• Godspell, September – October 2014
• Annie, November – December 2014
• The Dixie Swim Club, January – February 2015
• 1776, March 2015
• Much Ado About Nothing, May 2015

More information may be found at the Port Tobacco Players web site. Schedule is subject to change due to performance rights conflicts or other issues. Specific dates of performances and auditions are yet to be announced.

Two musicals received five awards, Camelot by 2nd Star Productions and Ragtime by Kensington Arts Theatre. Two plays received four awards, The Pillowman by Silver Spring Stage and Red by the Elden Street Players. Kensington Arts Theatre received the most awards, a total of seven for their productions of Ragtime and Next to Normal. Colonial Players was the only theater company to receive awards for three separate productions, 1776, Shipwrecked and Trying.

• 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

Winners for outstanding technical achievements.

Outstanding Set Design in a Musical (TIE)

• Jared Davis, Avenue Q, Dominion Stage
• Jane B. Wingard, Camelot, 2nd Star Productions

Outstanding Set Design in a Play

• John Downing and Bill Glikbarg, Twentieth Century, Little Theatre of Alexandria

Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical

• Hector Lorenzini, Avenue Q, Dominion Stage

Outstanding Set Construction in a Play

• Richard Gilpin and Zachary Ball, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical

• Jane B. Wingard, Camelot, 2nd Star Productions

Outstanding Set Painting in a Play

• Mary Speed and Brian Garrison, Red, Elden Street Players

Outstanding Set Decoration and Set Dressing in a Musical

• Jane B. Wingard and Gail Bagaria, Camelot, 2nd Star Productions

Outstanding Set Decoration and Set Dressing in a Play

• Paul Hennesy and Mike Mattheisen, Is He Dead?, Providence Players of Fairfax

Outstanding Properties in a Musical

• Joanne D. Wilson, Camelot, 2nd Star Productions

Outstanding Properties in a Play

• Susan d. Garvey, Red, Elden Street Players

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical

• Tommy Scott, Fiddler on the Roof, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play

• Ken and Patti Crowley, 33 Variations, Little Theatre of Alexandria

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical

• Kevin DeMine, Avenue Q, Dominion Stage

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play

• Sean Doyle, Shiloh Rules, Port City Playhouse

Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical

• Linda Swann, Camelot, 2nd Star Productions

Outstanding Costume Design in a Play

• Mary Wakefield, The Tempest, Rockville Little Theatre

Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical

• Shemika Berry, The Wiz, Tantallon Community Players

Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play

• Sally Cusenza, The Pillowman, Silver Spring Stage

Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical

• Beverly Hill van Joolen, 1776, Colonial Players of Annapolis

Outstanding Hair Design in a Play

• Rachel Royall, Life with Father, Aldersgate Churtch Community Theatre

Outstanding Special Effects

• Joshua McKerrow, Kat McKerrow, Maya Wilcox, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Laurel Mill Playhouse

Winners for outstanding performances by an actor or actress.

Outstanding cameo in a musical

• Lydia Kivrak as ‘Grandma Tzeitel’, Fiddler on the Roof, Port Tobacco Players

Outstanding cameo in a play

• Jeffrey Gangwisch as ‘James’, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Laurel Mill Playhouse

Outstanding featured actress in a musical

• Eben K. Logan as ‘Sarah’, Ragtime, Kensington Arts Theatre

Outstanding featured actor in a musical

• Ryan Burke as ‘Dan’, Next to Normal, Kensington Arts Theatre

Outstanding featured actress in a play

• Christina Enoch Kemmerer as ‘Player #1’, Shipwrecked, Colonial Players of Annapolis

Outstanding featured actor in a play (TIE)

• Chris Daileader as ‘Michal’, The Pillowman, Silver Spring Stage
• Robert Tucker as ‘Player #2’, Shipwrecked, Colonial Players of Annapolis

Outstanding lead actress in a musical

• Emily Zickler as ‘Diana’, Next to Normal, Kensington Arts Theatre

Outstanding lead actor in a musical

• Sayne-Kharyi Lewis as ‘Colehouse Walker’, Ragtime, Kensington Arts Theatre

Outstanding lead actress in a play (TIE)

• Karen Grim as ‘Sarah Schorr’, Trying, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Mary-Anne Sullivan as ‘Dr. Katherine Brandt’, 33 Variations, Reston Community Players

Outstanding lead actor in a play

• Chad W. Fornwalt as ‘Katurian’, The Pillowman, Silver Spring Stage

Winners for outstanding achievement in overall production.

Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography

• William T. Fleming, The Pillowman, Silver Spring Stage

Outstanding Choreography

• Darnell Morris and Eben K. Logan, Ragtime, Kensington Arts Theatre

Outstanding Music Direction

• Mayumi B. Griffie, Ragtime, Kensington Arts Theatre

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

• Evan Hoffmann, Caroline or Change, Elden Street Players

Outstanding Direction of a Play

• Gloria DuGan, Red, Elden Street Players

Outstanding Musical

• Ragtime, Kensington Arts Theatre

Outstanding Play

• Red, Elden Street Players

Wins sorted by theatre and show.

