Audra McDonald, Norm Lewis, et al. Nominated for IRNE Awards!

The Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Awards recognize the extraordinary wealth of talent in the Boston theatre community, and this year's nominations have just been announced. IRNE Reviewers include among others David Brooks Andrews, Sheila Barth, Jules Becker, Kay Bourne, Beverly Creasey, Shirley Esthimer, Richard Fahey, Guy Giampapa, Norm Gross, Nancy Grossman, Bryce Lambert, Beatrice Lee, Kilian Melloy and Larry Stark.

With four theaters ranging in capacity from the 90 seat BCA Plaza Black Box to the 370 seat Wimberly Theatre in the Calderwood Pavillion, the Boston Center for the Arts serves as an affordable home for its resident theater companies and other visiting companies throughout the year, and supports interaction between these artists and Boston’s diverse audiences. lick below for lists of IRNE Award Recipients and Nominees by year.

The full list of nominees is as follows:

Small Theater Nominations

Best New Play
Hotel Nepenthe by John Kuntz (Actors Shakespeare Project)
The Farm by Walt McGough (Boston Playwrights Theatre)
Priscilla Dreams the Answer by Walt McGough (Fresh Ink Theatre)
Outside the Wire by Jimi Stanton (Cornerstone Stage Co.)
Mortal Terror by Robert Brustein (Modern Theatre)

Best Set Design
Brian Milauskas: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Next Door Arts Center)
John Randell: The Secret Garden (Longwood Players)
Nathan Lee/Danielle Fauteux Jacques: Uncle Vanya (Apollinaire Theatre Co.)
Jenna McFarland Lord: The Drowsy Chaperone (SpeakEasy Stage Co.)
Jenna McFarland Lord: Collected Stories (New Repertory Theatre)
Erik Diaz: The Drowsy Chaperone (Turtle Lane Playhouse)
James Fluhr: The Road to Mecca (Boston Center for American Performance)

Best Lighting Design
P.J. Strachman: Spring Awakening (F.U.D.G.E.)
Scott Clyve: Big River (Lyric Stage Company of Boston)
Jeff Adelberg: Hotel Nepenthe (Actors Shakespeare Project)
John Malinowski: 9 Circles (Publick Theatre)
John R. Malinowski: Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (Wheelock Family Theatre)
Karen Parsons: Afterlife: A Ghost Story (New Repertory Theatre)
Aaron Sherkow: The Road to Mecca (BCAP)

Best Costume Design
Seth Bodie: The Drowsy Chaperone (SpeakEasy Stage Company)
Richard Itczak: The Drowsy Chaperone (Turtle Lane Playhouse)
Emily Woods Hogue: Or, (Lyric Stage Company)
Leslie Held: Arabian Nights (Nora/Underground Railway Theatre)
Lisa Simpson: The Phantom Toll Booth (Wheelock Family Theatre)
Cotton Talbot-Minken: The Crazy Locomotive (Imaginary Beasts)
Charles Schoonmaker: Nine (SpeakEasy Stage)

Best Sound Design
Bill Barclay: Hotel Nepenthe (Actors Shakespeare Project)
Paul Matta: The Secret Garden (Longwood Players)
Dewey Dellay: Hysteria (Nora Theatre Company)
David Remedios: Afterlife: A Ghost Story (New Rep)
John A. Stone: Sunfish (Stoneham Theatre)

Best Choreography
Karen Fogerty: The Drowsy Chaperone (Turtle Lane Playhouse)
David Connolly: The Drowsy Chaperone (SpeakEasy Stage Co.)
Joe DeMita: Carousel (F.U.D.G.E.)
Donald Gregorio: The Full Monty (Turtle Lane Playhouse)
Karen Fogerty: Chicago (Metro Stage Co.)
Ilyse Robbins: 42nd Street (Stoneham Theatre)

Best Solo
Jeff Gill: The Auerbach Dynasty (Ken Dooley Producer)
Tim Spears: House (Boston Center for American Performance)
Sean A. Cote: Junkie (Argos Productions)

Best Ensemble
Mojo (Theatre on Fire)
Arcadia (Bad Habit Productions)
Rent (Dream Out Loud Productions)
Hotel Nepenthe (Actors Shakespeare Project)
Living Together (Gloucester Stage Company)
Spring Awakening (F.U.D.G.E.)
Arabian Nights (Nora/URT)

