The Arlington Players
• Dreamgirls, Dominion Stage
• Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre
• The Color Purple, Tantallon Community Players
• The Sound of Music, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding Play

• August Osage County, Reston Community Players
• Flowers for Algernon, Elden Street Players
• Going to St. Ives, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Moonlight and Magnolias, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Side Man, Providence Players of Fairfax

Nominations sorted by theatre and show

2nd Star Productions

4 productions received 14 nominations total

Bloody Murder

• Outstanding Set Painting in a Play: Jane B. Wingard

Fiddler on the Roof

• Outstanding Direction of a Musical: Brian Douglas
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical: Fred Nelson as “Tevye”
• Outstanding Light Design in a Musical: Garret R. Hyde
• Outstanding Properties in a Musical: Joanne D. Wilson
• Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical: Jane B. Wingard

Oklahoma

• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Michael J. Galizia as “Jud Fry”
• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Gary Saddon as “Ali Hakim”
• Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical: Jane B. Wingard

The Lion in Winter

• Outstanding Costume Design in a Play: Linda Swann
• Outstanding Properties in a Play: Joanne D. Wilson
• Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play: Jane B. Wingard et al
• Outstanding Set Design in a Play: Jane B. Wingard
• Outstanding Set Painting in a Play: Jane B. Wingard et al

Alliance Theatre

1 production received 1 nomination

Nunsense

• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Annie Ermlick as “Sister Mary Amnesia”

Arlington Players

2 productions received 14 nominations total

A Little Night Music

• Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical: Grant Kevin Lane
• Outstanding Direction of a Musical: Christopher Dykton
• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Annie Coffman as “Anne Egerman”
• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Anne Marie Pinto as “Petra”
• Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical: Bette Williams
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical: Brent Stone as “Fredrik Egerman”
• Outstanding Light Design in a Musical: B. Keith Ryder
• Outstanding Music Direction: John-Michael d’Haviland
• Outstanding Musical
• Outstanding Properties in a Musical: Avery Burns
• Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical: Lindsey Hays
• Outstanding Set Design in a Musical: Russell Kopp
• Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical: Keith Bell

Promises, Promises

• Outstanding Cameo in a Musical: Karen Batra as “Marge MacDougall”

Castaways Repertory Theatre

1 production received 2 nominations

The Taming of the Shrew

• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play: Sheila Hyman & Shemika Berry
• Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography: Kevin Robertson

Colonial Players

4 productions received 15 nominations total

Chapter Two

• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play: Jo Sullivan as “Jennie Malone”
• Outstanding Light Design in a Play: Frank Florentine & Shirley Panek
• Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play: Edd Miller

Cinderella Waltz

• Outstanding Costume Design in a Play: Beth Terranova
• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Monica Garcia as “Mother McGee”
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play: Dann Alagna as “Zed”

Going to St. Ives

• Outstanding Costume Design in a Play: Beth Terranova
• Outstanding Direction of a Play: Edd Miller
• Outstanding Hair Design in a Play: Gina Quaye
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play: Lolita-Marie as “May N’Kame”
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play: Heather Quinn as “Dr. Cora Gage”
• Outstanding Play

Moonlight and Magnolias

• Outstanding Direction of a Play: Ron Giddings
• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: Kevin Wallace as “Victor Fleming”
• Outstanding Play

Damascus Theatre Company

2 productions received 6 nominations total

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

• Outstanding Cameo in a Musical: Chrissy Barnett Miller as “Jolene Oakes”
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical: Gabriel T. Potter as “Freddy Benson”

Meet Me in St. Louis

• Outstanding Properties in a Musical: Maria Littlefield
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical: Jim Korte & Bill Rippey
• Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical: Maria Littlefield
• Outstanding Set Design in a Musical: Bill Brown & Chad Wheeler

Dominion Stage

2 productions received 8 nominations total

Dreamgirls

• Outstanding Choreography: Richelle “Rikki” Howie
• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Malcolm Lee as “Jimmy Early”
• Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical: Malca Giblin
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical: Shawnee Louise Coleman-Lining as “Effie Melody White”
• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical: Larissa Norris
• Outstanding Music Direction: John-Michael d’Haviland
• Outstanding Musical

Spring Awakening

• Outstanding Music Direction: John-Michael d’Haviland

Elden Street Players

4 productions received 10 nominations total

Clean House

• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Lorraine Magee as “Virginia”

Flowers for Algernon

• Outstanding Cameo in a Play: Stuart Orloff as “Teen Charlie”
• Outstanding Direction of a Play: Gloria DuGan
• Outstanding Hair Design in a Play: Arthur Rodger
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play: Matt Baughman as “Charlie Gordon”
• Outstanding Play
• Outstanding Sound Design in a Play: Stan Harris

Glengary Glen Ross

• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: Chuck Dluhy as “Roma”
• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: Michael Kharfen as “Levene”

Rooms, A Rock Romance

• Outstanding Set Design in a Musical: James Villarubia

Fauquier Community Theatre

3 productions received 13 nominations total

Into the Woods

• Outstanding Choreography: Martha Lynch
• Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical: Susan Noe & Martha Lynch
• Outstanding Light Design in a Musical: Tim Kirk
• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical: Tim Kirk & Rebecca Carver
• Outstanding Properties in a Musical: Richard Perryman et al
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical: Tim Kirk & Kirk Noe
• Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical: Tim Kirk
• Outstanding Set Design in a Musical: Tim Kirk & Martha Lynch
• Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical: Nancy Daugherty et al
• Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical: Tim Kirk
• Outstanding Special Effects: Tim Kirk

The Man Who Came to Dinner

• Outstanding Cameo in a Play: Bob Burnett as “Beverly Carlton”

The Music Man

• Outstanding Choreography: Corinne Shumaker

Greenbelt Arts Center

2 productions received 2 nominations total

Frost/Nixon

• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play: Sandy Irving as “Richard Nixon”

Pippin

• Outstanding Cameo in a Musical: Erica Drezek as “Berthe”

Kensington Arts Theatre

3 productions received 18 nominations total

Night of the Living Dead, The Musical

• Outstanding Light Design in a Musical: Kevin Boyce
• Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical: Matt Rowe
• Outstanding Special Effects: John Decker & Kevin Boyce

Rooms, A Rock Romance

• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical: Eric Jones as “Ian”
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical: Madeline Botteri as “Monica”

Sunday in the Park with George

• Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical: Eleanor Dicks
• Outstanding Direction of a Musical: Craig Pettinati
• Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical: Malca Giblin
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical: Ryan Burke as “Georges/George”
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical: Farrell Parker as “Dot/Marie”
• Outstanding Light Design in a Musical: Ben Levine
• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical: Eric Jones
• Outstanding Music Direction: David Rohde
• Outstanding Musical
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical: Matt Karner & Joel Richon
• Outstanding Set Design in a Musical: Matt Karner
• Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical: Kevin Garrett
• Outstanding Special Effects: Jordan Rose & Doe B. Kim

Laurel Mill Playhouse

2 productions received 2 nominations total

Ragtime

• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Stephen Deininger as “Tateh”

The Hollow

• Outstanding Cameo in a Play: Carleigh Jones as “Doris”

Little Theatre Of Alexandria

5 productions received 15 nominations total

All the King’s Women

• Outstanding Hair Design in a Play: Robin Parker & Hannah Wolf

Cantorial

• Outstanding Light Design in a Play: Ken & Patti Crowley
• Outstanding Sound Design in a Play: Janice Rivera

Heaven Can Wait

• Outstanding Costume Design in a Play: Jean Schlichting & Kit Sibley
• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: John Shackelford as “Max Levene”
• Outstanding Hair Design in a Play: Chanukan Jane Lilburne
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Play: John Downing
• Outstanding Set Design in a Play: John Downing
• Outstanding Set Painting in a Play: Mary Hutzler

Sweeney Todd

• Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical: Kristina Friedgen
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical: Jennifer Lyons Pagnard as “Mrs. Lovett”
• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical: Kristina Friedgen

Witness for the Prosecution

• Outstanding Hair Design in a Play: Bette Williams
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Play: John Downing
• Outstanding Set Design in a Play: John Downing

Mclean Community Players

2 productions received 7 nominations total

Deathtrap

• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Lois A. Stanziani as “Helga ten Dorp”
• Outstanding Light Design in a Play: Bob Zeigler
• Outstanding Properties in a Play: Emily Besuden, Jerry Gideon, Dick La Porte
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Play: Bernie Gmiter, Bob Schroth, Bill Glikbarg
• Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play: Dinnie Whitson, Cathy Farnsworth, Christine Whitson
• Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography: Carl Brandt Long

Man of La Mancha

• Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography: Carl Brandt Long

Port City Playhouse

2 productions received 2 nominations total

Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me

• Outstanding Set Painting in a Play: Erin Cumbo, et al

The Dixie Swim Club

• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Gayle Nichols-Grimes as “Vernadette Simms”

Port Tobacco Players

3 productions received 17 nominations total

The Sound of Music

• Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical: Pat Brennan
• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Amy Dolan as “The Mother Abbess”
• Outstanding Light Design in a Musical: Tommy Scott
• Outstanding Musical
• Outstanding Properties in a Musical: Terri Fortney-Beinert
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical: Ryan Mudd
• Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical: Sheila Draper
• Outstanding Set Design in a Musical: John Merritt, Ryan Mudd, Ben Simpson
• Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical: Jill Hanger, Rhonna Johnson, Betsy Stevens

The Wizard of Oz

• Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical: Pat Brennan
• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical: Heather Bauer & Kaitelyn Bauer
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical: Joe Stine & John Merritt
• Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical: Ronna Johnson
• Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical: Ronna Johnson
• Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical: Gerhard Straub
• Outstanding Special Effects: Keith Linville, Joe Stine, John Merritt

To Kill A Mockingbird

• Outstanding Set Construction in a Play: John Merritt

Prince William Little Theatre

1 production received 1 nomination

Red Scare on Sunset

• Outstanding Cameo in a Play: Katherine Bisulca as “Sales Girl”

Providence Players

3 productions received 19 nominations total

Side Man

• Outstanding Direction of a Play: Jimmy Gertzog
• Outstanding Light Design in a Play: Chip Gertzog
• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play: Beth Harrison
• Outstanding Play
• Outstanding Properties in a Play: Susan Kaplan
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Play: Chip Gertzog et al
• Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play: Kathy White
• Outstanding Set Design in a Play: Raedun Knutsen & Chip Gertzog
• Outstanding Set Painting in a Play: Chip Gertzog
• Outstanding Sound Design in a Play: Jimmy Gertzog & Chip Gertzog

Sleuth

• Outstanding Properties in a Play: Robbie Snow et al

You Can’t Take it With You

• Outstanding Costume Design in a Play: Robbie Snow
• Outstanding Hair Design in a Play: Beth Harrison
• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play: Beth Harrison
• Outstanding Properties in a Play: Chip Gertzog
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Play: John Coscia
• Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play: Lisa Church & Chip Gertzog
• Outstanding Set Design in a Play: John Coscia
• Outstanding Special Effects: Chip Gertzog

Reston Community Players

3 productions received 15 nominations total

August Osage County

• Outstanding Cameo in a Play: Mark Yeager as “Beverly Weston”
• Outstanding Direction of a Play: Andrew JM Regiec
• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Gayle Nichols-Grimes as “Mattie Fae Aiken”
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play: Lee Slivka as “Barbara Fordham”
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play: Mary Suib as “Violet Weston”
• Outstanding Light Design in a Play: Ken & Patti Crowley
• Outstanding Play
• Outstanding Properties in a Play: Mary Jo Ford & Alexandra lee
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Play: Timothy Hinton & David Johnson
• Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography: Steve Lada

Legally Blonde

• Outstanding Cameo in a Musical: Joseph Aquilina as “Kyle”
• Outstanding Direction of a Musical: Joshua Redford
• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Molly Hicks Larson as “Paulette Buonofuonte”

Lend Me A Tenor

• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play: Ryan Manning as “Max Levene”
• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play: Sue Pinkman

Rockville Little Theatre

2 productions received 3 nominations total

Frozen

• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play: Phil Hosford as “Ralph Wantage”

The Little Foxes

• Outstanding Cameo in a Play: Yvonne Paretzky as “Addie”
• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: Stuart Rick as “Benjamin Hubbard”

Rockville Musical Theatre

1 production received 1 nomination

A Chorus Line

• Outstanding Choreography: Vincent Musgrave

Silver Spring Stage

3 productions received 5 nominations total

Beauty Queen of Leenane

• Outstanding Sound Design in a Play: Jamie Coupar

Enchanted April

• Outstanding Costume Design in a Play: Patricia Kratzer et al
• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Shelley Rochester as “Costanza”
• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play: Laurie T. Freed & Cast

Stop Kiss

• Outstanding Cameo in a Play: Shelley Rochester as “Mrs. Winsley”

Taking Flight Theatre Company

1 production received 2 nominations

Equus

• Outstanding Sound Design in a Play: Chris Alpiar
• Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography: Steve Lada

Tantallon Community Theatre

2 productions received 9 nominations total

Guys and Dolls

• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Stephen Yednock as “Nicely-Nicely Johnson”

The Color Purple

• Outstanding Cameo in a Musical: Brenda Parker as “Church Soloist”
• Outstanding Choreography: Taurean Maray Barber
• Outstanding Direction of a Musical: Charla Rowe
• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Shanice Jones as “Sofia”
• Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical: Shemika Berry
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical: Andrea Gerald as “Cellie”
• Outstanding Music Direction: LaVar Betts
• Outstanding Musical

Expanding on Frances Hodgson Burnett’s famous children’s story, the 1991 musical version of The Secret Garden (book and lyrics by Marsha Norman, music by Lucy Simon) gives equal attention to the adults who frame the experience of the child protagonist, Mary Lennox, the survivor of a cholera epidemic in India that killed her parents. In the process, Simon wrote for the adult characters some of the best duet and ensemble music of the last few decades on Broadway. Happily, the St. Mark’s Players (SMP) cast does full justice to Simon’s score, in a thoroughly satisfying production.