2nd Star Productions

• Camelot
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Linda Swann
  • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Joanne D. Wilson
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Jane B. Wingard and Gail Bagaria
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, Jane B. Wingard
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Jane B. Wingard

Aldersgate Church Community Theatre

• Life with Father
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Play, Rachel Royall

Colonial Players

• 1776
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Beverly Hill van Joolen
• Shipwrecked
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Robert Tucker as “Player #2”
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Christina Enoch Kremmerer as “Player #1”
• Trying
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Karen Grim as “Sarah Schorr”

Dominion Stage

• Avenue Q
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, Hector Lorenzini
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, Jared Davis
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Kevin DeMine

Elden Street Players

• Caroline or Change
  • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Evan Hoffmann
• Red
  • Outstanding Direction of a Play, Gloria DuGan
  • Outstanding Play
  • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Susan d. Garvey
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Mary Speed

Kensington Arts Theatre

• Next to Normal
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Ryan Burke as “Dan”
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Emily Zickler as “Diana”
• Ragtime
  • Outstanding Choreography, Darnell Morris & Eben K. Logan
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Eben K. Logan as “Sarah”
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Sayne-Kharyi Lewis as “Colehouse Walker”
  • Outstanding Music Direction, Mayumi B. Griffie
  • Outstanding Musical

Laurel Mill Playhouse

• The Lieutenant of Inishmore
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Jeffrey Gangwisch as “James”
  • Outstanding Special Effects, Joshua McKerrow et al

Little Theatre Of Alexandria

• 33 Variations
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Ken & Patti Crowley
• Twentieth Century
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, John Downing & Bill Glikbarg

Port City Playhouse

• Shiloh Rules
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Sean Doyle

Port Tobacco Players

• Brighton Beach Memoirs
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, Richard Gilpin & Zachary Ball
• Fiddler on the Roof
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Lydia Kivrak as “Grandma Tzeitel”
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, Tommy Scott

Providence Players

• Is He Dead?
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play, Paul Hennesy & Mike Mattheisen

Reston Community Players

• 33 Variations
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Mary-Anne Sullivan as “Dr. Katherine Brandt”

Rockville Little Theatre

• The Tempest
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Play, Mary Wakefield

Silver Spring Stage

• The Pillowman
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Chris Daileader as “Michal”
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Chad W. Fornwalt as “Katurian”
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play, Sally Cusenza
  • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography, William T. Fleming

Tantallon Community Theatre

• The Wiz
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Shemika Berry

There are some sparkling moments and performances in Port Tobacco Players’ (PTP) production of Fiddler on the Roof. The fiddler himself (Jacob Traver) moves beautifully, making his part almost a dance role. Members of the male ensemble do themselves proud in the Russian dance and bottle dance. A number of character roles are done capably: Lazar Wolf (Peter K. Ullman), Yente (Katie Ludy), and the Rabbi (Rick Wathen) among them. Tevye’s dream sequence, far and away the most satisfying scene in the production, is full of energy and purposeful movement, with delightful singing and character bits by Lydia Kivrak as Grandma Tzeitel and Amy Dolan as Fruma-Sarah.

If only that energy and inventiveness had carried throughout the production. Static full cast numbers like “Sunrise, Sunset” and “Anatevka” lie inertly on the stage while suffering from a thin vocal sound. In the book scenes, actors sometimes speak line-by-line rather than getting into a smooth flow with their scene partners. There is a similar issue in the music direction: in both ensemble and individual numbers (including Perchik’s “Now I Have Everything” and Hodel’s “Far From the Home I Love”) the singers seemed to be directed to follow the beat extremely strictly — one can almost hear the measure bars — adversely affecting phrasing and limiting interpretive opportunities.

Those two numbers were otherwise among the best sung in the show. In addition to a strong tenor sound, Joshua Scott gives Perchik intelligence and zeal. The presentation of his song would have been improved by the deletion of some distracting choreography, however. As Hodel, AnnaBelle Lowe has the outstanding solo voice in the cast, and her character follows the most interesting arc, from feisty to happily in love to sad and resolute at the end. Lowe also joins Kaitlin Harbin (Chava) and Angelina O’Leary (Tzeitel) in a lively rendition of “Matchmaker,” with Lowe and Harbin doing some clever work with their mops and O’Leary spoofing Yente’s matchmaking efforts.

As Tzeitel’s intended, Motel, Zachary Bell lacks the vocal dynamism needed to nail “Miracle of Miracles” and physically portrays his character — to be sure a timid fellow at first — as more craven than necessary, cringing away from Tevye as though he were used to being beaten regularly. As Tevye’s wife, Golde, Kim Moore Bressler herds her husband and daughters with a firm, though affectionate, hand, though she sings weakly in “Do I Love You?”. One of the show’s successes is that the three older daughters portray their characters as having inherited their mother’s backbone in dealing with their men and with circumstances.

Fiddler, of course, is based on stories by Sholom Alechem, primarily one known as “Tevye and His Daughters” or “Tevye the Dairyman.” Tevye, a long-suffering inhabitant of a small village in Ukraine, dealing with disruptive social change, persecution, and ultimately the need to emigrate, is at the center of the play. The success of a Fiddler production depends largely on the emotional and comic force of its Tevye. Greg Rumpf does not make any noticeable errors, but his performance is that of a singles hitter in a role calling for home run power. To change the metaphor, Tveye should have a vibrantly colorful emotional palette: think of the stained glass work or paintings of Marc Chagall, one of which served as the source of the play’s fiddler image. Rumpf’s palette is too pale. His song delivery, including in the classic “If I Were a Rich Man,” is competent but unexciting. Rumpf did handle one unintentionally funny moment well, however. A loud feedback squawk interrupted Tevye’s opening speech in Act 2, following which Rumpf, after a brief pause, properly delivered what happened to be his next line: “Was that necessary?”