Best Supporting Actress (Drama)
Alycia Sacco: Arcadia (Bad Habit Productions)
Debra Wise: Breaking the Code (URT/MIT Catalyst Collaborative)
Obehi Janice: My Wonderful Day (Zeitgeist Stage Co.)
M. Lynda Robinson: The Rimers of Eldritch (Stoneham Theatre)
Jenny Israel: Living Together (Gloucester Stage)
Lisa Foley: The Last Night of Ballyhoo (Wellesley Summer Theatre)
Liz Hayes: Collected Stories (New Repertory Theatre)

Best Supporting Actor (Drama)
Ian Schleifer: Bent (Hovey Players)
John Davin: The Last Night of Ballyhoo (Wellesley Summer Theatre)
Brian Bernhard: Mojo (Theatre on Fire)
Peter Brown: At Home at the Zoo (Zeitgeist Stage Company)
Danny Bryck: Breaking the Code (URT/MIT Collaborative)
John Kuntz: Hysteria (Nora Theatre Company)
Hampton Fluker: The Brother/Sister Plays (Company One)

Best Actress (Drama)
Bobbie Steinbach: Collected Stories (New Repertory Theatre)
Anne Gottlieb: My Name is Asher Lev (Lyric Stage Company)
Jen O’Connor: The Europeans (Whistler in the Dark)
Frances Idlebrook: The Book of Grace (Company One)
Paula Plum: Antony and Cleopatra (Actors Shakespeare Project)
Caroline L. Price: Priscilla Dreams the Answer (Fresh Ink Theatre)
Adrianne Krstansky: Three Viewings (New Repertory Theatre)

Best Actor (Drama)
Gabriel Kuttner: Love Song (Orfeo Group)
Craig Houk: Blackadder 2 Live (Theatre on Fire)
Allyn Burrows: Breaking the Code (URT/MIT)
Jimi Stanton: 9 Circles (Publick Theatre)
Evan Bernstein: Bent (Hovey Players)
Dale Place: The Farm (BPT)
Evan Sanderson: East of Berlin (Apollinaire)
James Milord: The Brother/Sister Plays (Company One)
Johnny Lee Davenport: Broke-ology (Lyric Stage Company)

Best Supporting Actress (Musical)
Karen MacDonald: The Drowsy Chaperone (SpeakEasy)
Renee Saindon The Secret Garden (Longwood)
Kerry A. Dowling: The Most Happy Fella (Gloucester Stage)
McCaela Donovan: Nine (SpeakEasy)
Holly Ann Marshall: Carousel (F.U.D.G.E.)
Aimee Doherty: Nine (SpeakEasy Stage)
Leigh Barrett: The World Goes Round (New Repertory Theatre)

Best Supporting Actor (Musical)
Thomas Derrah: The Drowsy Chaperone (SpeakEasy)
Jim Fitzpatrick: Spring Awakening (F.U.D.G.E.)
Timothy John Smith: The Most Happy Fella (Gloucester Stage)
De’Lon Grant: Big River (Lyric)
S. Michael Key: The Full Monty (TLP)
James Tallach: Batboy (Metro)
Matt Romero: Rent (Dream Out Loud Prods)
Michael Wood: The Phantom Tollbooth (Wheelock Family Theatre)

Best Actress (Musical)
Lauren Gemelli: Chicago (Metro Stage Company)
Jennifer Ellis: The Most Happy Fella (Gloucester Stage Company)
Jackie Theoharis: The Drowsy Chaperone (TLP)
McCaela Donovan: The Drowsy Chaperone (SpeakEasy Stage)
Ephie Aardaema: 42nd Street (Stoneham Theatre)
Melody Madarasz: Batboy (Metro Stage)

Best Actor (Musical)
Ben DiScipio: Chicago (Metro Stage)
James Fitzpatrick: Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Turtle and Finch)
Jordan Ahnquist: Big River (Lyric)
Timothy John Smith: Nine (SpeakEasy)
Nick Sulfaro: Batboy (Metro)
Drew Pulver: The Most Happy Fella (Gloucester Stage)
Will McGarrahan: The Drowsy Chaperone (SpeakEasy)
Jared Walsh: Spring Awakening (F.U.D.G.E.)