Two very different women’s voices stand out. As Lily, the ghost of Mary’s long-dead aunt, Catherine Callahan has just the sort of pure, high, lyric soprano voice the role calls for. In numbers like “A Girl in the Valley,” “Come to My Garden,” and, above all, the touching “How Could I Ever Know,” Callahan sounds downright lovely. Lily is almost entirely a singing role, with minimal acting demands, but Callahan’s sweet, still presence did what it could for a character who is, after all, more a memory than a fully fleshed-out person.

By contrast Martha, Mary’s servant and mentor, is a juicy acting role, and Julie Galorrenzo struck just the right combination of wisdom, humor, and assertiveness. She also hit the ball out of the park in her two belt numbers, “A Fine White Horse” and “Hold On.” Like her brother Dickon, played by Alex Stone, she carried off a credible Yorkshire accent. (Overall, accents in the production suffered from a degree of inconsistency.) Dickon, a young man almost unnaturally in tune with nature (he not only talks to birds, they also seem to answer him), plays a key role in Mary’s growth into the radiant girl she becomes. Stone has quick arms and hands, gesturing rapidly, but appropriately, on virtually every line of “Winter’s on the Wing” and “Come Spirit, Come Charm.” He also displayed a strong, belt-like tenor voice.

The lead male role of Archibald Craven, Mary’s uncle and guardian, was written for Mandy Patinkin, creating a vocal challenge for any performer who lacks Patinkin’s highly unusual voice and penchant for overwrought emotion. Patrick McMahan navigated the vocal shoals nicely, doing an outstanding job of making “Race You to the Top of the Morning,” a believable story told to a child. He often approached the material in a low-key, reflective way, except in Patinkin-shaped sections of three numbers where having to be overwrought is nearly unavoidable.

Marsha Norman knows depression (her Night, Mother is possibly the most depressing play I have ever seen), and she wrote Archibald as a character unable to shake a 10-year depression following his wife Lily’s death. At times, McMahan’s Archibald was a shade too robust, physically and emotionally, to fully realize Norman’s concept. (Curiously, he also lacked the hump on his back to which the script frequently refers.) As his resentful younger brother, Neville, Christopher Tully did his best work in a second act dialogue scene in which he attempts to ship Mary off to boarding school. In some productions, Neville can seem a purposeful villain. Here, Tully provided a less embittered, softer interpretation (for example, he just threatens to slap, rather than actually slapping, Mary in that dialogue scene), longing to escape his brother’s shadow. McMahan responds with a gentler reading of the final Archibald-Neville scene at the end of the show, when his suggestion that Neville leave the estate is less a forced exile than a generous offer of a new start in life. Perhaps because of the less sharply conflicted tone of the relationship between the brothers, the stakes are lower in their powerful duet, “Lily’s Eyes,” which consequently lacked the show-stopping impact it is capable of delivering.

Emma Kelly effectively traced Mary’s broad character arc from hurt, angry, closed-off orphan to inquisitive explorer of a new world to warm and vibrant emotional rescuer of both Archibald and his son, Colin (Merritt Schwartz). Kelly sang clearly and delineated well her character’s changing attitude toward life and the people around her. She also had fun throwing a knowingly melodramatic temper tantrum to drive away a boarding school representative. Particularly in the second act, her rapid delivery sometimes made her lines difficult to understand. Schwartz gets Colin’s anger at being penned up all his life, though the effect of his singing, especially in “Round-Shouldered Man,” was impaired by too-low sound system levels that made him difficult to hear above the orchestra.

The orchestra was a star of the show in its own right, playing almost error-free and with fine musicality. At a time when small, mostly electronic, bands are used in many shows, it is a treat to hear the difference a larger, mostly acoustic, orchestra makes in enriching the aural experience of a musical.

Secret Garden is an excellent ensemble show. The entire SMP ensemble does strong work throughout, especially in the storm sequences. Each member of the ensemble has opportunities for solo and duet lines, and the quality of their performance is consistently good. Some of the small group pieces — “I Heard Someone Crying,” “Quartet,” and the reprise to “A Bit of Earth”– are among the musical high points of the evening.

Lily and most of the ensemble characters are ghosts, the memories that Archibald and Mary carry of their dead dear ones. That being the case, I question Director Eddie Schwartz’s choice to have frequent physical contact between ghosts and the living (such as Lily climbing into Colin’s bed to hold him or Lily and Archibald holding hands and embracing during “How Could I Ever Know”). We can hold our ghosts in our hearts, but holding them in our arms is a good deal more problematic.

SMP’s playing space is very intimate, not providing room for much in the way of sets. In Secret Garden, the designers deal with this problem by placing a scrim upstage, onto which images (e.g., the interior and exterior of Archibald’s mansion, the garden) are projected, and behind which the ghosts have a number of short scenes. Save for one very unfortunately timed computer glitch, this approach worked well. By using only a few stage dressing items — a desk in some scenes, a bed in others, two and multi-purpose black crates — Schwartz kept plenty of open space for his cast to maneuver within the limited area available.

The varied costumes — military dress whites, workaday outfits, elegant dresses, traditional Indian garb, and business suits, among others — were colorful and interesting.

While St. Mark’s does not have the wealth of lighting instruments available to some groups, the lighting scheme was generally effective. There was a jarring switch to a too-bright look for Mary’s first, nocturnal visit to Colin’s room, and a series of cuing issues beset the emotional climax of the show, the “Where in the World/How Could I Ever Know” sequence. A show the focus of which is on horticulture, not astronomy, would have done better without the distracting “starlight” effect through the scrim in the second act. There was an amusing prop moment in Mary’s “Letter Song,” as she wrote Archibald with what must have been a 1911-model ballpoint pen.

Burnett, who wrote Little Lord Fauntleroy as well as The Secret Garden, seemed very comfortable in an England of soulful, troubled members of the upper class and compliant lower-class folk happy to serve them and content in their place. She wrote The Secret Garden just a year before George Bernard Shaw skewered the British class system in Pygmalion and just three years before the cozy Edwardian world she knew was overturned by the cataclysm of World War I. In the century between the book and this production of the musical, that historical context itself has become something of a ghost, leaving behind only the emotional tenderness of children and adults trying to find love and security in the face of wrenching loss.

Director’s Notes

Welcome to the St. Mark’s Players production of The Secret Garden. It is a pleasure for us to present this show to you, and we hope it warms your heart as it has ours during our rehearsals. I would like to tell you a little bit about the opening scenes of the show, and what The Secret Garden means for all of us.

The Opening — Mary’s Dream

The show begins with a bad dream that Mary Lennox has one night in India. During Mary’s dream, her parents, Capt. Albert Lennox and Rose, are entertaining guests. As the abstract dream continues, each of the guests becomes sick and dies of cholera — a red handkerchief represents their deaths. When Mary awakens from her nightmare, she finds that the dream is reality, and there is no one left that she knew in India. Mary is sent off to live wither her Uncle Archibald in Yorkshire. The “dreamers,” who are Mary’s ghosts from her past life in India, reappear throughout the show.

Archibald and Colin

Archibald was married to Rose’s sister Lily, but has not know happiness since Lily’s death, over 10 years earlier. Just as Mary is haunted by images of the death she experienced in India, Archie is tormented by his profound memories of Lily. Archibald is also estranged from his son Colin, who has been sick from birth. Mary, Archie, and Colin are trapped in a dark world, devoid of love and hope.

Over the course of the show, The Secret Garden demonstrates to us how the power of love brings forth the warmth and growth of Spring into our hearts, heals wounds, gives us hope, and lets our world be reborn. I hope our show does the same for you.

Eddie Schwartz
May 4, 2012

Cast

• Lily: Catherine Callahan
• Mary Lennox: Emma Kelly
• Fakir: Ebenezer Concepcion
• Ayah: Alexis Truitt
• Capt. Albert Lennox: Christian Huebner
• Rose: Heather Cipu
• Major Shelly/Lt. Shaw: Patrick Farley
• Mrs. Shelly/Jane/Nurse: Joy Gardiner
• Major Holmes: Heath Dillard
• Alice: Amy Baska
• Lt. Wright: Elijah Lawrence
• Claire: Rachel Watson
• Betsy/Mrs. Winthrop: Mary Alaya-Bush
• Archibald Craven: Patrick McMahan
• Dr. Neville Craven: Christopher Tully
• Mrs. Medlock: Chrish Kresge
• Martha: Julie Galorenzo
• Dickon: Alex Stone
• Ben: John Allniut
• Colin: Merritt Schwartz
• Dreamers: Nate Crystal, Natalie Davidson, Madeline Heyman, Lily Pond, Miranda Ryan

Production Staff

• Director: Eddie Schwartz
• Music Directors: J.N. Wickert III, Amy Conley
• Stage Manager: David Jung
• Assistant Stage Manager: Mary Macfarlane
• Producers: Chrish Kresge, Eliza Kashinsky
• Choreographer: Kay Casstevens
• Accent Coach: Clare Palace
• Costume Design: Ceci Albert, Lisa Brownsword
• Sound Design: Benjamin allen
• Sound Engineer: Josh Canary
• Lighting Design: Eddie Schwartz
• Master Electrician: Jerry Dale
• Lighting Technicians: Roger Munter, Rick Hayes, Oscar Alvarez
• Properties Design: Charmice Hardy
• Set Design: Charmice Hardy
• Set Construction and Painting: Charmice Hardy, Josh Kashinsky, Robert Ryan, Eddie Schwartz, David Jung, Eliza Kashinsky
• Audition Pianist: Jeff Kempskie
• Rehearsal Pianists: Amy Conley, Jeff Kempskie, Matt Jeffries, Mark Vogel
• Makeup Consultant: Rick Hayes
• Box Office Manager: Genie Lomize
• House Manager: Josh Kashinsky
• Assistant House Manager: Fairfield Butt
• Cover Art: Jennifer Reitz

Disclaimer: St. Mark’s Players provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review. Also note that the reviewer appeared in an earlier show this season at the St. Mark’s Players, which did not impact this review.

Would you have ever thought of creating a play incorporating mathematics, love, music, dancing, and the death of the universe? And have it take place over the course of two centuries without being science fiction? Tom Stoppard followed through on that idea, and created Arcadia.

The play takes place in a room of an English estate, Sidley Park. Some scenes take place in 1809, other scenes take place in the current time. The two casts do not interact directly, although by watching and listening closely, you will be given hints and suggestions that will help clarify what is said and done in the other time period. But to give any of those details away would be a disservice.

The 1809 cast was less successful than the current day cast in keeping the audience’s attention. The period cast tended to speak more quickly, and with a bit less focus, making it a bit more difficult to follow the twists and turns of the play. Kathleen Laird as precocious student Thomasina Coverly successfully portrayed the girl’s innocence as she struggled with understanding and applying math, French, and other adult topics. Her tutor, Septimus Hodge was effectively played by Will Emory, although he didn’t quite present Hodge as suave a man as he could have. Karen Lawrence as Lady Croom was mannerly, yet Lawrence made the steel in the velvet glove readily apparent as she decided she would not put up with Chater’s corrections, or when she commanded Hodge read her some poetry.

The modern day cast did not need to work so hard at bringing the audience into the period. Caroline Schreiber was compelling as author Hannah Jarvis, although it took her a bit of time to warm up and find her stride. Her foil was academician Bernard Nightingale, played by Clyde Wright. Wright made his character to be a bit sappy as he groveled with Hannah, but over time he became stronger with a better presence, especially as the two argued over the interpretations of their findings.

There were quite a few times when the cast was hard to hear. This was most obvious when the piano was being played. Occasionally the actors’ mics stopped working, which oddly enough, actually made it easier to hear most of the actors as their voices weren’t echoing as loudly throughout the cavernous playing space at St. Mark’s Church. Some of the blocking was awkward at times, as characters would end up speaking upstage. Cameron Lane’s set made great use of the space, incorporating the church’s steps and raised platform into the set.

Overall, St. Mark’s Players’ Arcadia was an enjoyable and thought-provoking production.

Director’s Notes

When I told people I would be directing Arcadia, I typically got one of two responses. First, that it was their favorite play. Second, that as a first time director it was quite a challenge to take on; quite right on both accounts. I wholeheartedly believe Arcadia is an incredible play and it is, without a doubt, my favorite as well. I also know how challenging it is. It is a complex and intricately woven account of individuals living nearly 200 years apart. It tells its story with humor, with intellect and with heart as we see the action unfold through Stoppards’s genuine and yet flawed characters.

It challenges its audience by asking big questions through the exploration of math, science, and literature, while at the same time giving us an intimate look into the daily lives of our characters. It considers how the bigger ideas about the cosmos, god, and nature apply to us as people. It looks into how ideas and the pursuit of knowledge can not only shake the world to its core, but can also make one question everything they once thought they knew about themselves. It explores how sex, love, and matters of the heart throw one’s simple and orderly world into complete chaos. Not only does it pose these questions, but it also delves into how over time, even as things change, it’s an act of questioning that remains constant. Throughout it all, Stoppard’s characters press onward with enthusiasm and wonder at the mysteries of the world. “It’s wanting to know that makes us matter.”

