New Hampshire Theatre Awards, 1/26

The NH Theater Awards celebrated another successful season of Youth, Community and Professional theater across the state with their yearly awards ceremony.

This year marked a change in venue, having been moved from the Palace Theatre in Manchester to the Stockbridge Theatre on the campus of the Pinkerton Academy in Derry. According to Mia Moravis, Press Coordinator for the NHTA, "...the awards ceremony went very well very few hitches, Scott H. Severance's writing and directing were spot on. The show was technically sound and vivacious. The original content was hilarious, the performances were impeccable, well-honed with great talent. The change of venue was very smooth sailing."

The New London Barn Playhouse turned out to be the big winner of the evening, taking home Best Production, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Musical Director, Best Choreographer and Best Scenic Designer categories under the musical banner.

The Peterborough Players also made a great showing by earning awards for their productions of Auld Lang Syne and The 39 Steps. Best Production, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Sound Designer were presented to them in the play category.

Special awards were presented to:

Francis Grover Cleveland Lifetime Achievement: Bob Shea

Children's & Youth Theatre Award: Keith Wierich

"Matty" Award for Vision and Tenacity: Rob Dionne

"Matty" Award for Vision and Tenacity: Weathervane Theatre

Professional Winners and Top Finalists

Best Production - Drama/Comedy Auld Lang Syne - Peterborough Players Finalist The Admirable Crichton - Peterborough Players Finalist The 39 Steps - Peterborough Players Best Production - Musical Ragtime - New London Barn Playhouse Finalist Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - NCCA Papermill Theatre Finalist Young Frankenstein - Weathervane Theatre

Best Director - Drama/Comedy Gus Kaikkonen - Auld Lang Syne - Peterborough Players Finalist Gus Kaikkonen - The Admirable Crichton - Peterborough Players Finalist Charles Morey - The 39 Steps - Peterborough Players Best Director - Musical Richard Roland - Ragtime - New London Barn Playhouse Finalist Kevin P Hill - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - NCCA Papermill Theatre Finalist Jacques Stewart - Young Frankenstein - Weathervane Theatre

Best Original Playwright Jack Neary - Auld Lang Syne - Peterborough Players

Best Actor - Drama/Comedy Gordon Clapp as Joe in "Auld Lang Syne" - Peterborough Players Finalist Tom Frey as Crichton in "The Admirable Crichton" - Peterborough Players Finalist Ian Peakes as Richard Hannay in "The 39 Steps" - Peterborough Players Best Actor - Musical Bradley Gibson as Coalhouse in "Ragtime" - New London Barn Playhouse Finalist Phil Tayler as Berger in "Hair" - New London Barn Playhouse Finalist Andrew Garret Karl as Claude in "Hair" - New London Barn Playhouse

Best Actress - Drama/Comedy Kathy Manfre as Mary in "Auld Lang Syne" - Peterborough Players Finalist Rebecca Turner as Louise in "Epic Proportions" - Winnipesaukee Playhouse Finalist Karen Peakes as Mary in "The Admirable Crichton" - Peterborough Players Best Actress - Musical Sara Schoch as Mother in "Ragtime" - New London Barn Playhouse Finalist Katherine McDonough as Julia Sullivan in "The Wedding Singer" - NCCA Papermill Theatre Finalist Alaina Mills as Elizabeth in "Young Frankenstein" - Weathervane Theatre

Best Supporting Actor - Drama/Comedy Kraig Swartz as Clown 2 in "The 39 Steps" - Peterborough Players Finalist Shabazz Green as Various in "Epic Proportions" - Winnipesaukee Playhouse Finalist Tom Frey as Clown 1 in "The 39 Steps" - Peterborough Players Best Supporting Actor - Musical Raymond Sage as Tateh in "Ragtime" - New London Barn Playhouse Finalist Jesse Carrey Beaver as Freddy Benson in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" - NCCA Papermill Theatre Finalist Ethan Paulini as Igor in "Young Frankenstein" - Weathervane Theatre

Best Supporting Actress - Drama/Comedy Tonya Free as Various in "Epic Proportions" - Winnipesaukee Playhouse Finalist Cathy McKay as Reba Freitag in "The Last Night of Ballyhoo" - Winnipesaukee Playhouse Finalist Christine Titus as Nerissa in "The Merchant of Venice" - Advice To The Players Best Supporting Actress - Musical Deborah Jean Templin as Frau Blucher in "Young Frankenstein" - Weathervane Theatre Finalist Logan Troyer as Muriel in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" - NCCA Papermill Theatre Finalist Kara Tripoli as Jolene in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" - NCCA Papermill Theatre

Best Music Director Joel Mercier - Ragtime - New London Barn Playhouse Finalist Paul Loman - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - NCCA Papermill Theatre Finalist Colin Keating - Young Frankenstein - Weathervane Theatre

Best Choreographer Sarah Case & Keith Coughlin - Ragtime - New London Barn Playhouse Finalist Kevin P Hill - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - NCCA Papermill Theatre Finalist Gregory Daniels - Hair - New London Barn Playhouse

Best Costume Designer Allison Crutchfield - Ragtime - New London Barn Playhouse Finalist Lesley Pankhurst - Epic Proportions - Winnipesaukee Playhouse Finalist Sam Fleming - The Admirable Crichton - Peterborough Players

Best Scenic Designer Jordan Janota - Ragtime - New London Barn Playhouse Finalist Matthew Kizer - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - NCCA Papermill Theatre Finalist Charles Morgan - The Admirable Crichton - Peterborough Players

Best Sound Designer Benjamin Marcum - The 39 Steps - Peterborough Players Finalist KEVIN FRAZIER - The Admirable Crichton - Peterborough Players Finalist Daniel Brunk - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - NCCA Papermill Theatre

Best Lighting Designer Daniel Brunk - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - NCCA Papermill Theatre Finalist John Eckert - Auld Lang Syne - Peterborough Players Finalist John Eckert - The 39 Steps - Peterborough Players

Photo Courtesy of Jemi Broussard.

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