The production’s set, designed by Richard Gilpin, is dominated by a large house unit. While serving as the exterior of Tevye’s residence, especially when placed center stage, it creates a staging challenge, as members of the large cast have to work around it in numbers like “Tradition” and “Anatevka.” At such times, movement of a large number of people about a relatively restricted playing space tends to be less a matter of blocking or choreography than one of traffic management. When split open and turned to form the inside of the house, the unit works quite credibly as the family’s simple but clean home. There are some nice lighting touches in Tommy Scott’s design, including the use of varying colors on the upstage cyc and specials for Tevye and two of the young couples in parallel sequences in which Tevye assents to their marriages.

The costume design, attributed to the PTP Costume Guild, produces attractive and appropriate dresses and accessories for the female characters and striking white and black outfits, respectively, for the men in the Russian dance and bottle dance. The shining moment both for costumes and makeup comes with the intentionally outlandish look given Grandma Tzeitel and Fruma-Sara in the dream scene. The latter arrives on a tall, wheeled pedestal that swoops around the stage in a humorously scary way.

The background of Fiddler‘s story is a major pogrom — what nowadays we would call an episode of ethnic cleansing — that took place in Ukraine and other parts of the Russian empire in 1905, one of a series going back to 1881 when the assassination of Tsar Alexander II was blamed, incorrectly, on Jews. 1905 was already a tumultuous year for Russia, with the crushing loss of the Russo-Japanese war, major strikes by workers, and a revolution that presaged the larger upheaval of 1917. Jews, as always, were an available scapegoat, and the pogrom led to a mass emigration to America and other locales. The note of melancholy on which Fiddler ends extends past the diaspora portrayed in the show, a relatively mild precursor to the greater disasters of the 20th century. Some of the emigres find a place of safety, like Tevye and Golde, who despite their poverty, are able to get to America. Perchik and Hodel are the kinds of idealistic revolutionaries who disappeared 25 or 30 years later into Stalin’s gulag. Tzeitel and Motel, and Chava and Fyedka, unless they managed to acquire the funds to leave Poland first, would by 1941 be squarely in the path of the Holocaust. Sometimes resilience and humor in the face of terrible events and evil people are not enough.

A Note From the Director

What is tradition? It is a belief or behavior passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or the handing down of customs.

We all have our special traditions that we adhere to as a family, religion or society. Many of our practices have been around for generations and some are being created every day. Our customs mold the people we become and make us special. Growing up, I remember the special things that we did year after year in my parents’ home. The dripping of the apple in the honey to celebrate a sweet new year (Rosh Hashanah), the latkes my mother fried for Hanukkah and the matzo balls at Passover; these are such wonderful memories. When Rich and I married, we stood under the canopy and when Rich smashed on the customary glass, we delighted hearing the sound of our family and friends shouting “Mazel Tov.” On that day, we began our own special traditions to pass to our children. Many of the traditions we have in our family have nothing to do with our religious beliefs but are part of the world we live in… things like turkey on Thanksgiving, fireworks for the fourth of July and hot dogs at baseball games.

However, sometimes traditions make us reflect on what is important to us and that is what Tevye has to decide as each of his daughters come to him with plans to marry. He must decide if tradition is more important that the happiness of his family. The themes of this play are no different today as then in Tevye’s time and I am sure you can all relate to them. Please sit back and fall in love with Tevye, his family and the townspeople of Anatevka. Can find a little bit of yourself in these colorful characters and lovely traditions?

Cast

• Tevye: Greg Rumpf
• Golde: Kim Moore Bessler
• Chava: Kaitlin Harbin
• Tzeitel: Angelina O’Leary
• Hodel: AnnaBelle Lowe
• Fyedka: Brian Merritt
• Motel: Zachary Ball
• Perchik: Joshua Scott
• Yente: Katie Ludy
• Lazar Wolf: Peter K. Ullmann
• Bielke: Madelyn Mudd
• Shprintze: Chloe Park
• Avram: William Righter
• Constable: John Van Blarcom
• Fruma-Sarah: Amy Dolan
• Grandma Tzeitel: Lydia Kivrak
• Mendel: Greg Kenney, Jr.
• Mordachi: Greg Pruitt
• Shaindel: Heather Bauer
• Sasha: Carlton Silvestro
• Rabbi: Rick Wathen
• Knachum: Jonathan Johnson
• The Fiddler: Jacob Traver
• Ensemble: Kate O’Meara, Lucy Mudd, Wyatt Edwards, Hayden Edwards, Elora Edwards, Camryn Lockhart, Trey Lockhart, Jacob Traver, Tessa Silvestro, Carlton Silvestro, Amy Dolan, Greg Kenney, Jr., Kaitelyn Bauer, Kelli Harbin, William Righter, Jonathan Johnson, Lydia Kivrak, Sarah Jones

Orchestra

• Conductor: Chad Mildenstein
• Keyboard: Beth Lincoln
• Keyboard (Accordion): Brian Edwards
• French Horn: Diana Morse
• Oboe/French Horn: Will Derr
• Trumpet: Kenyon Cribbs
• Clarinet: Michelle Best
• Clarinet: Susan Sweeny
• Flute/Piccolo: Ashley Brumburg
• Violin: Sydney Christley, Allison Claggett, Sarah Koon
• Viola: Monica Katerina Eller
• Cello: Lori DeLoache
• Drums: Tim DeLoache