In the late 18th and early 19th century, the Age of Enlightenment was making way for the Romantic era. Scientific thought, order and reason was abandoned for strong emotion, feeling and an appreciation for aesthetics. While each period in history is interesting to consider in their own right, what I find particularly fascinating is the period in between; the transition from one to the next. It is the period of “chaos” that we see in Arcadia; where what is known is no longer certain. The interesting stuff, the progress, the innovation comes when the floor all but seems to fall out from under your feet, then being able to see how one attempts to gain their footing once more.

Directing this production of Arcadia did not disappoint. I could not have asked for better people to work with or a better experience as a first time director. The cast and crew of this show have thrown themselves into the material with enthusiasm and diligence. They have risen to the challenge beautifully to tell the brilliant story you are about to see. As you sit and watch tonight’s performance I hope that we are able to make you laugh, that we are able to make you think, that we are able to make you question, but above all that you continue to consider beyond the performance how it’s that questioning of mystery, of knowledge, of life, of passion and of love that really matters.

Heather Coup, Director

Cast

• Tomasina Coverly: Kathleen Laird
• Septimus Hodge: Will Emory
• Jellaby: Runjit Chandra
• Ezra Chater: Dan Lavanga
• Richard Noakes Mario Font
• Lady Croom: Karen Lawrence
• Captain Brice: Josh Canary
• Hannah Jarvis: Caroline Schreiber
• Chloe Coverly: Rachel Watson
• Bernard Nightingale: Clyde Wright
• Valentine Coverly: Calder Stembel
• Gus/Augustus Coverly: Connor Smith

The Production Team

• Director: Heather Cipu
• Stage Manager: Christine Farrell
• Producer Alexis Truuitt
• Sound Board Operators: Madison Hartke-Weber
• Sound Board Consultant: Eliza Kashinsky
• Lighting Design: Roger Munter
• Master Electrician: Jerry Dale, Jr.
• Lighting Technician: Roger Munter
• properties Design: Rose Hartman, Cameron Lane, Liz Sutton
• Set Design: Cameron Lane
• Set Construction: Rose Hartman, Cameron Lane
• Costume Design: Ceci Albert, Lisa Brownsword
• Make-up Consultant: Rick Hayes
• Box Office Manager: Beth Hall
• House Managers: Heidi Keller, Emily Sudmeier
• Photography: Oscar Alvarez, Chuck Devine
• Poster/Cover Art/Projections: Jennifer Reitz

Disclaimer: St. Mark’s Players provided a complimentary media ticket to ShowBizRadio for this review.

• Aldersgate Church Community Theatre
• The Alliance Theatre
• The Arlington Players
• Capital City Players of DC
• Bowie Community Theatre
• Castaways Repertory Theatre
• Taking Flight Theatre Company
• Chevy Chase Players
• Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Damascus Theatre Company
• Dominion Stage
• Elden Street Players
• Fauquier Community Theatre
• Greenbelt Arts Center
• Hard Bargain Players
• Kensington Arts Theatre
• Laurel Mill Playhouse
• Little Theatre of Alexandria
• McLean Community Players
• Montgomery Playhouse
• Port City Playhouse
• Port Tobacco Players
• Prince George’s Little Theatre
• Prince William Little Theatre
• Providence Players of Fairfax
• Reston Community Players
• Rockville Little Theatre
• Rockville Musical Theatre
• St. Mark’s Players
• Silver Spring Stage
• Tantallon Community Players
• Vienna Theatre Company

In each of the thirty-eight categories, five nominees were selected based on the average scores of eight judges. In some categories, due to score ties, more than five nominees are announced. Nominations are provided in alphabetical order by nominee. The nominations are provided by category and then by theater.

The Award Presentation willbe held on March 11th at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia. Tickets can be purchased for $15.50 at the Birchmere Box Office or through Ticketmaster (additional fees will apply).

In 2012, 132 shows are scheduled for adjudication across the thirty-three participating WATCH member companies.

Nominations for outstanding technical achievements

Outstanding Set Design in a Musical

• Melissa Gilpin & John Merritt, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Port Tobacco Players
• Mark Hamberger, Annie, Rockville Musical Theatre
• Grant Kevin Lane, Thrill Me, Elden Street Players
• Myke Taister, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• James Villarrubia, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Elden Street Players

Outstanding Set Design in a Play

• Amanda Acker, The Seagull, The Arlington Players
• John Coscia et al, Auntie Mame, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Chip Gertzog & John Coscia, Shadow Box, Providence Players of Fairfax
• C. Evans Kirk & Dan Remmers, Noises Off, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Andrew JM Regiec, The Twilight of the Golds, Reston Community Players

Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical

• Sara Birkhead, The Drowsy Chaperone, Reston Community Players
• Chris Feldmann, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Jim Korte et al, Little Shop of Horrors, Damascus Theatre Company
• John Merritt, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Port Tobacco Players
• James Villarrubia et al, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Elden Street Players

Outstanding Set Construction in a Play

• John Coscia & Chip Gertzog, Shadow Box, Providence Players of Fairfax
• John Coscia et al, Auntie Mame, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Chris Feldmann, Move Over, Mrs. Markham, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• John Merritt, Duck Hunter Shoots Angel, Port Tobacco Players
• Arthur Pleasants et al, The Seagull, The Arlington Players
• Dan Remmers, Noises Off, Little Theatre of Alexandria

Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical

• Erin Cumbo, Oliver, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Malca Giblin et al, Annie, Rockville Musical Theatre
• Kevin O’Dowd, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Cathy Rieder & James Villarrubia, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Elden Street Players
• Cathy Rieder, Sabrina Begley, Maggie Cotter, The Drowsy Chaperone, Reston Community Players
• April Dawn Weimer et al, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding Set Painting in a Play

• Mary Hutzler, Move Over, Mrs. Markham, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Ronna Johnson, Duck Hunter Shoots Angel, Port Tobacco Players
• Karl Meier & Kate Meier, A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, Elden Street Players
• Kevin O’Dowd, Noises Off, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Melanie Papasian, Translations, Rockville Little Theatre
• Kate Roehr, The Seagull, The Arlington Players
• Christa Westall, The Twilight of the Golds, Reston Community Players

Outstanding Set Decoration and Set Dressing in a Musical

• Nancyanne Burton, Oliver, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Marian Holmes & Russell Wyland, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Dawne LeKang, Little Shop of Horrors, The Alliance Theatre
• Maria Littlefield, Little Shop of Horrors, Damascus Theatre Company
• Nancy McLaughlin et al, Annie, Rockville Musical Theatre
• Bea and Jerry Morse & Barbara Wilson, The Drowsy Chaperone, Reston Community Players
• Joe Stine & John Merritt, Willy Wonka, Port Tobacco Players
• April Dawn Weimer & John Merritt, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding Set Decoration and Set Dressing in a Play

• Mary Dalto & Nancy Eynon Lark, Translations, Rockville Little Theatre
• Ingrid Helvig David, Auntie Mame, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Lindsey Hays, The Seagull, The Arlington Players
• Evan Hoffmann, A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, Elden Street Players
• Bea and Jerry Morse, Moonlight and Magnolias, Reston Community Players

Outstanding Properties in a Musical

• Derek Critzer & Dawne LeKang, Little Shop of Horrors, The Alliance Theatre
• Mary Jo Ford, The Drowsy Chaperone, Reston Community Players
• Judy Kee & Margaret Snow, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Maria Littlefield, Little Shop of Horrors, Damascus Theatre Company
• Elli Swink, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Damascus Theatre Company

Outstanding Properties in a Play

• Avery Burns, The Seagull, The Arlington Players
• Mary Dalto & Nancy Eynon Lark, Translations, Rockville Little Theatre
• Rebecca & John Johnson, Move Over, Mrs. Markham, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Jessie Roberts, Loose Knit, Taking Flight Theatre Company
• Nicole Zuchetto, Rabbit Hole, Little Theatre of Alexandria

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical

• Franklin C. Coleman, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Ryan Desmond, 42nd Street, The Arlington Players
• Tom Epps, Thrill Me, Elden Street Players
• Noam Lautman, Annie, Rockville Musical Theatre
• Rick Swink, Little Shop of Horrors, Damascus Theatre Company

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play

• AnnMarie Castrigno, The Seagull, The Arlington Players
• Ken & Patti Crowley , Widdershins, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Ken & Patti Crowley, The Twilight of the Golds, Reston Community Players
• Jennifer Lyman, Almost Maine, Vienna Theatre Company
• Liz Owens & Nancy Owens, Move Over, Mrs. Markham, Little Theatre of Alexandria

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical

• Keith Bell, 42nd Street, The Arlington Players
• David Correia & David Hale, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• David Correia, Oliver, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Bill Johnson, Hairspray, The Alliance Theatre
• Kenny Neal & Daniel Tobiassen, Annie, Rockville Musical Theatre
• Vitol Wiacek, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Damascus Theatre Company

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play

• Ben Allen, A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, Elden Street Players
• Wes Bedsworth, The Diviners , Colonial Players of Annapolis
• William Chrapsynski, Moonlight and Magnolias, Reston Community Players
• Jonathan Powers, Almost Maine, Vienna Theatre Company
• Alan Wray, The Seagull, The Arlington Players

Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical

• Mary Ayala-Bush, Frankenstein, Taking Flight Theatre Company
• Michelle Bogert, Hairspray, The Alliance Theatre
• Kevin Lane, Nine , The Arlington Players
• Charlotte Marson & Judy Whelihan, The Drowsy Chaperone, Reston Community Players
• Jean Schlichting & Kit Sibley, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria

Outstanding Costume Design in a Play

• Lory Levitt & McKenna Kelly, The Seagull, The Arlington Players
• Susan Schulman et al, Romeo and Juliet, Silver Spring Stage
• Robbie Snow & Christian D. Faulkner, Auntie Mame, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Annie Vroom, Widdershins, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Annie Vroom, Noises Off, Little Theatre of Alexandria

Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical

• Kat Brais & Andy Izquierdo, Frankenstein, Taking Flight Theatre Company
• Jaimie Nelson, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Port Tobacco Players
• Robin Parker, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Jaclyn Young, The Drowsy Chaperone, Reston Community Players
• Sammi Zanelotti, Willy Wonka, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play

• Scott Beadle, Sordid Lives, Bowie Community Theatre
• C. Evans Kirk, Widdershins, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Howard Vincent Kurtz, Move Over, Mrs. Markham, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• PJ Mitchell, Psycho Beach Party, Dominion Stage
• Sue Pinkman, The Seagull, The Arlington Players

Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical

• Kat Brais, Nine, The Arlington Players
• Maureen Clum, Julie Perez, Derek Critzer, Hairspray, The Alliance Theatre
• Anna Michelle Jackson & Irene Kasotakis, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Melodie Wilson, Frankenstein, Taking Flight Theatre Company
• Jaclyn Young , The Drowsy Chaperone , Reston Community Players

Outstanding Hair Design in a Play

• Beth Harrison, Auntie Mame, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Howard Vincent Kurtz, Move Over, Mrs. Markham, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Molly Hicks Larson, A Streetcar Named Desire, Taking Flight Theatre Company
• Denise A. Levine, Same Time Next Year, Greenbelt Arts Center
• PJ Mitchell, Psycho Beach Party, Dominion Stage
• Sue Pinkman, The Seagull, The Arlington Players
• Scott Ross & Kaeti Bradley, Sordid Lives, Bowie Community Theatre
• Mary-Anne Sullivan, The Women, Prince William Little Theatre

Outstanding Special Effects

• Ben Allen, Almost Maine, Vienna Theatre Company
• Ken & Patti Crowley, Widdershins, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Denise Gilmore et al, Annie, Rockville Musical Theatre
• Keith Linville et al, Willy Wonka, Port Tobacco Players
• Dav Timmermann, A Christmas Carol, Port Tobacco Players

Nominations for outstanding performances by an actor or actress

Outstanding cameo in a musical

• Taurean Maray Barber as “Fred Casely”, Chicago, St. Mark’s Players
• Micky Goldstein as “Burt Healey”, Annie, Rockville Musical Theatre
• Andy Izquierdo as “Blind Man”, Frankenstein, Taking Flight Theatre Company
• Scott J. Strasbaugh as “Mr. Pinky”, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Gina C. Tomkus as “Matron/Gym Teacher”, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Mark Williams as “High School Principal”, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria

Outstanding cameo in a play

• Carolyn Cameron as “Maggie”, The Women, Prince William Little Theatre
• Victor Maldonado as “Lou Tanner”, The Gingerbread Lady, Chevy Chase Players
• Lisa Nichols as “Olga”, The Women, Prince William Little Theatre
• Laura Rogers as “Girl”, Blackbird, Silver Spring Stage
• Sally Zatkoff as “Candy Starr”, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Prince William Little Theatre
• Robin Zerbe as “Crystal Allen”, The Women, Prince William Little Theatre

Outstanding featured actress in a musical

• Michelle Harmon as “Armeila McQueen”, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Elden Street Players
• Rikki Howie as “Charlayne Woodard”, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Elden Street Players
• Jade Jones as “Nell Carter”, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Elden Street Players
• Brenda Parker as “Motormouth Maybelle”, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Miriam Urquart as “Star to Be”, Annie, Rockville Musical Theatre
• Jaclyn Young as “Penny Pingleton”, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria

Outstanding featured actor in a musical

• Alex Bedont as “Audrey II voice”, Little Shop of Horrors, The Alliance Theatre
• Chaz Coffin as “Seaweed Stubbs”, Hairspray, The Alliance Theatre
• Adrian Cubbage as “Seaweed J. Stubbs”, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Patrick Doneghy as “Andre DeShields”, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Elden Street Players
• Gabriel Potter as “Leaf Coneybear”, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Damascus Theatre Company
• Christopher Prince as “Ken Page”, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Elden Street Players