Best Music Director
Nicholas James Connell: The Drowsy Chaperone (SpeakEasy)
Steven Bergman: Spring Awakening (F.U.D.G.E.)
Jonathan Goldberg: Big River (Lyric)
Michael V. Joseph: The Most Happy Fella (Gloucester)
Joshua Finstein: Rent (Dream Out Loud Prods)
Jason Luciana: The Secret Garden (Longwood)

Best Director of a Musical
David Connolly: The Drowsy Chaperone (SpeakEasy)
James Tallach: The Full Monty (TLP)
Joe DeMita: Spring Awakening (FUDGE)
Kaitlyn Chantry: The Secret Garden (Longwood)
David Bloom: Rent (Dream Out Loud Productions)
Eric C. Engel: The Most Happy Fella (Gloucester)
Paul Daignault: Nine (SpeakEasy)
M. Bevin O’Gara: Batboy (Metro Stage Company)

Best Director of a Drama
(This category and Best Play category are divided into Small and Midsize)
Small/Fringe
Daniel Morris: Arcadia (Bad Habit Prods)
Darren Evans: Mojo (TOF)
Eric Engel: 9 Circles (Publick)
David Miller: My Wonderful Day (Zeitgeist)
Mark Usher: Bent (Hovey)

Midsize
Megan Sandberg-Zakian/Summer Williams: The Brother/Sister Plays (Co One)
David Gammons: Hotel Nepenthe (Actors Shakespeare Project)
Adam Zahler: Breaking the Code (URT/MIT Catalyst Collaborative)
Bridget Kathleen O’Leary: Collected Stories (New Rep)
Daniel Gidron: Arabian Nights (Nora/URT)
David Wheeler: The Book of Grace (Company One)

Best Visiting Production
Andy Warhol: Good for the Jews? (Josh Kornbluth @ JCC)
Caesarean Section: Teatr Zar (Charlestown Working Theater)
The Mountain Song: Pig Pen Theatre (Co. One)

Best Musical
Rent (Dream Out Loud Productions)
The Secret Garden (Longwood)
Chicago (Metro Stage Company)
The Drowsy Chaperone (SpeakEasy)
The Drowsy Chaperone (TLP)
The Most Happy Fella (Gloucester Stage)
Spring Awakening (F.U.D.G.E.)
Nine (SpeakEasy)

Best Play MIDSIZE
Breaking the Code (URT/MIT)
Brother/Sister Plays (Company One)
Three Viewings (New Rep)
The Book of Grace (Company One)
Living Together (Gloucester)
Hotel Nepenthe (Actors Shakespeare Project)
My Name is Asher Lev (Lyric)

Best Play Fringe SMALL
Arcadia (Bad Habit Prods)
Love Song (Orfeo Group)
Mojo (TOF)
Bent (Hovey)
To Kill a Mockingbird (Roxbury Repertory Theatre)
Dogg’s Hamlet/ Cahoot’s Macbeth (Whistler in the Dark)
Eurydice (InDepenDent Drama Soc.)

Best Puppetry
Matthew S. Waldron: Sunfish (Stoneham Theatre)
Story Time Preservation Hour(New Exhibition Room with Elephant Tango Ensemble)
Arabian Nights: David Fichter and Will Cabell (Nora/URT)
Song of Songs: Tyler Brown (Lab Liars & Believers)

Best Performance by a Young Actor
Allsun O’Malley: The Secret Garden (Longwood)
Hyacinth Tauriac: My Wonderful Day (Zeitgeist)
Andrew Cekala: A Christmas Story (New Rep)
Jeffrey Sewell: The Phantom Toll Booth (Wheelock Family Theatre)
Sirena Abalian: The Nutcracker (Stoneham Theatre)
Sebastian Hoffman: Big (TLP)
Alexa Niziak: To Kill a Mockingbird (Roxbury Rep)
Alec Shiman: To Kill a Mockingbird (Boston Children’s Theatre)
Katherine Leigh Doherty: The Secret Garden (Wheelock)