The Production Staff

• Producer: Liz Mildenstein
• Director: Joselle Gilpin
• Assistant Director and Assistant Stage Manager: Melissa Ball
• Music Director: Chad Mildenstein
• Choreographer: Ben Simpson
• Stage Manager: Laurie Mudd
• Set Design: Richard Gilpin
• Set Construction Lead: Richard Gilpin
• Set Construction Crew: Brian Edwards, Greg Pruitt, Amy Dolan, Ryan Mudd, Zack Ball, Chad Mildenstein, Annie Lockhart, Austin Lockhart, Camryn Lockhart, Heather Bauer, Jonathan Johnson, Chloe Lateulere, Chris Magee
• Set Painting: Ronna Johnson
• Assisted by: Tessa Silvestro, Jhonni Micki Johnson Jone, Jill Hanger, Betsy Stevens
• Set Decoration: Ronna Johnson, Kim Moore Bessler, Joselle Gilpin
• Properties: Grenda Dennis
• Assisted : Kim Moore Bessler
• Lighting Design and Operator: Tommy Scott
• Spotlight Operator: Rhonda Edwards
• Sound Design: Draper Carter
• Costume Design: The PTP Costume Guild including Melody Hansel Sciarratta, Pat Brennan, Brenda Mudd, Quentin Sagers, Lisa Magee, Pat Brennan, Madeline Sutherland
• Makeup and Hair Design: Heather and Kaitelyn Bauer
• Assisted by: Chloe Lateulere
• House Manager: Rhonda Edwards
• Logo Artist/Program: Liz Mildenstein
• Headshots: Greg Rumpf

Disclaimer: Port Tobacco Players provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Schoolhouse Rock Live! brought back the good old days of Saturday morning cartoons, with a slight dose of education, but we didn’t know that then, the cartoons were just fun. We found ourselves remembering “Conjunction Junction,” “Just a Bill,” and “Interplanet Janet” as well as the multiplication tables. Some of the songs may have been new (such as “Do The Circulation” and “A Victim of Gravity”), but the old standbys were all there. The live orchestra also kept things moving throughout the evening.

The basic storyline is a first time teacher is getting ready for his first class. Then different aspects of himself arrive to help build his confidence. The six primary actors (Zach Ball, Brian Merritt, John W. Kirby, AnnaBelle Lowe, Kaitlin Harbin, and Rebecca Raymond) kept the energy up as they danced, created, and explained the great moments in history. All six had strong voices and used big expressions to get their point across. Since there were so many songs, they cleverly kept water bottles to use between songs and their one liners. If not there may have been a new song written about “Dehydration.” The troupe of six used creative choreography by Brooke L. Howells that kept the six actors and ten-member chorus constantly on the move. The Kids Chorus also kept the smiles big and the costumes by the cast and parents colorful as they danced, sang and brought out many of the props used for the show.

Director and Set Designer Amy Wathen Cooksey and John Merritt used the large space of the Port Tobacco stage to create a bedroom set full of colors, pictures, paintings that are just as eye-catching as the action happening on stage. Schoolhouse Rock Live! is a great show, well performed that brings back memories for the kids of the 70’s, and excitement for the next generation of learners that learning can be fun.

Director’s Notes

Schoolhouse Rock Live! is a little campy, a wee bit corny, kinda patriotic, but definitely A LOT of fun! This show takes me back to Saturday mornings – fighting with my brothers and sisters – trying to find something we’d all like on one of the four television channels available (4, 7, 9, 20 – you remember that, I know you do!) One thing we all could agree on was a snippet of Schoolhouse Rock. I’ve enjoyed my trip down memory lane and I hope that our production will entertain and up;ift the spirits of all who come to see it. Feel free to dance in your seat and I apologize in advance because you will not be able to get these songs out of your head!!!

– Amy Wathen Cooksey, Director

Photo Gallery

Photos by Michael Clark

Cast

• Tom: Zach Ball
• George: Brian Merritt
• Joe: John W. Kirby
• Dori: AnnaBelle Lowe
• Shulie: Kaitlin Harbin
• Dina: Rebecca Raymond
• Kids Chorus: Garrett Cooksey, Hayden Edwards, Wyatt Edwards, Emma Lisa Foraci, Chloe Lateulere, Trent McConnell, Isabella Pendleton, Madison V. Smith, Isabella Valasco, Cierra Nichole Wilson

The Orchestra

• Conductor: David C. Monk
• Flute/Clarinet/Alto Sax/Train Whistle: Cheri Monk
• Flute/Clarinet/Alto Sax: Ashley Sweeney
• Clarinet/Bass Clarinet/Baritone Sax: Michelle Bast
• Trumpet: Bill Brumberg, Nathan Krevey
• Trombone: Ridge Gilley
• Keyboard: William V. Derr, Cheryl Reckeweg
• Bass: Dave Bayles
• Percussion: Billy Klein