Outstanding featured actress in a play

• Bernadette Arvidson as “Juanita”, Sordid Lives, Bowie Community Theatre
• Joanne Bauer as “Sissy Hickey”, Sordid Lives, Bowie Community Theatre
• Karen Elle as “Saint Monica et al”, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Silver Spring Stage
• Ruth Neaveill as “Vera Charles”, Auntie Mame, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Jaclyn Young as “Hermia/Snout/Wall”, A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, Elden Street Players

Outstanding featured actor in a play

• Scott Beadle as “Earl “Brother Boy” Ingram”, Sordid Lives, Bowie Community Theatre
• Adam Downs as “Garry Lejeune”, Noises Off, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Tom Flatt as “Mason Marzak”, Take Me Out, Dominion Stage
• Brendan Murray as “Butch Honeywell et al”, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Silver Spring Stage
• Pat Reynolds as “Paul Gauguin”, Inventing Van Gogh, Colonial Players of Annapolis

Outstanding lead actress in a musical

• Maya Brettell as “Annie”, Annie, Rockville Musical Theatre
• Laura Fontaine as “Audrey”, Little Shop of Horrors, The Alliance Theatre
• Shannon Kingett as “Tracy Turnblad”, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Kate Merryman as “The Narrator”, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, McLean Community Players
• Chrissy Barnett Miller as “Audrey”, Little Shop of Horrors, Damascus Theatre Company
• Anya Randall Nebel as “Velma Kelly”, Chicago, St. Mark’s Players

Outstanding lead actor in a musical

• Christopher Harris as “Edna Turnblad”, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Anthony Ingargiola as “Seymour”, Little Shop of Horrors, The Alliance Theatre
• Eric Kennedy as “Guido Contini”, Nine, The Arlington Players
• Gabriel Potter as “Seymour”, Little Shop of Horrors, Damascus Theatre Company
• Christopher Smith as “Nathan”, Thrill Me, Elden Street Players

Outstanding lead actress in a play

• Sherry Berg as “Una”, Blackbird, Capital City Players of DC
• Lolita-Marie as “Mattie Cheeks”, No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs, Port City Playhouse
• Jo Black Sullivan as “Glorie”, Grace and Glorie, Bowie Community Theatre
• Sandra Cox True as “Grace”, Grace and Glorie, Bowie Community Theatre
• Beth Whitehead as “Auntie Mame Dennis”, Auntie Mame, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Robin Zerbe as “Irma Grese”, Angel: A Nightmare in Two Acts, Port City Playhouse

Outstanding lead actor in a play

• Mark Lee Adams as “Dr. Farquhar”, Mindgame, Port City Playhouse
• J. McAndrew Breen as “Charlie Conlon etc.”, Stones in His Pockets, Montgomery Playhouse
• William Cassidy as “Randle P. McMurphy”, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Silver Spring Stage
• Adam Downs as “Ralph”, Frozen, Elden Street Players
• Kevin S. Dykstra as “Jake Quinn etc.”, Stones in His Pockets, Montgomery Playhouse

Nominations for outstanding achievement in overall production

Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography

• Steve Custer, Hair, Kensington Arts Theatre
• William T. Fleming, Romeo and Juliet, Silver Spring Stage
• Katherine Frattini, A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, Elden Street Players
• Richard Koster, Company, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Karen Schlumpf & Brian Farrell, Moonlight and Magnolias, Reston Community Players

Outstanding Choreography

• Iván Dávila, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Andrea Heininge, The Drowsy Chaperone, Reston Community Players
• Rikki Howie, Chicago, St. Mark’s Players
• Pam & Kathleen McCormack, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, McLean Community Players
• Duane Monahan, Annie, Rockville Musical Theatre
• John K. Monnett, 42nd Street, The Arlington Players

Outstanding Music Direction

• Mayumi Baker & Valerie A. Higgs, Jekyll & Hyde, Kensington Arts Theatre
• J. Michael d’Haviland, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Elden Street Players
• Paul Nasto, Nine, The Arlington Players
• Keith Tittermary, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Damascus Theatre Company
• Christopher A. Tomasino, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

• Stephanie Bonte-Lebair, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Damascus Theatre Company
• Annie Ermlick, Hairspray, The Alliance Theatre
• Richelle “Rikki” Howie, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Elden Street Players
• Sue Pinkman, Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Joshua Redford, The Drowsy Chaperone, Reston Community Players

Outstanding Direction of a Play

• Bob Benn, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Silver Spring Stage
• Joanna Henry, Rabbit Hole, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Evan Hoffmann, A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, Elden Street Players
• Estelle Miller, Grace and Glorie, Bowie Community Theatre
• Roxanne Fournier Stone, Stones in His Pockets, Montgomery Playhouse

Outstanding Musical

• Hairspray , The Alliance Theatre
• 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Damascus Theatre Company
• Ain’t Misbehavin’, Elden Street Players
• Hairspray, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Annie , Rockville Musical Theatre

Outstanding Play

• Grace and Glorie, Bowie Community Players
• The Shape of Things, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, Elden Street Players
• Noises Off, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Stones in His Pockets, Montgomery Playhouse
• Auntie Mame, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Shadow Box, Providence Players of Fairfax

Nominations sorted by theatre and show

Alliance Theatre

2 productions received a total of 11 nominations

• Hairspray
  6 nominations
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Michelle Bogert
  • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Annie Ermlick
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Chaz Coffin as “Seaweed Stubbs”
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Maureen Clum, Julie Perez, Derek Critzer
  • Outstanding Musical
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Bill Johnson
• Little Shop of Horrors
  5 nominations
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Alex Bedont as “Audrey II voice”
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Anthony Ingargiola as “Seymour”
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Laura Fontaine as “Audrey”
  • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Derek Critzer & Dawne LeKang
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Dawne LeKang

Arlington Players

3 productions received a total of 17 nominations

• 42nd Street
  3 nominations
  • Outstanding Choreography, John K. Monnett
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, Ryan Desmond
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Keith Bell
• Nine
  4 nominations
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Kevin Lane
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Kat Brais
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Eric Kennedy as “Guido Contini”
  • Outstanding Music Direction, Paul Nasto
• The Seagull
  10 nominations
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Lory Levitt & McKenna Kelly
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Sue Pinkman
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, AnnMarie Castrigno
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, Sue Pinkman
  • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Avery Burns
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, Arthur Pleasants et al
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Lindsey Hays
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, Amanda Acker
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Kate Roehr
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Alan Wray

Bowie Community Theatre

2 productions received a total of 9 nominations

• Grace and Glorie
  4 nominations
  • Outstanding Direction of a Play, Estelle Miller
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Jo Black Sullivan as “Glorie”
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Sandra Cox True as “Grace”
  • Outstanding Play
• Sordid Lives
  5 nominations
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Scott Beadle as “Earl “Brother Boy” Ingram”
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Bernadette Arvidson as “Juanita”
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Joanne Bauer as “Sissy Hickey”
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Scott Ross & Kaeti Bradley
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, Scott Beadle

Capital City Players Of Dc

1 production received 1 nomination

• Blackbird
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Sherry Berg as “Una”

Chevy Chase Players

1 production received 1 nomination

• The Gingerbread Lady
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Victor Maldonado as “Lou Tanner”

Colonial Players

4 productions received a total of 4 nominations

• Company
  1 nomination
  • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography, Richard Koster
• Inventing Van Gogh
  1 nomination
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Pat Reynolds as “Paul Gauguin”
• The Diviners
  1 nomination
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Wes Bedsworth
• The Shape of Things
  1 nomination
  • Outstanding Play

Damascus Theatre Company

2 productions received a total of 12 nominations

• 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
  6 nominations
  • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Stephanie Bonte-Lebair
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Gabriel Potter as “Leaf Coneybear”
  • Outstanding Music Direction, Keith Tittermary
  • Outstanding Musical
  • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Elli Swink
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Vitol Wiacek
• Little Shop of Horrors
  6 nominations
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Gabriel Potter as “Seymour”
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Chrissy Barnett Miller as “Audrey”
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, Rick Swink
  • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Maria Littlefield
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, Jim Korte et al
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Maria Littlefield

Dominion Stage

2 productions received a total of 3 nominations

• Psycho Beach Party
  2 nominations
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, PJ Mitchell
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, PJ Mitchell
• Take Me Out
  1 nomination
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Tom Flatt as “Mason Marzak”

Elden Street Players

4 productions received a total of 22 nominations

• A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream
  7 nominations
  • Outstanding Direction of a Play, Evan Hoffmann
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Jaclyn Young as “Hermia/Snout/Wall”
  • Outstanding Play
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Evan Hoffmann
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Kate Meier & Karl Meier
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Ben Allen
  • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography, Katherine Frattini
• Ain’t Misbehavin’
  11 nominations
  • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Richelle “Rikki” Howie
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Patrick Doneghy as “Andre DeShields”
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Christopher Prince as “Ken Page”
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Michelle Harmon as “Armeila McQueen”
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Rikki Howie as “Charlayne Woodard”
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Jade Jones as “Nell Carter”
  • Outstanding Music Direction, J. Michael d’Haviland
  • Outstanding Musical
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, James Villarrubia et al
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, James Villarrubia
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Cathy Rieder & James Villarrubia
• Frozen
  1 nomination
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Adam Downs as “Ralph”
• Thrill Me
  3 nominations
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Christopher Smith as “Nathan”
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, Tom Epps
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, Grant Kevin Lane

Greenbelt Arts Center

1 production received 1 nomination

• Same Time Next Year
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Denise A. Levine

Kensington Arts Theatre

2 productions received a total of 2 nominations

• Hair
  1 nomination
  • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography, Steve Custer
• Jekyll & Hyde
  1 nomination
  • Outstanding Music Direction, Mayumi Baker & Valerie A. Higgs

Little Theatre of Alexandria

6 productions received a total of 43 nominations

• Hairspray
  22 nominations
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Scott J. Strasbaugh as “Mr. Pinky”
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Gina C. Tomkus as “Matron/Gym Teacher”
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Mark Williams as “High School Principal”
  • Outstanding Choreography, Ivan Davila
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Jean Schlichting & Kit Sibley
  • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Sue Pinkman
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Adrian Cubbage as “Seaweed J. Stubbs”
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Brenda Parker as “Motormouth Maybelle”
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Jaclyn Young as “Penny Pingleton”
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Anna Michelle Jackson & Irene Kasotakis
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Christopher Harris as “Edna Turnblad”
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Shannon Kingett as “Tracy Turnblad”
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, Franklin C. Coleman
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Robin Parker
  • Outstanding Music Direction, Christopher A. Tomasino
  • Outstanding Musical
  • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Judy Kee & Margaret Snow
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, Chris Feldmann
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Marian Holmes & Russell Wyland
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, Myke Taister
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Kevin O’Dowd
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, David Correia & David Hale
• Move Over, Mrs. Markham
  6 nominations
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Howard Vincent Kurtz
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Liz Owens & Nancy Owens
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, Howard Vincent Kurtz
  • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Rebecca & John Johnson
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, Chris Feldmann
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Mary Hutzler
• Noises Off
  6 nominations
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Annie Vroom
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Adam Downs as “Garry Lejeune”
  • Outstanding Play
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, Dan Remmers
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, C. Evans Kirk & Dan Remmers
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Kevin O’Dowd
• Oliver!
  3 nominations
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Nancyanne Burton et al
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Erin Cumbo
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, David Correia
• Rabbit Hole
  2 nominations
  • Outstanding Direction of a Play, Joanna Henry
  • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Nicole Zuchetto
• Widdershins
  4 nominations
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Annie Vroom
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Ken & Patti Crowley
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, C. Evans Kirk
  • Outstanding Special Effects, Ken & Patti Crowley

McLean Community Players

1 production received 2 nominations

• Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
  • Outstanding Choreography, Pam & Kathleen McCormack
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Kate Merryman as “The Narrator”

Montgomery Playhouse

1 production received 4 nominations

• Stones in His Pockets
  • Outstanding Direction of a Play, Roxanne Fournier Stone
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, J. McAndrew Breen as “Charlie Conlon etc.”
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Kevin S. Dykstra as “Jake Quinn etc.”
  • Outstanding Play

Port City Playhouse

3 productions received a total of 3 nominations

• Angel: A Nightmare in Two Acts
  1 nomination
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Robin Zerbe as “Irma Grese”
• Mindgame
  1 nomination
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Mark Lee Adams as “Dr. Farquhar”
• No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs
  1 nomination
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Lolita-Marie as “Mattie Cheeks”

Port Tobacco Players

4 productions received a total of 11 nominations

• A Christmas Carol
  1 nomination
  • Outstanding Special Effects, Dav Timmermann
• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
  5 nominations
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Jaimie Nelson
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, John Merritt
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, April Dawn Weimer & John Merritt
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, Melissa Gilpin & John Merritt
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, April Dawn Weimer et al
• Duck Hunter Shoots Angel
  2 nominations
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, John Merritt
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Ronna Johnson
• Willy Wonka
  3 nominations
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Sammi Zanelotti
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Joe Stine & John Merritt
  • Outstanding Special Effects, Keith Linville et al

Prince William Little Theatre

2 productions received a total of 5 nominations

• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
  1 nomination
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Sally Zatkoff as “Candy Starr”
• The Women
  4 nominations
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Carolyn Cameron as “Maggie”
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Lisa Nichols as “Olga”
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Robin Zerbe as “Crystal Allen”
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Mary-Anne Sullivan