Large Theater Nominations

Best New Play
Sons of the Prophet by Stephen Karam (Huntington Theatre Company of Boston)
Before I Leave You by Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Captors by Evan M. Wiener (Huntington Theatre Co.)
The Completely Fictional-Utterly True-Final Strange Tale of Edgar Allan Poe by Stephen Thorne (Trinity Rep)
The Exceptionals by Bob Clyman (Merrimack Repertory Theatre)
The Speaker’s Progress by Sulayman Al-Bassam (Arts Emerson)

Best Set Design
Daniel Ostling: Candide (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Susan Zeeman Rogers: The Completely Fictional….Poe Play (Trinity Repertory Company)
Allen Moyer: Educating Rita (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Campbell Baird: The Persian Quarter (Merrimakc Repertory Theatre)
Anna Louizos: Sons of the Prophet (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Clint Ramos: Ruined (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Michael Anania: Miss Saigon (Ogunquit Playhouse)

Best Lighting Design
Lap Chi Chu: Ruined (Huntington Theatre Co.)
T. J. Gerckens: Candide (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Brian Lilienthal: The Persian Quarter (Merrimack Repertory Theatre)
Christopher Akerlind: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (American Repertory Theatre)
Austin R. Smith: Three Pianos (American Repertory Theatre)
Jeff Croiter/Grant Yeager: The Game (Barrington Stage)

Best Costume Design
Esosa: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (ART)
Paula Peasley Ninestein: The King and I (North Shore Music Theatre)
Paula Peasley Ninestein: Legally Blonde (NSMT)
Kathleen Geldard: Ruined (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Scott Martino: The Rocky Horror Show (ART)
Mara Blumenfeld: Candide (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Jennifer Moeller: The Game (Barrington Stage)

Best Sound Design
Richard Woodbury: Candide (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Peter Sasha Hurowitz: The Completely…Edgar Allan Poe (Trinity Rep)
M. L. Dogg: Sons of the Prophet (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Daniel Baker/Aaron Meicht: Ruined (Huntington Theatre Co.)
David Remedios: Two Jews Walk into a War (Merrimack Repertory Theatre)

Best Choreography
Daniel Pelzig: Candide (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Richard Stafford: The King and I (North Shore Music Theatre)
Nick Kenkel: Legally Blonde (NSMT)
Gemze de Lappe: Oklahoma (Reagle Music Theatre)
Robert Tatad: Miss Saigon (Ogunquit Playhouse)

Best Solo
Thomas Derrah: R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe (ART)
Gordon Clapp: This Verse Business (Merrimack Repertory Theatre)

Best Ensemble
Candide (Huntington Theatre Co.)
The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (ART)
Ruined (Huntington Theatre Co.)
His Girl Friday (Trinity Rep)
Sons of the Prophet (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Clybourne Park (Trinity Repertory Company)
Prometheus Bound (ART)

Best Supporting Actress (Drama)
Anne Scurria: Steel Magnolias (Trinity Rep)
Pascale Armand: Ruined (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Joanna Gleason: Sons of the Prophet (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Zainab Jah: Ruined (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Kippy Goldfarb: Before I Leave You (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Karen MacDonald: All’s Well That Ends Well (Commonwealth Shakespeare)
Angela Brazil: The Completely….Edgar Allan Poe play (Trinity Rep)

Best Supporting Actor (Drama)
Thomas Derrah: Ajax (ART)
Sam Babbitt: Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them (Gamm Theatre)
Nathan Darrow: Ajax (ART)
Ross Bickell: Before I Leave You (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Joe Wilson, Jr: The Completely….Edgar Allan Poe Play (Trinity Rep)
Oberon K.A. Adjepong: Ruined (Huntington Theatre Co.)

Best Actress (Drama)
Tonye Patano: Ruined (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Beth Wittig: The Persian Quarter (MRT)
Catherine Eaton: The Exceptionals (MRT)
Jane Pfitsch: Educating Rita (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Casey Seymour Kim: Why Torture is Wrong and the People…play (Gamm Theatre)
Andrea Maulella: Tryst (MRT)

Best Actor (Drama)
Brent Harris: Ajax (ART)
Brian McEleney: The Completely…Edgar Allan Poe (Trinity Rep)
Michael Cristofer: Captors (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Mark Shanahan: Tryst (MRT)
FrEd Sullivan, Jr.: His Girl Friday (Trinity Rep)

