2015-16 METAs Nominees Announced

By: A.A. Cristi Sep. 07, 2016

The Montreal English Theatre Awards (METAs) recognize and celebrate outstanding artistic work in Montreal's English Theatre. Established in 2012, the peer-juried awards exist to promote professional and emerging English theatre artists and companies, to heighten their visibility both regionally and beyond, and to elevate the level of critical discourse about theatre in Montreal amongst artists and with the community at large.

This past season, the METAs Jury has selected a total of 89 nominations, and will be awarding 19 trophies at the Ceremony: 16 peer-juried-awards; 1 community award (determined by our independent Community Jury); and 2 honorary awards.
New this year, the nominees were announced at a conference held at The Monument-National Café on Wednesday afternoon, where the hosts of this year's Awards Ceremony were announced as Julie Tamiko Manning and Warona Setshwaelo.

This year's noteworthy nominations include Djanet Sears' Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God, which leads with 12 nominations including best PACT production and Outstanding direction. RustWerk ReFinery's independent puppet production of Louis Riel follows next with 7 nominations. This year's Outstanding Contribution to Theatre award features a diverse range of nominees such as chorus, video designers, mask and puppet makers, and a choreographer.

Two honorary awards will again be announced at the ceremony on October 24th. The Unsung Hero of the Theatre (UHOT) Award honours a deserving member of a production or administrative team working behind the scenes. The second of two non-juried awards, the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Award (established last year), recognizes and encourages practices of access and inclusion. A general call for submissions invited recommendations of companies or individuals who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment this past season to reflecting the full diversity of Montreal and its artists. Nominations are welcome until September 15th.

The fourth annual METAs Ceremony will take place on Monday October 24th at 7:30pm at the historic Rialto Theatre (5723 avenue du Parc). Visit metas.ca for updated ticket information.

The full list of nominees follows. (Or see http://metas.ca/2015-16-nominees/)
The forth annual METAs Ceremony will take place on Monday October 24th at 7:30pm at the historic Rialto Theatre (5723 avenue du Parc). Visit metas.ca for updated ticket information.

Outstanding Lead Performance - Actor

Quincy Armorer - The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God (Centaur Theatre Company & the National Arts Centre, in association with Black Theatre Workshop)
Walter Borden - The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God (Centaur Theatre Company & the National Arts Centre, in association with Black Theatre Workshop)
David Noel - Private Lives (Hudson Village Theatre)
Jack Volpe - Tribes (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
Thomas Wilkinson Fullerton - Compleat Female Stage Beauty (Persephone Productions)

Outstanding Lead Performance - Actress

Reneltta Arluk - Pig Girl (Imago Theatre)
Deena Aziz - Another Home Invasion (Tableau D'Hôte Theatre)
Gitanjali Jain - The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (Repercussion Theatre)
Anana Rydvald - Love, Child (Level 4 Theatre)
Sarah Segal-Lazar - Bad Jews (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)

Outstanding Supporting Performance - Actor

Chip Chuipka - Butcher (Centaur Theatre Company)
Peter Farbridge - Progress! (Infinithéâtre)
Alain Goulem - Butcher (Centaur Theatre Company)
Marcel Jeannin - The Secret Annex (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
James Loye - Butcher (Centaur Theatre Company)

Outstanding Supporting Performance - Actress
Sponsored by Canadian Actors' Equity Association

Barbara Barnes-Hopkins - The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God (Centaur Theatre Company & the National Arts Centre, in association with Black Theatre Workshop)
Tamara Brown - Last Night at the Gayety(Centaur Theatre Company)
Lili Francks - The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God (Centaur Theatre Company & the National Arts Centre, in association with Black Theatre Workshop)
Alex Petrachuk - Compleat Female Stage Beauty (Persephone Productions)
Andrea Runge - Tribes (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
Warona Setshwaelo - The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (Repercussion Theatre)

Outstanding Ensemble

Bar Kapra the Squirrel Hunter - Chip Chuipka, Jennifer Roberts, France Rolland (Scapegoat Carnivale Theatre)
Beethoven Lives Upstairs - Quincy Armorer, Lucinda Davis, Eric Hausknost, Alex McCooeye, Leni Parker (Geordie Productions)
Bus Stops - Victoria Diamond, Nora Guerch, Alexandre Lavigne, Marilyn Perreault, Annie Ranger, Hugues Sarra-Bournet, Victor Andrés Trelles Turgeon (Théâtre I.N.K.)
Confiteor: Vol II - Devon Bate, Burcu Emeç, Jillian Harris, Anthony Kennedy, Alex Petrachuk, Michelle Rambharose, Meagan Schroeder, Allie Shapiro, Peter Shaw (obra anaïs performance ensemble)
Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Stage Play - Charles Bender, Cat Lemieux, Anne Lalancette, Jimmy Blais, Jon Lachlan Stewart (RustWerk ReFinery)

Outstanding Set Design

Patrice Charbonneau-Brunelle - Bus Stops (Théâtre I.N.K.)
Michael Gianfrancesco - Funny Girl (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
Lara Kaluza - Another Home Invasion(Tableau D'Hôte Theatre)
James Lavoie - Beethoven Lives Upstairs (Geordie Productions)
obra anaïs performance ensemble - Confiteor: Vol II (obra anaïs performance ensemble)

Outstanding Costume Design

Louise Bourret - I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
Michael Eagan - The Secret Annex (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
Michael Gianfrancesco - Funny Girl (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
Astrid Janson - The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God (Centaur Theatre Company & the National Arts Centre, in association with Black Theatre Workshop)
Amy Keith - Beethoven Lives Upstairs (Geordie Productions)
Susana Vera - The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (Repercussion Theatre)