Providence Players

2 productions received a total of 11 nominations

• Auntie Mame
  8 nominations
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Robbie Snow & Christian D. Faulkner
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Ruth Neaveill as “Vera Charles”
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Beth Harrison
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Beth Whitehead as “Auntie Mame Dennis”
  • Outstanding Play
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, John Coscia et al
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Ingrid Helvig David
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, John Coscia et al
• Shadow Box
  3 nominations
  • Outstanding Play
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, John Coscia & Chip Gertzog
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, Chip Gertzog & John Coscia

Reston Community Players

3 productions received a total of 15 nominations

• Moonlight and Magnolias
  3 nominations
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Bea and Jerry Morse
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, William Chrapsynski
  • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography, Karen Schlumpf & Brian Farrell
• The Drowsy Chaperone
  9 nominations
  • Outstanding Choreography, Andrea Heininge
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Charlotte Marson & Judy Whelihan
  • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Joshua Redford
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Jaclyn Young
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Jaclyn Young
  • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Mary Jo Ford
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, Sara Birkhead
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Bea and Jerry Morse & Barbara Wilson
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Cathy Reider, Sabrina Begley, Maggie Cotter
• The Twilight of the Golds
  3 nominations
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Ken & Patti Crowley
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, Andrew JM Regiec
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Christa Westall

Rockville Little Theatre

1 production received 3 nominations

• Translations
  • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Mary Dalto & Nancy Eynon Lark
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Mary Dalto & Nancy Eynon Lark
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Melanie Papasian

Rockville Musical Theatre

1 production received 11 nominations

• Annie
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Micky Goldstein as “Bert Healey”
  • Outstanding Choreography, Duane Monahan
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Miriam Urquart as “Star to Be”
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Maya Brettell as “Annie”
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, Noam Lautman
  • Outstanding Musical
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Nancy McLaughlin et al
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, Mark Hamberger
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Malca Giblin et al
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Kenny Neal & Daniel Tobiassen
  • Outstanding Special Effects, Denise Gilmore et al

Silver Spring Stage

4 productions received a total of 7 nominations

• Blackbird
  1 nomination
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Laura Rogers as “Girl”
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
  2 nominations
  • Outstanding Direction of a Play, Bob Benn
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, William Cassidy as “Randle P. McMurphy”
• Romeo and Juliet
  2 nominations
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Susan Schulman et al
  • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography, William T. Fleming
• The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
  2 nominations
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Brendan Murray as “Butch Honeywell et al”
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Karen Elle as “Saint Monica et al”

St. Mark’s Players

1 production received 3 nominations

• Chicago
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Taurean Maray Barber as “Fred Casely”
  • Outstanding Choreography, Rikki Howie
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Anya Randall Nebel as “Velma Kelly”

Taking Flight Theatre Company

3 productions received a total of 6 nominations

• A Streetcar Named Desire
  1 nomination
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Molly Hicks Larson
• Frankenstein
  4 nominations
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Andy Izquierdo as “Blind Man”
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Mary Ayala-Bush
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Melodie Wilson
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Kat Brais & Andy Izquierdo
• Loose Knit
  1 nomination
  • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Jessie Roberts

Vienna Theatre Company

1 production received 3 nominations

• Almost Maine
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Jennifer Lyman
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Jonathan Powers
  • Outstanding Special Effects, Ben Allen

The St. Mark’s Players are still looking for a few good men to fulfill male roles in their winter production of Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, directed by Heather Cipu.

Performance Dates are January 13,14,15,20,21,22,27,28.

Rehearsals period mid-November to mid-January.

If interested in auditioning, please contact Heather Cipu at heatherec -at- gmail.com

I stage managed PWLT’s production of Arcadia a few years ago. It is a fun production, with some nice plot twists. The language is a bit tricky, but when done right is beautiful. Here are a few reviews of various local productions:

• Prince William Little Theatre Arcadia
• Rockville Little Theatre Arcadia
• H-B Woodlawn High School Arcadia

• Assassins, Fall 2011
• 84 Charing Cross Road, Winter 2012
• The Secret Garden, Spring 2012

Schedule is subject to change due to performance rights conflicts or other issues. Specific dates of performances and auditions are yet to be announced.

All interested directors please send a current directing resume and a short 1 page concept for the show(s) you wish to direct to bigbeardc -at- yahoo.com by Sunday, April 10, 2011.

The ceremony featured performances of a song from the five nominees for Outstanding Musical (She Loves Me, Damascus Theatre Company; Rent, Elden Street Players; Chicago, Little Theatre of Alexandria; The Producers, Port Tobacco Players; and The Producers, The Arlington Players). One group (The Alliance Theatre) joined WATCH in 2011 and introduced themselves during the ceremony. The ceremony was hosted by actor Fred Nelson and lasted three hours.

There were 121 productions (35 musicals, 86 plays) adjudicated in 2010. Thirty community theater companies participated in WATCH adjudication.

View all nominations and awards broken down by company

Awards for Outstanding Technical Achievements

• Outstanding Set Design in a Musical: Kevin King, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Outstanding Set Design in a Play: John W. Kirby & John Merritt, Arsenic and Old Lace, Port Tobacco Players
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical: Marty Sullivan & Bill Behan, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Play: Jeff Merritt, Arsenic and Old Lace, Port Tobacco Players
• Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical: Mary Rose Vasko & John Vasko, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Outstanding Set Painting in a Play: John Merritt, Arsenic and Old Lace, Port Tobacco Players
• Outstanding Set Decoration and Set Dressing in a Musical: (TIE) Theresa Bender & Eliza Wolfe, Rent, Elden Street Players; Nancy Eynon Lark, She Loves Me, Damascus Theatre Company
• Outstanding Set Decoration and Set Dressing in a Play: Mary Thiedeman, Arsenic and Old Lace, Port Tobacco Players
• Outstanding Properties in a Musical: Theresa Bender & Eliza Wolfe, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Outstanding Properties in a Play: Andrew Greenleaf, Bridget Muehlberger Sonya Okin, Rabbit Hole, Silver Spring Stage
• Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical: AnnMarie Castrigno, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play: Terry Averill, Earth and Sky, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical: (TIE) Richard Bird, Wonderful Town, Reston Community Players; Stan Harris, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Outstanding Sound Design in a Play: Wes Bedsworth, Earth and Sky, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical: Barbara Esquibel, The Producers, The Arlington Players
• Outstanding Costume Design in a Play: Heather Bauer, Arsenic and Old Lace, Port Tobacco Players
• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical: (TIE) Laura Fontaine, Rent, Elden Street Players; Christine Spata, Evil Dead: The Musical, Taking Flight Theatre Company
• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play: Julie Cameron, Frankenstein, Prince William Little Theatre
• Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical: (TIE) Laura Fontaine, Rent, Elden Street Players; Ronna Johnson, The Producers, Port Tobacco Players
• Outstanding Hair Design in a Play: Paul Morton, Lady Windermere’s Fan, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Outstanding Special Effects: John Bordeaux & Todd C. Huse, Rent, Elden Street Players

Awards for Outstanding Performances by an Actor or Actress

• Outstanding Cameo in a Musical: Laura Gepford as “Mistress”, Evita, Rockville Musical Theatre
• Outstanding Cameo in a Play: Richard Bird as “Sheriff/Ticket Agent”, The Trip to Bountiful, Reston Community Players
• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: TiaJuana Rountree as “Mrs. Mae Peterson”, Bye Bye, Birdie, Prince George’s Little Theatre
• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Mickey Daniel DaGuiso as “Angel Dumott Schunard”, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Audrey Cafaly as “Izzy”, Rabbit Hole, Silver Spring Stage
• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: Dino P. Coppa as “David O. Selznick”, Moonlight and Magnolias, Montgomery Playhouse
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical: Autumn Seavey as “Violet”, Violet, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical: Jimmy Payne as “Max”, The Producers, Port Tobacco Players
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play: Lorraine Magee as “Vivian Bearing, Ph.D.”, W;t, Elden Street Players
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play: Thurston Cobb as “Ralph”, Frozen, Colonial Players of Annapolis

Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Overall Production

• Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography: Kevin C. Robertson, Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Outstanding Choreography: Amy Carson, Chicago, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Outstanding Music Direction: (TIE) John-Michael d’Haviland, Rent, Elden Street Players; Paul Nasto, Chicago, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Outstanding Direction of a Musical: (TIE) Todd C. Huse, Rent, Elden Street Players; Susan Devine, Chicago, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Outstanding Direction of a Play: Evan Hoffmann, Metamorphoses, Elden Street Players
• Outstanding Musical: Rent, Elden Street Players
• Outstanding Play: Metamorphoses, Elden Street Players

All Nominations and Awards Broken Down by Company

Arlington Players

• Awards (1)
  • The Producers
    • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Barbara Esquibel
• Nominations (15)
  • Amadeus
    • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Michael Kharfen as “Antonio Salieri”
  • Cabaret
    • Outstanding Choreography, Jeremy A. McShan
    • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, J. Arthur Rodger
    • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Andy Izquierdo as “Emcee”
    • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, Amanda Acker
    • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, Dave Means
    • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Keith Bell
  • The Producers
    • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Mark Hidalgo as “Lead Stormtrooper”
    • Outstanding Choreography, John Monnett
    • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Barbara Esquibel
    • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Anne Marie Pinto as “Ulla”
    • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Xandra Weaver
    • Outstanding Musical
    • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, Peter Finkel & Bill Wisniewski
    • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Jared Davis

Bowie Community Theatre

• Nominations (1)
  • The Glass Menagerie
    • Outstanding Play

Capital City Players Of DC

• Nominations (1)
  • Julius Caesar
    • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Nello DeBlasio as “Mark Antony”

Castaways Repertory Theatre

• Nominations (1)
  • The Miracle Worker
    • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography, Kevin C. Robertson

Colonial Players

• Awards (3)
  • Earth and Sky
    • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Terry Averill
    • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Wes Bedsworth
  • Frozen
    • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Thurston Cobb as “Ralph”
• Nominations (16)
  • Dog Logic
    • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Ben Carr as “Hertel”
  • Earth and Sky
    • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Pat Reynolds as “David Ames”
    • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Erin Leigh Casey as “Sara McKeon”
    • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Terry Averill
    • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Wes Bedsworth
  • Frozen
    • Outstanding Direction of a Play, James Gallagher
    • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Laura E. Gayvert as “Agnetha”
    • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Thurston Cobb as “Ralph”
    • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Mary MacLeod as “Nancy”
    • Outstanding Play
    • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Ben Cornwell
  • I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
    • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Danny Brooks as “Trentell/Arthur”
    • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Jamie Erin Miller as “Jennifer and other characters”
  • Mrs. California
    • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Doug Dawson
    • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play – Doug Dawson
    • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Grace Bumgardner & Lois Banscher

Damascus Theatre Company

• Awards (1)
  • She Loves Me
    • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Nancy Eynon Lark
• Nominations (10)
  • She Loves Me
    • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Jason Damaso as “Waiter”
    • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Phil Hosford
    • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Stephanie Bonte-Lebair as “Amalia Balash”
    • Outstanding Music Direction, Phil Hosford
    • Outstanding Musical
    • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Margie Henry
    • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical – Bill Lebair
    • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Nancy Eynon Lark
    • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, Bill Brown
    • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Judy Jandora

Dominion Stage

• Nominations (7)
  • Altar Boyz
    • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, Jeffrey S. Auerbach
  • Reefer Madness
    • Outstanding Choreography, Catherine Oh
    • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Jacquin Pierce Allen
    • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Tom Flatt as “The Lecturer”
    • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, Jeffrey S. Auerbach
    • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Jared Davis
    • Outstanding Special Effects, Jeffrey S. Auerbach & David Moretti

Elden Street Players

• Awards (17)
  • Metamorphoses
    • Outstanding Direction of a Play – Evan Hoffmann
    • Outstanding Play
  • Rent
    • Outstanding Direction of a Musical – Todd C. Huse
    • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Mickey Daniel DaGuiso as “Angel Dumott Schunard”
    • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Laura Fontaine
    • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, AnnMarie Castrigno
    • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Laura Fontaine
    • Outstanding Music Direction, John-Michael d’Haviland
    • Outstanding Musical
    • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Theresa Bender & Eliza Wolfe
    • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, Marty Sullivan & Bill Behan
    • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Theresa Bender & Eliza Wolfe
    • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, Kevin King
    • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Mary Rose Vasko & John Vasko
    • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Stan Harris
    • Outstanding Special Effects, John Bordeaux & Todd C. Huse
  • W;t
    • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Lorraine Magee as “Vivian Bearing, Ph.D.”
• Nominations (32)
  • Metamorphoses
    • Outstanding Direction of a Play, Evan Hoffmann
    • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, Laura Fontaine & Jaclyn Young
    • Outstanding Play
    • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, Marty Sullivan & Theresa Bender
    • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, Evan Hoffmann
    • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Karl Meier & Kate Meier
    • Outstanding Special Effects, Theresa Bender et al
    • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography, Katherine Frattini
  • Murder in Green Meadows
    • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Alan Reichert
    • Outstanding Special Effects, Brian Farrell et al
  • Rent
    • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Judy Whelihan & Susan Devine
    • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Todd Huse
    • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Mickey Daniel DaGuiso as “Angel Dumott Schunard”
    • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Christopher Prince as “Tom Collins”
    • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Richelle “Rikki” Howie as “Joanne Jefferson”
    • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Chelsa Reba as “Mimi Marquez”
    • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Laura Fontaine
    • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, AnnMarie Castrigno
    • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Laura Fontaine
    • Outstanding Music Direction, John-Michael d’Haviland
    • Outstanding Musical
    • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Theresa Bender & Eliza Wolfe
    • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, Marty Sullivan & Bill Behan
    • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Theresa Bender & Eliza Wolfe
    • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, Kevin King
    • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Mary Rose Vasko & John Vasko
    • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Stan Harris
    • Outstanding Special Effects, John Bordeaux & Todd C. Huse
  • W;t
    • Outstanding Direction of a Play, Gloria DuGan
    • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Lorraine Magee as “Vivian Bearing, Ph.D.”
    • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Franklin Coleman
    • Outstanding Play

