The 30th Annual Shellie Awards Announce Winners

THE 30thth ANNUAL SHELLIE AWARDS gala celebration honoring outstanding achievement in the performing arts in Central Contra Costa County was held Saturday, January 17th at 7:30pm at the Lesher Center for the Arts.

The black-tie event featured production numbers from each of the nominated musicals along with scenes from each of the nominated plays. Ken Bergmann conducted the Shellie Awards Orchestra and the MC's for the evening were Jeff Collister, Jerry Motta, Kerri Shawn, and Michael White. Throughout the evening the audience was entertained with live and "remote" video broadcasts from backstage and other areas throughout the Center.

Shellie Awards innovator, Scott Denison, says "The Shellie Awards were founded thirty years ago in order to recognize outstanding achievement in the performing arts in Central Contra Costa. This is an evening to honor the nominees, as well as the winners."

Patterned after Broadway's Tony awards, this year's Shellie Awards honored over 120 individuals and their work in musical and non-musical theatrical productions, which took place between September 1, 2007 and August 31, 2008. The 12 regional companies participating were: Act Now!, Antioch Rivertown Theatre, Center REPertory Company, Contra Costa Musical Theatre, DLOC, Galatean Players Ensemble Theatre, Onstage Repertory Theatre, Pittsburgh Community Theatre, Role Players Ensemble Theatre, Town Hall Theatre Company, The Vagabond Players, and Willows Theatre Company.

The custom designed porcelain Shellie statuettes were awarded to:
MUSICALS
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS:
Brandy Collazo for Peter Pan by DLOC

OUTSTANDING ACTOR:
Ryan Drummond for Annie Get Your Gun by Willows Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Jessica Magers-Rankin for Ruthless by Role Players Ensemble Theatre

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTORS:
Patrick Michael Dukeman for Cinderella by Contra Costa Musical Theatre

OUTSTANDING SCENIC DESIGNER:
Marina Cassia-Rowland for Cats by Willow Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING COSTUMER:
Melissa Paterson for Cinderella by Contra Costa Musical Theatre

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGNER:
John Earls for Cinderella by CCMT

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR:
Mindy Cooper for The Musical of Musicals by Center Repertory Company

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER
Jennifer Perry for Cinderella by CCMT

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION:
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella by Contra Costa Musical Theatre.

NON MUSICALS
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS
A TIE
Ginny Wehrmeister for Bus Stop by Role Players Ensemble Theatre
AND
Katie Pelensky for The Weir by Town Hall Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING ACTOR
Jason Jeffrey for Anyone Out There? by Antioch Rivertown Company

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS
A TIE
Kerri Shae for Agatha Cristie's Mousetrap by Center Repertory Company
Bonnie DeChant for Bus Stop by Role Players Ensemble Theatre

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR
Aaron Wilton for Brighton Beach Memoirs by Willows Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING SCENIC DESIGNER
Kelly Tighe for Agatha Christie's Mousetrap by Center Repertory Company

OUTSTANDING COSTUMER
Robin Speer for Brighton Beach Memoirs by Willows

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGNER:
Kurt Landisman for A Midsummer Night's Dream Center Repertory Company

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR:
Timothy Near for Agatha Christie's Mousetrap by Center Repertory Company

Agatha Christie's Mousetrap by Center Repertory Company
Also Shellies for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts were awarded to Diane McRice from Act Now!, Gary Pokorny from Center REPertory Company; Diane Karmin from DLOC; Ronn Ton from Pittsburgh Community Theatre; Rick Carrahar from Vagabond Players, and the City Council of Martinez from Willows Theatre Company.

Guest presenters for the evening included the presidents and artistic directors from each of the participating theatres along with, Contra Costa Supervisor Mary Piepho, County Clerk Stephen Weir from Contra Costa County, Mayor Gary Skrel from Walnut Creek, Mayor Laura Hoffmeister from Concord, Vice-Mayor Mike Doyle from Danville, Mayor Rob Schroeder from Martinez, Gary Fisher from Chevron and Scott MacCormac, Kevin Sanchez and Peggy White from Diablo Regional Arts Association.

All proceeds from ticket sales will go towards the continued support of the Shellie Awards program and the participating performing arts companies. This year's Shellie Awards were also underwritten by generous donations from the Diablo Regional Arts Association and the City of Walnut Creek.

As the festivities concluded in the lobby with a champagne and dessert reception honoring the nominees and award winners, the date for the 31st Annual Shellie Awards was announced to be Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 7:30pm with tickets going on sale on November 1, 2009.