Outstanding Lighting Design

Audrey-Anne Bouchard - Another Home Invasion (Tableau D'Hôte Theatre)
Martin Gagné - Bus Stops (Théâtre I.N.K.)
Jason Hand - The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God (Centaur Theatre Company & the National Arts Centre, in association with Black Theatre Workshop)
David Perreault Ninacs - Province (Talisman Theatre & The Other Theatre)
Luc Prairie - Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Stage Play (RustWerk ReFinery)
Martin Sirois - P@ndora (Youtheatre)

Outstanding Sound Design

Peter Balov - Funny Girl (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
Devon Bate - Confiteor: Vol II (obra anaïs performance ensemble)
Peter Cerone - The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God (Centaur Theatre Company & the National Arts Centre, in association with Black Theatre Workshop)
Rob Denton - Another Home Invasion (Tableau D'Hôte Theatre)
Catherine Varvaro - The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (Repercussion Theatre)

Outstanding Original Composition

Joseph Browne & David Oppenheim - Bar Kapra the Squirrel Hunter (Scapegoat Carnivale Theatre)
Tristan Capacchione - Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Stage Play (RustWerk ReFinery)
Rob Denton - Another Home Invasion (Tableau D'Hôte Theatre)
Alejandra Nunez & Djanet Sears - The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God(Centaur Theatre Company & the National Arts Centre, in association with Black Theatre Workshop)
Catherine Varvaro - The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (Repercussion Theatre)

Outstanding Contribution to Theatre

Chorus: TRoy Adams, Kaleb Alexander, Tamara Brown, Janelle Cooper, Marie-Christine Depestre, Trudy Lee Gayle, Don Jordan, Evangelia Kambites, Kayvon Kelly, Tristan D. Lalla, Amanda LeBlanc, Paula-Jean Prudat, Saidah Baba Talibah, Alison Woolridge - The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God (Centaur Theatre Company & the National Arts Centre, in association with Black Theatre Workshop)
George Allister & Cathia Pagotto: Video Design - Sidewalk Chalk (Geordie Productions)
Zach Fraser: Puppet Design - Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Stage Play (RustWerk ReFinery)
Anana Rydvald: Mask Design - Love, Child (Level 4 Theatre)
Vivine Scarlett: Choreography - The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God(Centaur Theatre Company & the National Arts Centre, in association with Black Theatre Workshop)

Outstanding New Text (Original or Adaptation)

Megan Coles - Squawk (Geordie Productions)
Zach Fraser - Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Stage Play (RustWerk ReFinery)
Alexandria Haber - On This Day (Centaur Theatre Company)
Peter Hinton - Funny Girl (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
Joseph Shragge - Bar Kapra the Squirrel Hunter (Scapegoat Carnivale Theatre)

Outstanding Emerging Artist
Sponsored by the National Theatre School of Canada

Amanda Goldberg: Director - Bright Half Life (Brave New Productions & We Are One)
obra anaïs performance ensemble: Company - Confiteor: Vol II (obra anaïs performance ensemble)
Kelly O'Toole: Actress - Bright Half Life (Brave New Productions & We Are One)
Alex Petrachuk: Actress - Moby Dick / Compleat Female Stage Beauty / Confiteor: Vol II(Persephone Productions / obra anaïs performance ensemble)
Jack Volpe: Actor - Tribes(Segal Centre for Performing Arts)

Outstanding Direction

Dean Patrick Fleming - Beethoven Lives Upstairs (Geordie Productions)
Zach Fraser - Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Stage Play (RustWerk ReFinery)
Peter Hinton - Funny Girl (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
Djanet Sears - The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God (Centaur Theatre Company & the National Arts Centre, in association with Black Theatre Workshop)

Outstanding Community Production

Boeing Boeing - Lakeshore Players Dorval
Bye Bye Birdie - West Island Theatre Association (WISTA)
The Curious Savage - Lakeshore Players Dorval
The Producers - The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre in association with The Côte Saint-Luc Dramatic Society (CSLDS)

Outstanding Independent Production

Another Home Invasion - Tableau D'Hôte Theatre
Bus Stops - Théâtre I.N.K.
Cock - PlayShed
Confiteor: Vol II - obra anaïs performance ensemble
Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Stage Play - RustWerk ReFinery
Love, Child - Level 4 Theatre

Outstanding PACT Production

The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God - Centaur Theatre Company & the National Arts Centre, in association with Black Theatre Workshop
Beethoven Lives Upstairs - Geordie Productions
Butcher - Centaur Theatre Company
Funny Girl - Segal Centre for Performing Arts
P@ndora - Youtheatre
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar - Repercussion Theatre

In addition to the preceding juried awards, the following Honorary Awards will be bestowed at the METAs Ceremony on October 24th -

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Award
presented in partnership with the Conseil des arts de Montréal
Established to encourage practices of access and inclusion, the EDI recognizes those who embrace the range of cultures, identities and abilities that make up and enrich our city.

Unsung Hero of the Theatre (UHOT) Award
Celebrating those in our community who too rarely get the public recognition they deserve, the UHOT honours a deserving member of a production or administrative team working behind the scenes.

The fourth annual METAs Ceremony will take place on Monday October 24th at 7:30pm at the historic Rialto Theatre (5723 avenue du Parc). Visit metas.ca for updated ticket information.
The full list of nominees follows. (Or see http://metas.ca/2015-16-nominees/)

The forth annual METAs Ceremony will take place on Monday October 24th at 7:30pm at the historic Rialto Theatre (5723 avenue du Parc). Visit metas.ca for updated ticket information.