Fauquier Community Theatre

• Awards (1)
  • Musical Comedy Murders of 1940
    • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography – Kevin C. Robertson
• Nominations (3)
  • Musical Comedy Murders of 1940
    • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography, Kevin C. Robertson
  • The Miracle Worker
    • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Sarah LaFantasie as “Annie Sullivan”
    • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography

Greenbelt Arts Center

• Nominations (1)
  • Man of LaMancha
    • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, Eric Street

Kensington Arts Theatre

• Awards (1)
  • Violet
    • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Autumn Seavey as “Violet”
• Nominations (12)
  • Chicago
    • Outstanding Choreography, Diego Prieto
    • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Andrea Spitz & Diego Prieto
    • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Dani Stoller as “Roxie Hart”
    • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Kevin P. Garrett
  • Rent
    • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Eric Jones as “The Man”
    • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Jase Parker as “Angel D. Schunard”
    • Outstanding Music Direction, Brian Victor
  • Violet
    • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Caroline Jane Angell
    • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Autumn Seavey as “Violet”
    • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, Christopher Kelly
    • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Jenna Ballard
    • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Kevin P. Garrett

Little Theatre Of Alexandria

• Awards (4)
  • Chicago
    • Outstanding Choreography, Amy Carson
    • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Susan Devine
    • Outstanding Music Direction, Paul Nasto
  • Lady Windermere’s Fan
    • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Paul Morton
• Nominations (16)
  • Chicago
    • Outstanding Choreography, Amy Carson
    • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Susan Devine
    • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Jon Keeling as “Amos Hart”
    • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Andy Izquierdo as “Billy Flynn”
    • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Bethany Blakey as “Velma Kelly”
    • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Jordan Hougham as “Roxie Hart”
    • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, Ken & Patti Crowley
    • Outstanding Music Direction, Paul Nasto
    • Outstanding Musical
    • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Betty Dolan & Leslie Reed
  • Lady Windermere’s Fan
    • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Kathy Dodson & Chris Macey
    • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Paul Morton
  • Nude With Violin
    • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Phillip Campbell & Patty Greksouk
    • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Russell Wyland
    • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Buffy Mechling
  • Play It Again, Sam
    • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Ken & Patti Crowley

Mclean Community Players

• Nominations (1)
  • Frost/Nixon
    • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Bob Sams as “Richard M. Nixon”

Montgomery Playhouse

• Awards (1)
  • Moonlight and Magnolias
    • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Dino P. Coppa as “David O. Selznick”
• Nominations (5)
  • An Ideal Husband
    • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Jessica C. Henry
    • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Jessica C. Henry
  • Antigone
    • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, William T. Fleming
  • Moonlight and Magnolias
    • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Dino P. Coppa as “David O. Selznick”
    • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, David Jones as “Ben Hecht”

Port Tobacco Players

• Awards (7)
  • Arsenic and Old Lace
    • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Heather Bauer
    • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, Jeff Merritt
    • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Mary Thiedeman
    • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, John W. Kirby & John Merritt
    • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, John Merritt
  • The Producers
    • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Ronna Johnson
    • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Jimmy Payne as “Max”
• Nominations (29)
  • Arsenic and Old Lace
    • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Heather Bauer
    • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Theodore DeMarco-Logue
    • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, Sarah Sandy
    • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Mary Thiedeman & Heather Bauer
    • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, Jeff Merritt
    • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Mary Thiedeman
    • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, John W. Kirby & John Merritt
    • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, John Merritt
  • The Diary of Anne Frank
    • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, John Merritt
    • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, Sarah A. Carlson & Jason Carlson
    • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Sarah A. Carlson
  • The Miracle Worker
    • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography, Brian Donohue
  • The Producers
    • Outstanding Choreography, Brooke L. Howells
    • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Kira Sanders
    • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Brooke L. Howells
    • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Patrick Pruitt as “Franz”
    • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Ronna Johnson
    • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Jimmy Payne as “Max”
    • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Jessica Ramos
    • Outstanding Music Direction, James D. Watson
    • Outstanding Musical
    • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, John Merritt
    • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Sarah A. Carlson & John Merritt
    • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, John Merritt
    • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical – Sarah Carlson & John Merritt
    • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, James D. Watson
  • The Secret Garden
    • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Patricia M. Brennan & Cathy Compton
    • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Tessa N. Silvestro & Mary Thiedeman
    • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Kim Bessler & Heather Bauer

Prince George’s Little Theatre

• Awards (1)
  • Bye Bye, Birdie
    • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, TiaJuana Rountree as “Mrs. Mae Peterson”
• Nominations (2)
  • Arsenic and Old Lace
    • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Roy Hammond & Gayle Negri
  • Bye Bye, Birdie
    • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, TiaJuana Rountree as “Mrs. Mae Peterson”

Prince William Little Theatre

• Awards (1)
  • Frankenstein
    • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, Julie Cameron
• Nominations (4)
  • Frankenstein
    • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Ken & Patti Crowley
    • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, Julie Cameron
    • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Stan Harris
    • Outstanding Special Effects, Dave Warner, Bob Shon, Sarah Barlow, Ken & Patti Crowley

Providence Players

• Nominations (6)
  • Big Tree Falls
    • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Erin Finucane as “Amber”
    • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Addie Storvick as “Sherri”
    • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Beth Hughes-Brown as “Olive”
  • The Laramie Project
    • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, John Coscia as ” Sgt. Hing, Doc O’Connor, Dr. Cantway, Rev. Fred Phelps, Dennis Shepard “
  • Waiting in the Wings
    • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Robbie Snow
    • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Cheryl Sinsabaugh as “Deirdre”

Reston Community Players

• Awards (2)
  • The Trip to Bountiful
    • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Christopher Guy Thorn as “Roy/Ticket Agent”
  • Wonderful Town
    • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Richard Bird
• Nominations (13)
  • As You Like It
    • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Melissa Bailey as “Celia”
    • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Cathy Rieder
  • The Trip to Bountiful
    • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Christopher Guy Thorn as “Roy/Ticket Agent”
    • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Richard Bird as “Sheriff/Ticket Agent”
    • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Irene Molnar
    • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Robin Zerbe as “Thelma”
    • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Adriana Hardy as “Carrie Watts”
    • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Adam Konowe
    • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, Kat Brais
    • Outstanding Play
    • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Kevin P. Garrett
  • Wonderful Town
    • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Jaclyn Young
    • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Richard Bird

Rockville Musical Theatre

• Awards (1)
  • Evita
    • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Laura Gepford as “Mistress”
• Nominations (6)
  • Evita
    • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Laura Gepford as “Mistress”
    • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Malca Giblin
    • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Malca Giblin
  • Forever Plaid
    • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Sonya Tavitian
  • The Pajama Game
    • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, John Loughney as “Sid Sorokin”
    • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Sonya Okin & Joel Richon

Silver Spring Stage

• Awards (2)
  • Rabbit Hole
    • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Audrey Cefaly as “Izzy”
    • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Andrew Greenleaf, Sonya Okin & Bridget Muehlberger
• Nominations (13)
  • Private Lives
    • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Mary Dalto
    • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, Ken Lee
    • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Andrew Greenleaf
    • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, Andrew Greenleaf
  • Pygmalion
    • Outstanding Direction of a Play, Pauline Griller-Mitchell
    • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Maggie Skekel-Sledge
  • Rabbit Hole
    • Outstanding Direction of a Play, Chris Curtis
    • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Audrey Cefaly as “Izzy”
    • Outstanding Play
    • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Andrew Greenleaf, Sonya Okin & Bridget Muehlberger
    • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, Andrew Greenleaf
    • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Andrew Greenleaf, Sonya Okin & Bridget Muehlberger
    • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, Andrew Greenleaf

St. Mark’s Players

• Nominations (1)
  • Two Gentlemen of Verona
    • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Rafael Cuesta as “Speed”

Taking Flight Theatre Company

• Awards (1)
  • Evil Dead: The Musical
    • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Christine Spata
• Nominations (3)
  • Evil Dead: The Musical
    • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Christine Spata
    • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Shannon Khatcheressian
    • Outstanding Special Effects, Jeff Bender

Tantallon Community Players

• Nominations (3)
  • A Raisin in the Sun
    • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, The Cast
    • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Lolita-Marie Clayton as “Ruth Younger”
    • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Robin Dorsey as “Lena “Mama” Younger”

• Aldersgate Church Community Theatre, Alexandria, VA
• The Arlington Players, Arlington, VA
• Bowie Community Theatre, Bowie, MD
• Capital City Players, Washington DC (formerly The Foundry Players)
• Castaways Repertory Theatre, Woodbridge, VA
• Chevy Chase Players, Washington DC
• Colonial Players of Annapolis, Annapolis, MD
• Damascus Theatre Company, Damascus, MD
• Dominion Stage, Alexandria, VA
• Elden Street Players,Herndon, VA
• Fauquier Community Theatre, Warrenton, VA
• Greenbelt Arts Center, Greenbelt, MD
• Hard Bargain Players, Accokeek, MD
• Kensington Arts Theatre, Kensington, MD
• Laurel Mill Playhouse, Laurel, MD
• Little Theatre of Alexandria, Alexandria, VA
• McLean Community Players, McLean, VA
• Montgomery Playhouse , Gaithersburg, MD
• Port City Playhouse, Alexandria, VA
• Port Tobacco Players, La Plata, MD
• Prince George’s Little Theatre, Bowie, MD
• Prince William Little Theatre, Manassas, VA
• Providence Players of Fairfax, Falls Church, VA
• Reston Community Players, Reston, VA
• Rockville Little Theatre, Rockville, MD
• Rockville Musical Theatre, Rockville, MD
• St. Mark’s Players, Washington DC
• Silver Spring Stage, Silver Spring, MD
• Taking Flight Theatre Company, Sterling, VA (formerly CCT with 2nd Flight Theatre Company)
• Tantallon Community Players, Ft. Washington, MD
• Vienna Theatre Company, Vienna, VA

In 2011, two additional companies will be participating:

• The Alliance Theatre, Chantilly, VA
• Rooftop Productions, Manassas, VA

In each of the thirty-eight categories, five nominees were selected based on the average scores of eight judges. In some categories, due to score ties, more than five nominees are announced. Nominations are provided in alphabetical order by nominee. The nominations are provided by category and then by theater.

Listen to a recording of the announcement. [MP3 23:59 22MB] Nominations were presented by Jenna Ballard, Leta Hall, Kira Simon, Linda Stone, and Sue Pinkman.

Nominations for outstanding technical achievements.

Outstanding Set Design in a Musical

• Bill Brown, She Loves Me, Damascus Theatre Company
• Kevin King, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Dave Means, Cabaret, The Arlington Players
• John Merritt, The Producers, Port Tobacco Players
• Eric Street, Man of LaMancha, Greenbelt Arts Center

Outstanding Set Design in a Play

• Sarah A. Carlson & Jason Carlson, The Diary of Anne Frank, Port Tobacco Players
• Andrew Greenleaf, Private Lives, Silver Spring Stage
• Andrew Greenleaf, Rabbit Hole, Silver Spring Stage
• Evan Hoffmann, Metamorphoses, Elden Street Players
• John W. Kirby & John Merritt, Arsenic and Old Lace, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical

• Amanda Acker, Cabaret, The Arlington Players
• Peter Finkel & Bill Wisniewski, The Producers, The Arlington Players
• Bill Lebair, She Loves Me, Damascus Theatre Company
• John Merritt, The Producers, Port Tobacco Players
• Marty Sullivan & Bill Behan, Rent, Elden Street Players

Outstanding Set Construction in a Play

• Andrew Greenleaf, Rabbit Hole, Silver Spring Stage
• Ken Lee, Private Lives, Silver Spring Stage
• Jeff Merritt, Arsenic and Old Lace, Port Tobacco Players
• John Merritt, The Diary of Anne Frank, Port Tobacco Players
• Marty Sullivan & Theresa Bender, Metamorphoses, Elden Street Players

Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical

• Jared Davis, Reefer Madness, Dominion Stage
• Jared Davis, The Producers, The Arlington Players
• Judy Jandora, She Loves Me, Damascus Theatre Company
• The Producers, Port Tobacco Players
• Tessa N. Silvestro & Mary Thiedeman, The Secret Garden, Port Tobacco Players
• Mary Rose Vasko & John Vasko, Rent, Elden Street Players

Outstanding Set Painting in a Play

• Sarah A. Carlson, The Diary of Anne Frank, Port Tobacco Players
• Buffy Mechling, Nude With Violin, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Karl Meier & Kate Meier, Metamorphoses, Elden Street Players
• John Merritt, Arsenic and Old Lace, Port Tobacco Players
• Cathy Rieder, As You Like It, Reston Community Players

Outstanding Set Decoration and Set Dressing in a Musical

• Theresa Bender & Eliza Wolfe, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Kim Bessler & Heather Bauer, The Secret Garden, Port Tobacco Players
• Sarah A. Carlson & John Merritt, The Producers, Port Tobacco Players
• Shannon Khatcheressian, Evil Dead: The Musical, Taking Flight Theatre Company
• Nancy Eynon Lark, She Loves Me, Damascus Theatre Company
• Sonya Okin & Joel Richon, The Pajama Game, Rockville Musical Theatre

