Recipients Announced For Montreal English Theatre Awards

The Montreal English Theatre Awards celebrated it's 6th Awards Ceremony in one of the city's most beautiful and historic theatres, the Ludger-Duvernay, made possible by a new partnership with the National Theatre School of Canada and its theatre venue, the Monument-National. The META Committee extends its gratitude to this year's Ceremony sponsor, the Caisse de la Culture, for their invaluable support.

Over the course of the 2017-18 theatre season, a jury of 24 theatre professionals from varied disciplines assessed 34 professional productions across 16 categories. An additional 8 community productions were evaluated by a separate jury for the Community Theatre Award, for a total of 42 productions overall.

This year's Ceremony hosts, both playwrights and actors, Michaela Di Cesare and Jesse Stong, invited the Montreal English theatre community to sit up and take stock of the perseverance, strength, and talent Montreal theatre artists possess through a comedic and fast-paced Awards Ceremony.

Two Honorary Awards - always an exciting surprise to the peer nominated recipients, were announced as Teesri Duniya Theatre company for the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award, and James Douglas for the Unsung Hero of the Theatre Award.

The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Award (presented in partnership with the Conseil des Arts de Montréal), was awarded to the company, Teesri Duniya Theatre. The peer committee assembled for the honorary award considered the company's life work that fights for diversity on stage and off; hires countless female directors, engages and mentors emerging artists, shines a light and gives a voice to underrepresented individuals and groups, and advocates for minority groups for a place in theatre history. Teesri Duniya's Artistic Director, Rahul Varma, accepted the award.

The Unsung Hero of the Theatre (UHOT) Award celebrates an individual working behind the scenes, and James Douglas has worked for many years in various positions from Stage Manager, Production Manager as well as Touring Manager. He was also celebrated as someone who has volunteered for many companies and is always ready and willing to lend a hand.

The METAs jury determined recipients by way of secret ballot, and are tabulated by an independent auditor, Amelia Facciola of Ponzo, Facciola, Quaglieri CA CPA.

And the META goes to...

Outstanding Lead Performance - Actress

• Letitia Brookes - The Mountaintop (Black Theatre Workshop & Neptune Theatre)
• Djennie Laguerre - Rendez-Vous with Home (Black Theatre Workshop)
• Louise Pitre - The Angel & The Sparrow (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
• Michelle Rambharose - Romeo & Juliet: Love is Love (Repercussion Theatre)
• Natalie Tannous - The Baklawa Recipe (Centaur Theatre Company)

Outstanding Lead Performance - Actor

• Shawn Campbell - The Mystery of Irma Vep (Theatre Lac-Brome)
• Davide Chiazzese - Successions (Centaur Theatre Company)
• Jesse Noah Gruman - The Hockey Sweater: A Musical (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
• Tristan D. Lalla - The Mountaintop (Black Theatre Workshop & Neptune Theatre)
• Oliver Price - The Life and Death of Fred Herko (Daughter Product)

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

• Skyler Clark - Smackhead (We Are One)
• Ellen David - Marjorie Prime (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
• Gita Miller - Successions (Centaur Theatre Company)
• Riley O'Donnell - The Hockey Sweater: A Musical (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
• Christina Tannous - The Baklawa Recipe (Centaur Theatre Company)

Outstanding Supporting Performance - Actor

• Eloi ArchamBaudoin - Marjorie Prime (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
• Tyrone Benskin - Marjorie Prime (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
• Ryan Bommarito - Romeo & Juliet: Love is Love (Repercussion Theatre)
• Adam Capriolo - Romeo & Juliet: Love is Love (Repercussion Theatre)
• Nick Walker - Late Company (d² productions)

Outstanding Ensemble

• The 39 Steps - Lucinda Davis, Trent Pardy, Amelia Sargisson, Andrew Shaver (Centaur Theatre Company)
• Around the World in 80 Days - Danielle Desormeaux, Michael Hughes, Chimwemwe Miller (Geordie Productions)
• ''Art' - Jimmy Blais, Daniel Brochu, Marcel Jeannin (Hudson Village Theatre)
• Sapientia - Alison Darcy, Robert Leveroos, Alexandra Petrachuk, Paul Van Dyck (Scapegoat Carnivale)

Outstanding Set Design

• John C. Dinning - Marjorie Prime (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
• Martin Ferland - The Angel & The Sparrow (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
• Sabrina Miller - Around the World in 80 Days (Geordie Productions)
• Zoe Roux - Invasive Species (Blue Ox Productions)
• Eo Sharp - The Mountaintop (Black Theatre Workshop & Neptune Theatre)

Outstanding Costume Design
Sponsored by Maria Arciero Design

• Louise Bourret - Marjorie Prime (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
• Sophie El Assaad - Invasive Species (Blue Ox Productions)
• Michael Gianfrancesco - The 39 Steps (Centaur Theatre Company)
• Sabrina Miller - Around the World in 80 Days (Geordie Productions)
• Eo Sharp - The Mountaintop (Black Theatre Workshop & Neptune Theatre)