Production Staff

• Producers: Richard A. Pitonyak, Cheryl M. Reckeweg
• Director: Amy Wathen Cooksey
• Assistant Director: Keith Linville
• Music Director: David C. Monk
• Choreographer: Brooke L. Howells
• Stage Manager: Tessa N. Silvestro
• Stage Crew: Cori Eisele, Hannah Gilley
• Set Design: Amy Wathen Cooksey, John Merritt
• Set Construction Lead: John Merritt, Jeff Merritt
• Set Construction Crew: Randy Davis, Brian Edwards, Rhonda Edwards, Mike Merritt, Ryan Mudd, Tessa N. Silvestro
• Scenic Painting/Set Painting Lead: Tessa N. Silvestro
• Set Painting Crew: Brian Edwards, Elora Edwards, Hayden Edwards, Rhonda Edwards, Wyatt Edwards, Mike Merritt
• Set Decoration: Amy Wathen Cooksey, Tessa N. Silvestro
• Properties: Erin Hoffman, Joe Stine
• Light Design: Leslie Wanko
• Light Operator: Laurie Mudd
• Sound Design: Dave Bayles
• Sound Operator: Will Darby
• Costume Design: Amy Wathen Cooksey
• Costume Crew: Cast and Parents
• Makeup Design: AnnaBelle Lowe
• Hair Design: Deana Gilley
• Makeup and Hair Crew: Hannah Gilley, Cast
• Photography/Head Shots: Sandi Foraci
• House Manager: Sue Lateulere
• Reservations: Theresa Pickeral, Richard Reckeweg
• Program: Cheryl M. Reckeweg
• Program Printing: Quality Printers, White Plains
• T-Shirts: Positive Graphics, White Plains

Disclaimer: Port Tobacco Players allowed us to come to a tech week rehearsal.

Fifteen companies received awards this year. The Arlington Players‘ production of A Little Night Music received the most awards of the musicals, with five, including Outstanding Musical. Fauquier Community Theatre received four awards for Into the Woods, as did Kensington Arts Theatre for Sunday in the Park with George. Providence Players received the most awards, with two plays (Side Man and You Can’t Take it With You) each receiving four awards. The Colonial Players production Going to St. Ives received three awards, including Outstanding Play. Fifteen companies received awards this year.

ShowBizRadio followed the ceremony live, the archive is available.

Winners for outstanding technical achievement

• Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical: Eleanor Dicks, Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Outstanding Costume Design in a Play: Robbie Snow, You Can’t Take It With You, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical: 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
• Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical: Kevin Boyce, Night of the Living Dead, The Musical, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play: Chip Gertzog, Side Man, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical: Tim Kirk, Into the Woods, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play: Beth Harrison, You Can’t Take It With You, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Outstanding Properties in a Musical: Richard Perryman & Peter Fakoury, Into the Woods, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Outstanding Properties in a Play: Susan Kaplan, Side Man, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical: Ryan Mudd, The Sound of Music, Port Tobacco Players
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Play: John Downing, Heaven Can Wait, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Outstanding Set Decoration and Set Dressing in a Musical: Tim Kirk, Into the Woods, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Outstanding Set Decoration and Set Dressing in a Play: Lisa Church & Chip Gertzog, You Can’t Take It With You, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Outstanding Set Design in a Musical: John Merritt, Ryan Mudd, Ben Simpson, The Sound of Music, Port Tobacco Players
• Outstanding Set Design in a Play: Raedun Knutsen & Chip Gertzog, Side Man, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical: Nancy Daugherty, Into the Woods, Fauquier Community Theatre
• Outstanding Set Painting in a Play: Jane B. Wingard, Bloody Murder, 2nd Star Productions
• Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical: Kevin Garrett, Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Outstanding Sound Design in a Play: Jimmy Gertzog & Chip Gertzog, Side Man, Providence Players of Fairfax
• Outstanding Special Effects: Jordan Rose & Doe B. Kim, Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre

Winners for outstanding performance by an actor or actress

• Outstanding cameo in a musical (TIE): Chrissy Barnett Miller as “Jolene Oakes”, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Damascus Theatre Company AND Brenda Parker as “Church Soloist”, The Color Purple, Tantallon Community Players
• Outstanding cameo in a play: 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
• Outstanding featured actor in a musical: Stephen Deininger as “Tateh”, Ragtime, Laurel Mill Playhouse
• Outstanding featured actress in a play: Gayle Nichols-Grimes as “Vernadette Simms”, The Dixie Swim Club, Port City Playhouse
• Outstanding featured actor in a play: John Shackelford as “Max Levene”, Heaven Can Wait, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Outstanding lead actress in a musical: Jennifer Lyons Pagnard as “Mrs. Lovett”, Sweeney Todd, Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Outstanding lead actor in a musical: Fred Nelson as “Tevye”, Fiddler on the Roof, 2nd Star Productions
• Outstanding lead actress in a play: Lolita-Marie as “May N’Kame”, Going to St. Ives, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Outstanding lead actor in a play: Matt Baughman as “Charlie Gordon”, Flowers for Algernon, Elden Street Players

Winners for outstanding achievement in overall production

• Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography: Carl Brandt Long, Deathtrap, McLean Community Players
• Outstanding Choreography: Taurean Maray Barber, The Color Purple, Tantallon Community Players
• Outstanding Music Direction: John-Michael d’Haviland, A Little Night Music, The Arlington Players
• Outstanding Direction of a Musical (TIE): Christopher Dykton, A Little Night Music, The Arlington Players AND Craig Petinatti, Sunday in the Park with George, Kensington Arts Theatre
• Outstanding Direction of a Play: Edd Miller, Going to St. Ives, Colonial Players of Annapolis
• Outstanding Musical: A Little Night Music, The Arlington Players
• Outstanding Play: Going to St. Ives, Colonial Players of Annapolis