Best Supporting Actress (Musical)
Cheryl Stern: Candide (Huntington Theatre Co.)
NaTasha Yvette Williams: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (ART)
Nikki Renee Daniels: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (ART)
Gaelen Gilliland: Legally Blonde (NSMT)
Ellen Peterson: Oklahoma (Reagle)
Robyn Payne: Tarzan (NSMT)

Best Supporting Actor (Musical)
Phillip Boykin: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (ART)
Doug Jabara: Oklahoma (Reagle)
Timothy John Smith: Candide (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Todd Alan Johnson: Tarzan (NSMT)
Nik Walker: Miss Saigon (Ogunquit Playhouse)
Austin Ku: Miss Saigon (Ogunquit)

Best Actress (Musical)
Audra McDonald: Porgy and Bess (ART)
Lauren Molina: Candide (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Lisa O’Hare: My Fair Lady (NSMT)
Jennifer Paz: Miss Saigon (Ogunquit)
Kate Fisher: The King and I (North Shore Music Theatre)

Best Actor (Musical)
Norm Lewis: Porgy and Bess (ART)
Raul Aranas: Miss Saigon (Ogunquit Playhouse)
Geoff Packard: Candide (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Charles Shaughnessy: My Fair Lady (NSMT)
Stephen Mark Lukas: Oklahoma (Reagle Music Theatre)

Best Music Director
Doug Peck: Candide (Huntington Theatre Co.)
David Loud/Sheilah Walker: Porgy and Bess (ART)
Ken Clifton: Miss Saigon (Ogunquit)
Craig Barna: The King and I (NSMT))
Daniel Rodriguez: Oklahoma (Reagle)
Darren Cohen: The Game (Barrington Stage)

Best Director of a Musical
Mary Zimmerman: Candide (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Julianne Boyd: The Game (Barringon Stage)
Charles Repole: My Fair Lady (NSMT)
Paul Dobie: Miss Saigon (Ogunquit)
Diane Paulus: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (ART)

Best Director of a Drama
Peter DuBois: Sons of the Prophet (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Joe Brancato: Tryst (MRT)
Curt Columbus: His Girl Friday (Trinity Rep)
Maria Aitken: Educating Rita (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Charles Towers: The Exceptionals (MRT)
Liesl Tommy: Ruined (Huntington Theatre Co.)

Best Visiting Production
Richard III (Propeller Theatre Company @(Huntington Theatre Co.)
Hair (Broadway Across America Boston)
Peter Pan (Three sixtyo)
Mary Poppins (Broadway Across America Boston)
PSY: les 7 doigts de la main (Arts Emerson)
The Merchant (Theatre for a New Audience @ Arts Emerson)
The Speaker’s Progress (SABAB Theatre &Arts Emerson)

Best Visiting Performer
Christopher Sieber: La Cage aux Folles (Broadway Across America)
Evan Jonigkeit: High (Matthew Lombardo, Ann Cady Scott, Timothy J. Hampton and The Rep Theatre of St. Louis)
F. Murray Abraham: The Merchant of Venice (Arts Emerson)
Matt DeAngelis: Hair (Broadway Across America)
Steffanie Leigh: Mary Poppins ( Broadway Across America)
Nicolas Dromard: Mary Poppins (Broadway Across America)
Kate MacCluggage: The Merchant of Venice (Arts Emerson)

Best Musical
Candide (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Porgy and Bess (ART)
The Game (Barrington Stage)
My Fair Lady (NSMT)
Miss Saigon (Ogunquit Playhouse)

Best Play
The Completely Fictional-Utterly True-Final Strange Tale of Edgar Allan Poe (Trinity Rep)
Ruined (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Sons of the Prophet (Huntington Theatre Co.)
Tryst (Merrimack Reperory Theatre)
The Exceptionals (MRT)
His Girl Friday (Trinity Rep)

Best Performance by a Young Actor
Ellis Gage: The King and I (NSMT)
Mesafint Goldfeld: Ajax (ART)
Giacomo Favazza: Tarzan (NSMT)
Yamilah Saravong: Miss Saigon (Ogunquit)
Gillian Gordon: The Sound of Music (Reagle)

Photo Credit: Monica Simoes