2014 Barrymore Award Nominees Announced by Theatre Philadelphia

Theatre Philadelphia is thrilled to announce the nominees for the 2014 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre, including over 140 total nominations spanning 26 categories. The all-new Barrymore Awards Ceremony will be held Monday, October 27 at 7:00 p.m. at The Merriam Theater at 250 S. Broad Street, immediately followed by an After-Party in the Commonwealth Plaza at The Kimmel Center. Tickets for the 2014 Ceremony and After-Party go on sale Tuesday, September 2 at 12 p.m. and can be purchased online at www.theatrephiladelphia.org.

During the 2013/14 season, which ran September 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014, an all-volunteer team of dedicated theatre artists, critics, and scholars saw almost 100 professional productions featuring the work of more than 450 artists throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. A team of eight randomly-assigned Barrymore Nominators saw each eligible production. Productions receiving a "yes" vote in any one award category by at least five Nominators were deemed Barrymore Recommended, and moved on to a panel of twelve Judges for further consideration. The Judges met quarterly for in-depth discussions about the productions being considered. At the end of the theatre season, each of the Judges submitted their top choices in each award category, followed by a meeting to collaboratively narrow those choices down to a maximum of seven nominees in play categories and a maximum of four nominees in musical categories. The award nominees appeared on the final ballot from which the Judges selected the winners based on a weighted scoring system of First Choice (7 points), Second Choice (6 points), and so on; the nominee receiving the highest average score in each category was declared the winner.

The 2014 nominees for Outstanding Overall Production of a Play are Annapurna (Theatre Exile), The Brothers Size (Simpatico Theatre Project), Circle Mirror Transformation (Theatre Horizon), Don Juan Comes Home from Iraq (The Wilma Theater), Down Past Passyunk(InterAct Theatre Company), I Am My Own Wife (Theatre Horizon), and In a Dark Dark House (Simpatico Theatre Project).

The 2014 nominees for Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical are Midsummer [a play with songs] (Inis Nua Theatre Company), Nerds(Philadelphia Theatre Company), Parade (Arden Theatre Company), and The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) (Montgomery Theater).

The F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist is awarded annually to a rising talent in the Greater Philadelphia region. Funded by Carole Haas Gravagno through the CHG Charitable Trust, this award includes a $10,000 cash prize for the recipient and $1,000 for each finalist. The only award of its kind in the nation, it is intended to support an artist's living expenses so they can focus on their craft, as well as to encourage the artist to remain in the Greater Philadelphia community. This year's multi-talented finalists showcase the depth of the Philadelphia theatre community: actress and vocalist Liz Filios, actress and teaching artist Aimé Donna Kelly, actress and teaching artist Bi Jean Ngo, sound designer and composer Daniel Perelstein, and actress and director Mary Tuomanen.

The Virginia Brown Martin Philadelphia Award seeks to honor those plays that best lead audiences to a better understanding of the unique experience of particular segments of our global community. Through their accurate and insightful representation of perspectives unique to gender, ethnicity, religion, age and other categories of specialized experience, these plays enlighten us and help us to better appreciate different points of view without demanding that we agree with them. The award carries a $25,000 cash prize for the winner and $2,500 for each finalist, funded by the Virginia Brown Martin Fund of The Philadelphia Foundation. This year's nominees are Annapurna at Theatre Exile, The Exonerated at Delaware Theatre Company, I Am My Own Wife at Theatre Horizon, In a Dark Dark House at Simpatico Theatre Company, and The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington at Flashpoint Theatre Company.

Now in its second year, the June and Steve Wolfson Award for an Evolving Theatre recognizes, promotes, and rewards the creativity, growth, and excellence of evolving theatres within the Greater Philadelphia community. The award is intended to help foster interaction within the theatre community, increase the community's richness and diversity, and focus public awareness and accessibility to the most vibrant professional theatre community in the nation. The award carries a $10,000 prize and is sponsored by the June and Steve Wolfson Family Foundation. To be considered for the award, theatres must have a maximum annual budget of $400,000. This year's nominees are Azuka Theatre, EgoPo Classic Theater, Inis Nua Theatre Company, Quintessence Theatre Group, and Tiny Dynamite.