Outstanding Lighting Design
Sponsored by Solotech

• Claude Accolas - The Angel & The Sparrow (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
• Andrea Lundy - The 39 Steps (Centaur Theatre Company)
• David Perreault Ninacs - Around the World in 80 Days (Geordie Productions)
• David Perreault Ninacs - The Mountaintop (Black Theatre Workshop & Neptune Theatre)
• Tim Rodrigues - Marjorie Prime (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)

Outstanding Sound Design / Composition
Sponsored by Solotech

• Joseph Browne & Evan Stepanian - Sapientia (Scapegoat Carnivale)
• Rob Denton - Around the World in 80 Days (Geordie Productions)
• Gitanjali Jain - Romeo & Juliet: Love is Love (Repercussion Theatre)
• Steve Marsh - The Angel & The Sparrow (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)
• Christian Thomas - Marjorie Prime (Segal Centre for Performing Arts)

Outstanding Contribution to Theatre

• Karl-Henry Brézault: Live Musical Performance - Rendez-Vous with Home (Black Theatre Workshop)
• Guillaume Lévesque: Interactive Technology Design - Dreaming Now (Youtheatre)
• Sarah Osmond: Properties Master - Around the World in 80 Days (Geordie Productions)
• Evan Stepanian: Live Musical Performance - Sapientia (Scapegoat Carnivale)
• Kate Stockburger: Stage Management, Costume Design & Dramaturgy - À Louer (Troisième espace théâtre/Third Space Theatre & Kyle Croutch)

Outstanding New Text (Original or Adaptation)

• Kalale Dalton-Lutale - Pinky Swear (Geordie Productions)
• Michaela Di Cesare - Successions (Centaur Theatre Company)
• Natalie Liconti - The Life and Death of Fred Herko (Daughter Product)
• Pascale Rafie (New Text) & Melissa Bull (Translation) - The Baklawa Recipe (Centaur Theatre Company)
• Gabriel Schultz - Invasive Species (Blue Ox Productions)

Outstanding Emerging Artist(s) - Performance
Sponsored by the National Theatre School of Canada

• Ryan Bommarito - Romeo & Juliet: Love is Love (Repercussion Theatre)
• Natalie Liconti - À Louer (Troisième espace théâtre/Third Space Theatre & Kyle Croutch) / The History of Sexuality (Talking Dog Productions) / The Life and Death of Fred Herko (Daughter Product) / Vic & Flo Saw a Bear (Talisman Theatre)
• Michael Martini - Olivia Newton-John-a-thon (Visite Collective)
• Anton May - HAIR (In the Wings Promotions) / The Mountain & Pinky Swear (Geordie Productions) / Romeo & Juliet: Love is Love (Repercussion Theatre)
• Gita Miller - Successions (Centaur Theatre Company)

Outstanding Emerging Artist(s) - Production
Sponsored by the Monument-National

• Stephanie Costa: Direction - Invasive Species (Blue Ox Productions)
• Kalale Dalton-Lutale: Playwriting - Pinky Swear (Geordie Productions)
• Daughter Product: Theatre Company - The Life and Death of Fred Herko (Daughter Product)
• Zoe Roux: Set & Lighting Design - Invasive Species (Blue Ox Productions) / Smackhead (We Are One)
• Kate Stockburger: Stage Management & Object Dramaturgy - À Louer (Troisième espace théâtre/Third Space Theatre & Kyle Croutch) / Stage Management - The Life and Death of Fred Herko (Daughter Product) & The Mystery of Irma Vep (Theatre Lac-Brome)

Outstanding Direction

• Dean Patrick Fleming - 'Art' (Hudson Village Theatre)
• ahdri zhina mandiela - The Mountaintop (Black Theatre Workshop & Neptune Theatre)
• Dayane Ntibarikure - Rendez-Vous with Home (Black Theatre Workshop)
• Mike Payette - Around the World in 80 Days (Geordie Productions)
• Mia van Leeuwen - Sapientia (Scapegoat Carnivale)

Outstanding Community Production
Sponsored by Global News

• The Addams Family - West Island Theatre Association (WISTA)
• Calendar Girls - Lakeshore Players Dorval
• Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - The Côte Saint-Luc Dramatic Society
• The Mikado - Lakeshore Light Opera
• Once Upon A Mattress - Hudson Music Club

Outstanding Independent Production
Sponsored by Caisse de la Culture

• À Louer - Troisième espace théâtre/Third Space Theatre & Kyle Croutch
• Invasive Species - Blue Ox Productions
• The Life and Death of Fred Herko - Daughter Product
• Sapientia - Scapegoat Carnivale
• Smackhead - We Are One

Outstanding PACT Production

• The Angel & The Sparrow - Segal Centre for Performing Arts
• Around the World in 80 Days - Geordie Productions
• The Mountaintop - Black Theatre Workshop & Neptune Theatre
• Rendez-Vous with Home - Black Theatre Workshop
• Successions - Centaur Theatre Company

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