Outstanding Set Decoration and Set Dressing in a Play

• Andrew Greenleaf, Private Lives, Silver Spring Stage
• Andrew Greenleaf et al, Rabbit Hole, Silver Spring Stage
• Roy Hammond & Gayle Negri, Arsenic and Old Lace, Prince George’s Little Theatre
• Mary Thiedeman, Arsenic and Old Lace, Port Tobacco Players
• Russell Wyland, Nude With Violin, Little Theatre of Alexandria

Outstanding Properties in a Musical

• Jenna Ballard, Violet, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Theresa Bender & Eliza Wolfe, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Betty Dolan & Leslie Reed, Chicago, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Margie Henry, She Loves Me, Damascus Theatre Company
• Sonya Tavitian, Forever Plaid, Rockville Musical Theatre

Outstanding Properties in a Play

• Grace Bumgardner & Lois Banscher, Mrs. California, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Phillip Campbell & Patty Greksouk, Nude With Violin, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Mary Dalto, Private Lives, Silver Spring Stage
• Andrew Greenleaf et al, Rabbit Hole, Silver Spring Stage
• Mary Thiedeman & Heather Bauer, Arsenic and Old Lace, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical

• Jeffrey S. Auerbach, Altar Boyz, Dominion Stage
• Jeffrey S. Auerbach, Reefer Madness, Dominion Stage
• AnnMarie Castrigno, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Ken & Patti Crowley, Chicago, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Christopher Kelly, Violet, Kensington Arts Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play

• Terry Averill, Earth and Sky, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Franklin Coleman, W;t, Elden Street Players
• Ken & Patti Crowley, Play It Again, Sam, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Ken & Patti Crowley, Frankenstein, Prince William Little Theatre
• Theodore DeMarco-Logue, Arsenic and Old Lace, Port Tobacco Players
• Adam Konowe, Trip to Bountiful, Reston Community Players

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical

• Keith Bell, Cabaret, The Arlington Players
• Richard Bird, Wonderful Town, Reston Community Players
• Kevin P. Garrett, Violet, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Kevin P. Garrett, Chicago, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Stan Harris, Rent, Elden Street Players
• James D. Watson, The Producers, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play

• Wes Bedsworth, Earth and Sky, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Ben Cornwell, Frozen, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Kevin P. Garrett, Trip to Bountiful, Reston Community Players
• Stan Harris, Frankenstein, Prince William Little Theatre
• Alan Reichert, Murder in Green Meadows, Elden Street Players

Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical

• Jacquin Pierce Allen, Reefer Madness, Dominion Stage
• Patricia M. Brennan & Cathy Compton, The Secret Garden, Port Tobacco Players
• Barbara Esquibel, The Producers, The Arlington Players
• Kira Sanders, The Producers, Port Tobacco Players
• Judy Whelihan & Susan Devine, Rent, Elden Street Players

Outstanding Costume Design in a Play

• Heather Bauer, Arsenic and Old Lace, Port Tobacco Players
• Kathy Dodson & Chris Macey, Lady Windermere’s Fan, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Jessica C. Henry, An Ideal Husband, Montgomery Playhouse
• Irene Molnar, Trip to Bountiful, Reston Community Players
• Robbie Snow, Waiting in the Wings, Providence Players of Fairfax

Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical

• Laura Fontaine, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Malca Giblin, Evita, Rockville Musical Theatre
• Jessica Ramos, The Producers, Port Tobacco Players
• Christine Spata, Evil Dead: The Musical, Taking Flight Theatre Company
• Xandra Weaver, The Producers, The Arlington Players

Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play

• Kat Brais, Trip to Bountiful, Reston Community Players
• Julie Cameron, Frankenstein, Prince William Little Theatre
• Mrs. California, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• William T. Fleming, Antigone, Montgomery Playhouse
• Laura Fontaine & Jaclyn Young, Metamorphoses, Elden Street Players
• Sarah Sandy, Arsenic and Old Lace, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical

• Laura Fontaine, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Malca Giblin, Evita, Rockville Musical Theatre
• Ronna Johnson, The Producers, Port Tobacco Players
• J. Arthur Rodger, Cabaret, The Arlington Players
• Jaclyn Young, Wonderful Town, Reston Community Players

Outstanding Hair Design in a Play

• The Cast, A Raisin in the Sun, Tantallon Community Players
• Doug Dawson, Mrs. California, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Jessica C. Henry, An Ideal Husband, Montgomery Playhouse
• Paul Morton, Lady Windermere’s Fan, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Maggie Skekel-Sledge, Pygmalion, Silver Spring Stage

Outstanding Special Effects

• Jeffrey S. Auerbach & David Moretti, Reefer Madness, Dominion Stage
• Theresa Bender et al, Metamorphoses, Elden Street Players
• Jeff Bender, Evil Dead: The Musical, Taking Flight Theatre Company
• John Bordeaux & Todd Huse, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Brian Farrell et al, Murder in Green Meadows, Elden Street Players
• Dave Warner et al, Frankenstein, Prince William Little Theatre

Nominations for outstanding performances by an actor or actress.

Outstanding cameo in a musical

• Danny Brooks as “Trentell et al”, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Jason Damaso as “Waiter”, She Loves Me, Damascus Theatre Company
• Laura Gepford as “Mistress”, Evita, Rockville Musical Theatre
• Mark Hidalgo as “Lead Stormtrooper”, The Producers, The Arlington Players
• Eric Jones as “The Man”, Rent, Kensington Arts Theatre

Outstanding cameo in a play

• Richard Bird as “Sheriff/Ticket Agent”, Trip to Bountiful, Reston Community Players
• Erin Finucane as “Amber”, Big Tree Falls, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Beth Hughes-Brown as “Olive”, Big Tree Falls, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Addie Storvick as “Sherri”, Big Tree Falls, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Christopher Guy Thorn as “Roy/Ticket Agent”, Trip to Bountiful, Reston Community Players

Outstanding featured actress in a musical

• Richelle “Rikki” Howie as “Joanne Johnson”, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Jamie Erin Miller as “Jennifer et al”, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Anne Marie Pinto as “Ulla”, The Producers, The Arlington Players
• Chelsa Reba as “Mimi Marquez”, Rent, Elden Street Players
• TiaJuana Rountree as “Mrs. Mae Peterson”, Bye Bye, Birdie, Prince George’s Little Theatre

Outstanding featured actor in a musical

• Mickey Daniel DaGuiso as “Angel Dumott Schunard”, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Jon Keeling as “Amos Hart”, Chicago, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Jase Parker as “Angel D. Schunard”, Rent, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Christopher Prince as “Tom Collins”, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Patrick Pruitt as “Franz”, The Producers, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding featured actress in a play

• Melissa Bailey as “Celia”, As You Like It, Reston Community Players
• Audrey Cafaly as “Izzy”, Rabbit Hole, Silver Spring Stage
• Laura E. Gayvert as “Agnetha”, Frozen, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Cheryl Sinsabaugh as “Deirdre”, Waiting in the Wings, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Robin Zerbe as “Thelma”, Trip to Bountiful, Reston Community Players

Outstanding featured actor in a play

• Dino P. Coppa as “David O. Selznick”, Moonlight and Magnolias, Montgomery Playhouse
• John Coscia as “Sgt. Hing, Doc O’Connor, et al”, The Laramie Project, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Rafael Cuesta as “Speed”, Two Gentlemen of Verona, St. Mark’s Players
• David Jones as “Ben Hecht”, Moonlight and Magnolias, Montgomery Playhouse
• Pat Reynolds as “David Ames”, Earth and Sky, Colonial Players of Annapolis

Outstanding lead actress in a musical

• Bethany Blakey as “Velma Kelly”, Chicago, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Stephanie Bonte-Labair as “Amalia Balach”, She Loves Me, Damascus Theatre Company
• Jordan Hougham as “Roxie Hart”, Chicago, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Autumn Seavy as “Violet”, Violet, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Dani Stoller as “Roxie Hart”, Chicago, Kensington Arts Theatre

Outstanding lead actor in a musical

• Tom Flatt as “The Lecturer”, Reefer Madness, Dominion Stage
• Andy Izquierdo as “Billy Flynn”, Chicago, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Andy Izquierdo as “Emcee”, Cabaret, The Arlington Players
• John Loughney as “Sid Sorokin”, The Pajama Game, Rockville Musical Theatre
• Jimmy Payne as “Max”, The Producers, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding lead actress in a play

• Erin Leigh Casey as “Sara McKeon”, Earth and Sky, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Lolita-Marie Clayton as “Ruth Younger”, A Raisin in the Sun, Tantallon Community Players
• Robin Dorsey as “Lena “Mama” Younger”, A Raisin in the Sun, Tantallon Community Players
• Adriana Hardy as “Carrie Watts”, Trip to Bountiful, Reston Community Players
• Sarah LaFantasie as “Annie Sullivan”, The Miracle Worker, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Mary MacLeod as “Nancy”, Frozen, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Lorraine Magee as “Vivian Bearing, Ph.D.”, W;t, Elden Street Players

Outstanding lead actor in a play

• Ben Carr as “Hertel”, Dog Logic, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Thurston Cobb as “Ralph”, Frozen, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Nello DeBlasio as “Mark Antony”, Julius Caesar, Foundry Players
• Michael Kharfen as “Antonio Salieri”, Amadeus, The Arlington Players
• Bob Sams as “Richard M. Nixon”, Frost/Nixon, McLean Community Players

Nominations for outstanding achievement in overall production.

Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography

• Brian Donohue, The Miracle Worker, Port Tobacco Players
• The Miracle Worker, Fauquier Community Players
• Katherine Frattini, Metamorphoses, Elden Street Players
• Kevin C. Robertson, The Miracle Worker, Castaways Repertory Theatre
• Kevin C. Robertson, Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, Fauquier Community Theatre

Outstanding Choreography

• Amy Carson, Chicago, The Arlington Players
• Brooke L. Howells, The Producers, Port Tobacco Players
• Jeremy A. McShan, Cabaret, The Arlington Players
• John Monnett, The Producers, The Arlington Players
• Catherine Oh, Reefer Madness, Dominion Stage
• Diego Prieto, Chicago, Kensington Arts Theatre

Outstanding Music Direction

• John-Michael d’Haviland, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Phil Hosford, She Loves Me, Damascus Theatre Company
• Paul Nasto, Chicago, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Brian Victor, Rent, Kensington Arts Theatre
• James D. Watson, The Producers, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

• Caroline Jane Angell, Violet, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Susan Devine, Chicago, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Phil Hosford, She Loves Me, Damascus Theatre Company
• Brooke L. Howells, The Producers, Port Tobacco Players
• Todd Huse, Rent, Elden Street Players
• Andrea Spitz & Diego Prieto, Chicago, Kensington Arts Theatre

Outstanding Direction of a Play

• Chris Curtis, Rabbit Hole, Silver Spring Stage
• Gloria DuGan, W;t, Elden Street Players
• James Gallagher, Frozen, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Pauline Griller-Mitchell, Pygmalion, Silver Spring Stage
• Evan Hoffmann, Metamorphoses, Elden Street Players

Outstanding Musical

• She Loves Me, Damascus Theatre Company
• Rent, Elden Street Players
• Chicago, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• The Producers, Port Tobacco Players
• The Producers, The Arlington Players

Outstanding Play

• The Glass Menagerie, Bowie Community Players
• Frozen, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Metamorphoses, Elden Street Players
• W;t, Elden Street Players
• Trip to Bountiful, Reston Community Players

Nominations sorted by theatre and show

Arlington Players

• Amadeus

  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Michael Kharfen as “Antonio Salieri”

• Cabaret

  • Outstanding Choreography, Jeremy A. McShan
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, J. Arthur Rodger
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Andy Izquierdo as “Emcee”
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, Amanda Acker
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, Dave Means
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Keith Bell

• The Producers

  • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Mark Hidalgo as “Lead Stormtrooper”
  • Outstanding Choreography, John Monnett
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Barbara Esquibel
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Anne Marie Pinto as “Ulla”
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Xandra Weaver
  • Outstanding Musical
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, Peter Finkel & Bill Wisniewski
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Jared Davis

Bowie Community Theatre

• The Glass Menagerie

  • Outstanding Play

Castaways Repertory Theatre

• The Miracle Worker

  • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography, Kevin Robertson

Colonial Players

• Dog Logic

  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Ben Carr as “Hertel”

• Earth and Sky

  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Pat Reynolds as “David Ames”
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Erin Leigh Casey as “Sara McKeon”
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Terry Averill
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Wes Bedsworth

• Frozen

  • Outstanding Direction of a Play, James Gallagher
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Laura E. Gayvert as “Agnetha”
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Thurston Cobb as “Ralph”
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Mary MacLeod as “Nancy”
  • Outstanding Play
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Ben Cornwell

• I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change

  • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Danny Brooks as “Trentell et al”
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Jamie Erin Miller as “Jennifer et al”

• Mrs. California

  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Doug Dawson
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play
  • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Grace Bumgardner & Lois Banscher

Damascus Theatre Company

• She Loves Me

  • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Jason Damaso as “Waiter”
  • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Phil Hosford
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Stephanie Bonte-Labair as “Amalia Balach”
  • Outstanding Music Direction, Phil Hosford
  • Outstanding Musical
  • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Margie Henry
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, Bill Lebair
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Nancy Eynon Lark
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, Bill Brown
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Judy Jandora

Dominion Stage

• Altar Boyz

  • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, Jeffrey S. Auerbach

• Reefer Madness

  • Outstanding Choreography, Catherine Oh
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Jacquin Pierce Allen
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Tom Flatt as “The Lecturer”
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, Jeffrey S. Auerbach
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Jared Davis
  • Outstanding Special Effects, Jeffrey S. Auerbach & David Moretti