Winners sorted by theatre and show

2nd Star Productions

• Bloody Murder
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Play, Jane B. Wingard
• Fiddler on the Roof
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Fred Nelson as “Tevye”

Arlington Players

• A Little Night Music
  • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Christopher Dykton
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Annie Coffman as “Anne Egerman”
  • Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical, Bette Williams
  • Outstanding Music Direction, John-Michael d’Haviland
  • Outstanding Musical

Colonial Players

• Going to St. Ives
  • Outstanding Direction of a Play, Edd Miller
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play, Lolita-Marie as “May N’Kame”
  • Outstanding Play

Damascus Theatre Company

• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Chrissy Barnett Miller as “Jolene Oakes”

Elden Street Players

• Flowers for Algernon
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Matt Baughman as “Charlie Gordon”

Fauquier Community Theatre

• Into the Woods
  • Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical, Tim Kirk
  • Outstanding Properties in a Musical, Richard Perryman & Peter Fakoury
  • Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical, Tim Kirk
  • Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical, Nancy Daugherty

Kensington Arts Theatre

• Night of the Living Dead, The Musical
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Musical, Kevin Boyce
• Sunday in the Park with George
  • Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical, Eleanor Dicks
  • Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Craig Pettinati
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical, Kevin Garrett
  • Outstanding Special Effects, Jordan Rose & Doe B. Kim

Laurel Mill Playhouse

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

Little Theatre Of Alexandria

• Heaven Can Wait
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, John Shackelford as “Max Levene”
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Play, John Downing
• Sweeney Todd
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Jennifer Lyons Pagnard as “Mrs. Lovett”

McLean Community Players

• Deathtrap
  • Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography, Carl Brandt Long

Port City Playhouse

• The Dixie Swim Club
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Gayle Nichols-Grimes as “Vernadette Simms”

Port Tobacco Players

• The Sound of Music
  • Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical, Ryan Mudd
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Musical, John Merritt, Ryan Mudd, Ben Simpson

Providence Players

• Side Man
  • Outstanding Light Design in a Play, Chip Gertzog
  • Outstanding Properties in a Play, Susan Kaplan
  • Outstanding Set Design in a Play, Raedun Knutsen & Chip Gertzog
  • Outstanding Sound Design in a Play, Jimmy Gertzog & Chip Gertzog
• 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 Set Decoration in a Play, Lisa Church & Chip Gertzog

Reston Community Players

• August Osage County
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Play, Mark Yeager as “Beverly Weston”

Tantallon Community Theatre

• The Color Purple
  • Outstanding Cameo in a Musical, Brenda Parker as “Church Soloist”
  • Outstanding Choreography, Taurean Maray Barber

• Fiddler on the Roof
• The Woman in Black
• A Christmas Carol
• Death by Chocolate
• The Wedding Singer
• Cyrano de Bergerac
• The Music Man

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

Brighton Beach Memoirs by Neil Simon opens this Friday at Port Tobacco Players in La Plata, Maryland. Port Tobacco allowed us to view a rehearsal this week of Neil Simon’s play. Brighton Beach Memoirs is part of Simon’s “Eugene Trilogy,” the story of Eugene Jerome from adolescence through his early writing career. The next two plays are Biloxi Blues and Broadway Bound.

Brighton Beach Memoirs focuses on the life of teenager Eugene Jerome and his life with his family in the Brighton Beach neighborhood of New York in 1937. World War II is on the horizon, his aunt and two cousins are living with the family, and his older brother is having problems at work.

The cast of seven came together believably. The family covered a range of emotions, from excitement to worry rather quickly. The moments of humor were made all the more real as the situations revealed themselves. Situations include Eugene trying to see up his cousin’s skirt, Nora trying to make it big on Broadway at 16, Laurie being told she’s an invalid, Jack losing his job, Stanley leaving home. The second act is a bit more serious as the events force major decisions to get resolved.

Eugene (R. Austin Gore) served as the ever-friendly narrator, sharing his impressions of his family as he wrote their stories in his journal. Poor Eugene seemed to get blamed for everything and the family, especially his mother Kate (Lynne O’Meara), had no qualms about using whatever was handy to take a whack at the youngest Jerome. The physicality was real and well-played. The emotions brought up between Eugene and his older brother Stanley (Benjamin Simpson) flipped quickly from caring and supportive to name-calling. Gore was effective in staying focused on the task at hand, such as when Stanley gave him a special photograph.

Kate Jerome and her sister Blanche Morton (Joanne Fuesel) have a wonderful scene late in the show where they finally let their frustrations over their situations out. Eugene’s father Jack (Peter Piazza) exhibited a world-weariness throughout the story. Piazza’s delivery at times was reminiscent of Don Rickles.

The set (Richard Gilpin) itself was gorgeous with just a few final details to flush out with the set dressing (Ronna Johnson). Priscilla Grow’s costumes were spot on. Eugene was the brightest with the suspenders, bow tie, and knickers. Blanche’s dating outfit was attractive.

Brighton Beach Memoirs is a serious comedy, and a funny drama. It does contain adult situations, so not recommended for young children.