Elden Street Players

• Metamorphoses

  • Outstanding Direction of a Play, Evan Hoffmann
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, Laura Fontaine & Jaclyn Young
  • Outstanding Play
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, Marty Sullivan & Theresa Bender
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, Evan Hoffmann
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Karl Meier & Kate Meier
  • Outstanding Special Effects, Theresa Bender et al
  • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography, Katherine Frattini

• Murder in Green Meadows

  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Alan Reichert
  • Outstanding Special Effects, Brian Farrell et al

• Rent

  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Judy Whelihan & Susan Devine
  • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Todd Huse
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Mickey Daniel DaGuiso as “Angel Dumott Schunard”
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Christopher Prince as “Tom Collins”
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Richelle “Rikki” Howie as “Joanne Jefferson”
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Chelsa Reba as “Mimi Marquez”
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Laura Fontaine
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, AnnMarie Castrigno
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Laura Fontaine
  • Outstanding Music Direction, John-Michael d’Haviland
  • Outstanding Musical
  • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Theresa Bender & Eliza Wolfe
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, Marty Sullivan & Bill Behan
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Theresa Bender & Eliza Wolfe
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, Kevin King
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Mary Rose Vasko & John Vasko
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Stan Harris
  • Outstanding Special Effects, John Bordeaux & Todd Huse

• W;t

  • Outstanding Direction of a Play, Gloria DuGan
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Lorraine Magee as “Vivian Bearing, Ph.D.”
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Franklin Coleman
  • Outstanding Play

Fauquier Community Theatre

• Musical Comedy Murders of 1940

  • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography, Kevin C. Robertson

• The Miracle Worker

  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Sarah LaFantasie as “Annie Sullivan”
  • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography

Foundry Players

• Julius Caesar

  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Nello DeBlasio as “Mark Antony”

Greenbelt Arts Center

• Man of LaMancha

  • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, Eric Street

Kensington Arts Theatre

• Chicago

  • Outstanding Choreography, Diego Prieto
  • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Andrea Spitz & Diego Prieto
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Dani Stoller as “Roxie Hart”
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Kevin P. Garrett

• Rent

  • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Eric Jones as “The Man”
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Jase Parker as “Angel D. Schunard”
  • Outstanding Music Direction, Brian Victor

• Violet

  • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Caroline Jane Angell
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Autumn Seavy as “Violet”
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, Christopher Kelly
  • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Jenna Ballard
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Kevin P. Garrett

Little Theatre Of Alexandria

• Chicago

  • Outstanding Choreography, Amy Carson
  • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Susan Devine
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Jon Keeling as “Amos Hart”
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Andy Izquierdo as “Billy Flynn”
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Bethany Blakey as “Velma Kelly”
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Jordan Hougham as “Roxie Hart”
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, Ken & Patti Crowley
  • Outstanding Music Direction, Paul Nasto
  • Outstanding Musical
  • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Betty Dolan & Leslie Reed

• Lady Windermere’s Fan

  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Kathy Dodson & Chris Macey
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Paul Morton

• Nude With Violin

  • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Phillip Campbell & Patty Greksouk
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Russell Wyland
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Buffy Mechling

• Play It Again, Sam

  • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Ken & Patti Crowley

McLean Community Players

• Frost/Nixon

  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Bob Sams as “Richard M. Nixon”

Montgomery Playhouse

• An Ideal Husband

  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Jessica C. Henry
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Jessica C. Henry

• Antigone

  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, William T. Fleming

• Moonlight and Magnolias

  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Dino P. Coppa as “David O. Selznick”
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, David Jones as “Ben Hecht”

Port Tobacco Players

• Arsenic and Old Lace

  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Heather Bauer
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Theodore DeMarco-Logue
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, Sarah Sandy
  • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Mary Theideman & Heather Bauer
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, Jeff Merritt
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Mary Thiedeman
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, John W. Kirby & John Merritt
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, John Merritt

• The Diary of Anne Frank

  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, John Merritt
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, Sarah A. Carlson & Jason Carlson
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Sarah A. Carlson

• The Miracle Worker

  • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography, Brian Donohue

• The Producers

  • Outstanding Choreography, Brooke L. Howells
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Kira Sanders
  • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Brooke L. Howells
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Patrick Pruitt as “Franz”
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Ronna Johnson
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Jimmy Payne as “Max”
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Jessica Ramos
  • Outstanding Music Direction, James D. Watson
  • Outstanding Musical
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, John Merritt
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Sarah A. Carlson & John Merritt
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, John Merritt
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, James D. Watson

• The Secret Garden

  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Patricia M. Brennan & Cathy Compton
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Tessa N. Silvestro & Mary Thiedeman
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Kim Bessler & Heather Bauer

Prince George’s Little Theatre

• Arsenic and Old Lace

  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Roy Hammond & Gayle Negri

• Bye Bye, Birdie

  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, TiaJuana Rountree as “Mrs. Mae Peterson”

Prince William Little Theatre

• Frankenstein

  • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Ken & Patti Crowley
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, Julie Cameron
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Stan Harris
  • Outstanding Special Effects, Dave Warner et al

Providence Players

• Big Tree Falls

  • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Erin Finucane as “Amber”
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Addie Storvick as “Sherri”
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Beth Hughes-Brown as “Olive”

• The Laramie Project

  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, John Coscia as “Sgt. Hing, Doc. O’Connor, et al”

• Waiting in the Wings

  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Robbie Snow
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Cheryl Sinsabaugh as “Deirdre”

Reston Community Players

• As You Like It

  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Melissa Bailey as “Celia”
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Cathy Rieder

• Trip to Bountiful

  • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Christopher Guy Thorn as “Roy/Ticket Agent”
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Richard Bird as “Sheriff/Ticket Agent”
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Irene Molnar
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Robin Zerbe as “Thelma”
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Adriana Hardy as “Carrie Watts”
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Adam Konowe
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, Kat Brais
  • Outstanding Play
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Kevin P. Garrett

• Wonderful Town

  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Jaclyn Young
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Richard Bird

Rockville Musical Theatre

• Evita

  • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Laura Gepford as “Mistress”
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Malca Giblin
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Malca Giblin

• Forever Plaid

  • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Sonya Tavitian

• The Pajama Game

  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, John Loughney as “Sid Sorokin”
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Sonya Okin & Joel Richon

Silver Spring Stage

• Private Lives

  • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Mary Dalto
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, Ken Lee
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Andrew Greenleaf
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, Andrew Greenleaf

• Pygmalion

  • Outstanding Direction of a Play, Pauline Griller-Mitchell
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Maggie Skekel-Sledge

• Rabbit Hole

  • Outstanding Direction of a Play, Chris Curtis
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Audrey Cefaly as “Izzy”
  • Outstanding Play
  • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Andrew Greenleaf et al
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, Andrew Greenleaf
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Andrew Greenleaf et al
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, Andrew Greenleaf

St. Mark’s Players

• Two Gentlemen of Verona

  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Rafael Cuesta as “Speed”

Taking Flight Theatre Company

• Evil Dead: The Musical

  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Christine Spata
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Shannon Khatcheressian
  • Outstanding Special Effects, Jeff Bender

Tantallon Community Players

• A Raisin in the Sun

  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, The Cast
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Lolita-Marie Clayton as “Ruth Younger”
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Robin Dorsey as “Lena “Mama” Younger”

The St. Mark’s Players have taken on what is known to be Shakespeare’s very first play, Two Gentlemen of Verona. Putting their own modern twist on Shakespeare, the Players have made the show relatable and engaging to modern audiences. From references to Lady Gaga and Britney Spears to the Darth Vader… as the host says in the beginning, “this is NOT yo mama’s Shakespeare!”

In going along with the Player’s modern twist on Shakespeare, the summary has been translated into modern vernacular so all of us groundlings can understand the storyline. Soooo here’s what happens right…

Sooooooooo basically, you got these two friends right, Proteus and Valentine. Soooo Valentine is like sooo not feeling Verona anymore and decides to travel to Milan to find something exciting to do. He wants Proteus to go with him, but Proteus has a mad crush on this girl named Julia and Valentine is like, “laaaame dude, falling in love is super lame, I’m leaving for Milan.” But Proteus ends up being the laaaaame one, ’cause when he gets to Milan he ends up falling in love with the Duke’s ( he’s like a president) daughter Sylvia…dumb. THEN Proteus’ father tells him “look man, get out of Verona, go have fun in Milan like Valentine, gain some life experiences ’cause right now you’re not doing anything with your life.” Leaving behind his woman he ventures off to Milan where he sees this fine young thang named Sylvia and falls in love with her… a major no no, you’re not supposed to fall in love with your friend’s girl. Anyway, Julia’s like “oh uh uh! I can’t live without my man this is unacceptable!” So she goes kinda crazy, dresses up like a dude and travels to Milan to claim her boo. When she gets there she sees that Proteus is tryin’ to get with Sylvia and is like “wtf!” But because she’s smart she keeps it low key and doesn’t tell anyone who she is and spies on what everyone else is doing. Soooo basically, they’re all like really messed up here and some crazy stuff happens in the end … so yea it’s like major drama.

As an ensemble, the cast was very energetic in bringing out all of the humor in the play. They took on the challenge of speaking Shakespeare. Although like most Shakespearean plays, the clarity was not always there, but was spoken beautifully by the entire cast. The decision to modernize the show was a good one, it kept the attention of the audience and eliminated the pressure of trying to understand Shakespeare’s language. Children in the audience were equally engaged in the show thanks to funky costuming and some ad-libbing and improv from the actors. Costumes were a mix between modern and Elizabethan style clothing. For instance, Proteus sported an Elizabethan doublet worn by men at the time as well as a pair of Chuck Taylor’s. The cast definitely found the humor within themselves using their low budget for the show as a means to humor the audience, as the host explains in the beginning, they only had $200.00 to do the show. Changes in location were announced by large cardboard signs and throughout the show, the host tried to round up her unruly actors from the side lines, yelling at them to “find the light!” and when the stage was empty she asked the audience “where are my actors!?” She raved bout their unprofessionalism, but all in good fun allowing the limited resources to not be a detriment to their work.

With such a large cast, it would not be fair to single anyone out, but Directors Rikki Howie and Temple Forston picked the right people for the job. For a fun, stress-free night of Shakespeare, St. Mark’s is the place to be. Also, the St. Marks Episcopal church is a beautiful venue and with significant historical value to the DC area.

Director’s Notes

It is believed that Two Gentlemen of Verona is one of Shakespeare’s first plays, so it’s fitting that it’s my first community theater direction project. I’ve always had a great love of Shakespeare, his text, his devices, and the way that his stories have shaped theater. So when Rikki and I started discussing the show, we decided to go back to the original attitude of Shakespeare; the idea of rag-tag players who had to appeal to the base poor in the pits, as well as the rich and powerful. From that, we created this production of “a traveling theater troupe” that wants to entertain, as well as show off their craft.

We chose to take the humor of Shakespeare’s text, then built on that humor for a modern audience, never forgetting that first and foremost Shakespeare wrote to entertain the masses and create an enjoyable theater experience. We asked the actors to truly play with the show, then guided them to shape the production as a whole. So in the end we created a show that is not your mama’s Shakespeare, but it’s most certainly the heart of original Shakespeare.

Putting together this show, with Rikki and Rick has been a truly amazing and blessed journey. I can’t thank them enough for their support, guidance and friendship. My thanks to St. Mark’s Players, my family, the actors, and also the audiences! I hope you have as much fun watching the show as we had putting it together. Please sit back, relax and have fun with our show!

Dramaturge Notes

Considered by some to be William Shakespeare’s first play, the Two Gentlemen of Verona was either written in 1590 or 1591. The comedy centered on the conflict between loyalty to friends versus submission to passion.

This play is often seen as the first tentative steps in some of the themes and topics with which he would later deal in more detail. For example, it is the first of his plays in which a heroine dressed as a boy. It has the smallest cast of any his plays.

Dennis John Lewis

Cast

• Narrator : Nikki Gerber
• Valentine: William Macleod
• Proteus: Richard Miller
• Speed/Musician/3rd Outlaw: Rafael Cuesta
• Julia: Rachel Watson
• Lucetta: Mary Ayala Bush
• Antonio/Panthino: Geoff Baskir
• Sylvia: Banafsheh Wallace
• Thurio/Eglamour: Luke Morris
• The Duchess: Heather Cipu
• 1st Outlaw: David Hoffman
• Attendant/2nd Outlaw: Barbara Omohundro
• Host: Nikki Gerber

Production Team

• Directors: Rikki Howie and Temple Fortson
• Stage Manager: Rikki Howie
• Producer: Rick Hayes
• Assistant Producer: Tom Wickenden
• Sound Design: Soundman
• Lighting Design: Jerry M. Dale Jr.
• Lighting Board Technician: Jerry M. Dale Jr., Josh Kashinsky, Tom Wickenden
• Properties Design: Ivanna Alexander and Charmice Hardy
• Set Design: Rikki Howie and Temple Fortson
• Costume Design: Rose Hartmann
• Costume Construction: Rose Hartman, Rachel Moressey, Mary Ayala Bush
• Makeup Design: Paige Grayson
• Hair Design: Paige Grayson
• Box Office Manager: Beth Hall and Eliza Kashinsky
• House Managers: Rick Hayes, Tom Wickenden
• Refreshments: Richard Warfield
• Photographers: Chuck Devine
• Poster/Cover Art: Jennifer Reitz

Disclaimer: St. Mark’s Players provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.