Director’s Note

A note from the Director: I chose this show to direct because my family is the driving force in almost everything I do. It gives me the warm fuzzies all over thinking about all the times that my mother gave me a playful smack on the head because I was mouthy, or when my father would tell me how proud he was of me when I thought I had messed up. Even when I felt like my world was falling down around my ears, I could count on my sister to talk me through it and support me. I am very lucky to be so close with my family and as you probably can tell looking at the names in the program, we are able to share so many aspects of our lives with each other. I always thought I understood the influence the bonds of family have but as I discovered on January 7th, I didn’t even begin to get it. Holding my niece and Goddaughter Mia for the first time left me feeling completely gobsmacked. Here was this product of all the people I love and I found myself feeling so many things all at once. I have no idea what this world has in store for her, what ups and downs she may face as she grows up but I hope that her life is filled with playful smacks, bits of advice, and all the pride and love that I felt growing up in my big Jewish family. Enjoy the show and the walk down memory lane.

~ Melissa Gilpin Ball

A note from the Assistant Director: What is it about families that make them so interesting? We read books, watch movies and TV, go to plays all about families for entertainment. Are we comparing them to our family? Do we look normal next to them or do we realize we are all a little crazy in our own special way? Family can be so many things. This play is about a family, an extended family surviving the everyday pressures that we all face as a family. It could be set in any time period but it would still be the same. There are days when we hate to admit that we are part of a particular family but in the end you wouldn’t change a thing about any of them. I hope you find pieces of your family as you watch this production and you can laugh or cry a little when you think of them. As you read this program you will notice that this production is a family affair, mother and daughters, father, husband, son. It has been so much fun to work together to see our vision come together to what you will see tonight. But families are not just by birth we have other families as well. Our wonderful production team has become family. And I think you will find that our cast has become family as well and they will make you part of their family as well. Enjoy!

~ Joselle Gilpin

Photo Gallery

Eugene Morris Jerome (R. Austin Gore)	Jack Jerome (Peter Piazza)
Blanche Morton (Joanne Fuesel)	Kate Jerome (Lynne O’Meara) and Stanley Jerome (Benjamin Simpson)
Stanley Jerome (Benjamin Simpson) and Eugene Morris Jerome (R. Austin Gore)	The Family
Nora Morton (Rachel Nutter)	The Jerome home

Photos provided by Port Tobacco Players

Cast

• Eugene Morris Jerome: R. Austin Gore
• Jack Jerome: Peter Piazza
• Kate Jerome: Lynne O’Meara
• Stanley Jerome: Benjamin Simpson
• Blanche Morton: Joanne Fuesel
• Laurie Morton: Cierra Wilson
• Nora Morton: Rachel Nutter

The Production Staff

• Producer: Liz Mildenstein
• Director: Melissa Ball
• Assistant Director: Joselle Gilpin
• Stage Manager: Michael Margelos
• Assistant Stage Manager: Kyle Bailey
• Set Design: Richard Gilpin
• Set Construction Lead: Richard Gilpin
• Set Construction Crew: Greg Pruitt, Kate O’Meara, Hiroko Piazza, Rafael Piazza, Chad Mildenstein, Heather Bauer, Kaitelyn Bauer, Melissa Gilpin Ball, Michael Margelos, Tessa Silvestro, Ronna Johnson, Will Darby, Brooke Howells, Brian Weiser, Brian Merritt And The Cast
• Set Painting: Ronna Johnson
• Assisted By: Jhonni Jones
• Set Decoration: Ronna Johnson
• Properties: Grenda Dennis
• Lighting Design And Operator: Tommy Scott
• Sound Design: Brian Donahue
• Sound Engineer: Will Darby
• Costume Design: Priscilla Grow
• Makeup And Hair Design: Heather Bauer, Kaitlin Bauer
• Assisted By: Quentin Sagers
• House Manager: Mary Bailey

Disclaimer: Port Tobacco Players allowed us to attend a tech week rehearsal 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

To Kill a Mockingbird, dramatized by Christopher Sergel from the book by Harper Lee tells the story of life in rural Alabama in 1935 as seen through the eyes of a young tomboy named Scout. It’s a play about hope in an unhopeful world and about finding goodness in a town of people who see only bad. Kaitelyn Bauer plays the adult Jean Louise all grown up and able to look back on events that Summer of 1935 with more perspective.

As the narrator, Bauer was able to break that fourth wall convincingly to help the audience see what went on in the town, the courtroom, the homes as well as the neighbors’ homes. Bauer was sincere in her sharing of her thoughts and feelings. Ten year old tomboy Jean Louise, nicknamed Scout, was played by Madelyn Mudd. Mudd was a bundle of energy, standing still was not in her vocabulary as she, Dill (Cole Schubert) and older brother Jem (Jake Dodges) led active lives that summer.

While Scout, Dill and Jem hoped the summer would never end, their father Atticus, a town lawyer and supposed champion of the underdog, took life a little more in stride. Brian Donohue’s demeanor and meaningful actions revealed a man with a past he did not wish to reveal. He was easy-going and down to earth, and very likeable. Atticus held to his convictions with quiet strength. Most of the town respected Atticus. Most of the law-abiding folks that is.

To Kill a Mockingbird is also a great courtroom drama. Atticus is defending Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of raping a young white woman, Mayella Ewell. Robinson was played by Jeremy Hunter very simply. He was generally soft-spoken, making the audience feel sympathy for Robinson. Melissa Ball played Mayella so that you weren’t quite sure if you should feel sorry for her or not. Mayella’s father, Bob Ewell, played by Jeff Clark, showed the darker side of people. A very angry man, Clark was afraid of no one and hated everyone. The courtroom scenes had moments of levity, and a few “gotcha!” moments when the lawyers were questioning witnesses. The key scene though was Atticus’ closing argument. Standing at the edge of the stage, Donohue presented his case directly to the audience. It was a powerful scene.

The Port Tobacco Players are known for their wonderful set designs. Watching the courtroom literally unfold was amazing. The space was well-balanced and the set designers John Merritt and John Kirby created a feeling of old houses, some run down, others nicely maintained. The scene change from the home to the courtoom took a little bit of time, but the cast and crew all knew what to move, remove, or open up and all of a sudden you were in a courtroom with judge and jury all present. Some of Jean Louise’s narrations were in spotlight and Light Designer Leslie Wanko’s lighting created an intimate atmosphere as Bauer moved across the stage reliving her story.

To Kill a Mockingbird was a well-performed, insightful story about the good and evil in people.

Director’s Notes

Any young girl who was a tomboy (and many who weren’t) is familiar with this story. Seen through the eyes of Scout and her brother Jem, this is an American classic chock full of social overtones wherein any race, gender or age can find nuggets of wisdom.

I remember giving this book to my daughter Amanda as she was growing up (she absorbed books like a sponge) and wrote on the inside cover that “I wanted her to see the good in people before she had to deal with the bad.” Nothing profound, just a Dad not wanting his daughter to be dragged down by an apathetic outside world in which there are plenty of “bad things.” Critics would point out there is a plethora of “bad things” in the book. True enough. Yet we never feel there are no options or that we must succumb to the evil in the world.

As parents we provide our children plenty of cliches that are worthy of an eye roll. One of the worst is “Because that’s the way it is.” Usually that comes at the end of a longer discussion where the parent may no longer want to defend a position. Young people deserve truthful answers and I find nothing wrong with explaining an injustice regardless of the subject. Encouragement toward positive actions could be as powerful as the message. I would hope after viewing this play, all of you would think to quickly add “But it doesn’t have to be that way” to the foul clichés that rolls so blithely off our lips and reeks of capitulation.

John W. Kirby, Director

Photo Gallery

Photos provided by Port Tobacco Players

Cast

• Jean Louise: Kaitlelyn Bauer
• Scout Madelyn Mudd
• Jem: Jake Dodges
• Atticus: Brian Donohue
• Calpurnia: Heidi Spencer
• Dill: Cole Schubert
• Bob Ewell: Jeff Clark
• Mayella Ewell: Melissa Ball
• Heck Tate: Robbie Jones
• Mr. Gilmer: Mike Mortensen
• Judge Taylor: Peter Piazza
• Maudie Atkinson: Alison Dodges
• Stephanie Crawford: Kim Moore Bessler
• Mrs. Dubose: Sheila Draper
• Mrs. Dubose Understudy: Joselle Gilpin
• Walter Cunningham: Anthony Dieguez
• Reverend Sykes: Walt Neal
• Tom Robinson: Jeremy Hunter
• Helen Robinson: Sabrina Curtis
• Nathan/Boo Radley: Keith Linville
• Townspeople: Hailey Dodges, Joselle Gilpin, Taylor Latimer, Greg Pruitt, Shubert

Production Staff

• Producer: Amy Wathen Cooksey
• Assistant Producer: Emily Garcia
• Director: John Kirby
• Aassistant Director: Heather Bauer
• Stage Manager: R. Austin Gore
• Stage Crew: Savannah Hamilton, Christine Schubert, Nikki Lusk, Diane Spurgeon and the Cast
• Set Design: John Merritt and John Kirby
• Scenic Painting: Ronna Johnson
• Set Construction Lead: John Merritt
• Set Construction Crew: Tom Schubert, John Kirby, Mike Merritt, Rich Gilpin, Randy Davis, Dorothy, Cory & Alec Hart, Casey & Colin O’Mealy, Debbie, Deana, Hannah & Rachel Gilley, Jack Vizzi, Faith Spencer, Rachel Lloyd & the Cast
• Set Painting Lead: Tessa N. Silvestro
• Set Painting Crew: Set Construction Crew and The Cast
• Set Decoration: Kim Moore Bessler
• Properties: P.J Pitonyak
• Light Design: Leslie Wanko
• Light Operator: Emily Wanko
• Sound Design: Mike Mortenson
• Sound Operator: Allison Claggett
• Costume Design: Terri Fortney Beinert
• Costume Crew: Heather Bauer, Kaitlelyn Bauer, Christine Schubert, Laurie Mudd, Amy Wathen Cooksey and The Cast
• Make-Up and Hair Design: Heather Bauer
• Make-Up and Hair Crew: Zenetta Broadnax and the Cast
• Armorer: Steve Claggett
• Fight Choreographer: Craig Hower
• Dialect Coach: Christine Hirrell
• House Manager: Laurie Mudd
• Program: Amy Wathen Cooksey
• Program Printing: Quality Printers, Waldorf
• T-Shirts: Positive Graphics, White Plains

Disclaimer: Port Tobacco Players provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

• To Kill a Mockingbird, September – October 2012 Schedule
• The Sound of Music, November – December 2012 Schedule
• Brighton Beach Memoirs, January – February 2013 Schedule
• Schoolhouse Rock Live!, March – April 2013 Schedule
• The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), May – June 2013 Schedule
• The Who’s Tommy, July – August 2013 Schedule

Schedule is subject to change due to performance rights conflicts or other issues.