The 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award will go to actress and teacher Carla Belver. Ms. Belver has a longstanding association with People's Light and was a founding member of Philadelphia Theatre Company. She has also performed with Arden Theatre Company, Walnut Street Theatre, and Philadelphia Festival Theatre for New Plays, among others. Throughout her career she has spent time as an acting teacher at Walnut Street Theatre and People's Light. Through her teaching she has shared with her students her deep love of theatre and her profound sense of personal truth in acting.

A total of 31 professional theatres participated in the adjudication process during the 2013/14 season, including 11th Hour Theatre Company, 1812 Productions, Act II Playhouse, Arden Theatre Company, Azuka Theatre, Bristol Riverside Theatre, Broadway Theatre of Pitman, Delaware Theatre Company, EgoPo Classic Theater, Flashpoint Theatre Company, Groundswell Theatre Company, Hedgerow Theatre, Inis Nua Theatre Company, InterAct Theatre Company, Iron Age Theatre, Isis Productions, Lantern Theater Company, Luna Theater Company, Mauckingbird Theatre Company, Montgomery Theater, New City Stage Company, Passage Theatre Company, People's Light, The Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Philadelphia Non-Profit Advertising Agency, Quintessence Theatre Group, Simpatico Theatre Project, Theatre Exile, Theatre Horizon, and The Wilma Theater.

The Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre - 2014 Nominees by Category

Outstanding Overall Production of a Play
Annapurna (Theatre Exile)
The Brothers Size (Simpatico Theatre Project)
Circle Mirror Transformation (Theatre Horizon)
Don Juan Comes Home from Iraq (The Wilma Theater)
Down Past Passyunk (InterAct Theatre Company)
I Am My Own Wife (Theatre Horizon)
In a Dark Dark House (Simpatico Theatre Project)

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
Midsummer [a play with songs] (Inis Nua Theatre Company)
The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) (Montgomery Theater)
Nerds (Philadelphia Theatre Company)
Parade (Arden Theatre Company)

Outstanding Direction of a Play
Samantha Bellomo (Pride & Prejudice, People's Light)
Damon Bonetti (True Story, Passage Theatre Company)
Joe Canuso (Annapurna, Theatre Exile)
Matthew Decker (Circle Mirror Transformation, Theatre Horizon)
James Ijames (The Brothers Size, Simpatico Theatre Project)
Kathryn MacMillan (I Am My Own Wife, Theatre Horizon)
Matt Pfeiffer (Down Past Passyunk, InterAct Theatre Company)

Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Stephen Casey (The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!), Montgomery Theater)
Aaron Cromie (Man of La Mancha, Act II Playhouse)
Kate Galvin (Midsummer [a play with songs], Inis Nua Theatre Company)
Terrence J. Nolen (Parade, Arden Theatre Company)

Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play
Pearce Bunting (Annapurna, Theatre Exile)
Keith J. Conallen (Don Juan Comes Home from Iraq, The Wilma Theater)
Akeem Davis (The Brothers Size, Simpatico Theatre Project)
Charlie DelMarcelle (I Am My Own Wife, Theatre Horizon)
Dan Olmstead (Frost/Nixon, New City Stage Company)
Allen Radway (In a Dark Dark House, Simpatico Theatre Project)
William Zielinski (Down Past Passyunk, InterAct Theatre Company)

Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play
Nancy Boykin (The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington, Flashpoint Theatre Company)
Beth Dixon (4000 Miles, Philadelphia Theatre Company)
Alice M. Gatling (Gidion's Knot, InterAct Theatre Company)
Alex Keiper (Down Past Passyunk, InterAct Theatre Company)
Deirdre Madigan (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Philadelphia Theatre Company)
Katharine Powell (Three Sisters, Arden Theatre Company)
Catharine Slusar (Annapurna, Theatre Exile)

Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical
Stanley Bahorek (Nerds, Philadelphia Theatre Company)
Charlie DelMarcelle (Midsummer [a play with songs], Inis Nua Theatre Company)
Ben Dibble (Parade, Arden Theatre Company)
Rob McClure (The Story of My Life, Delaware Theatre Company)

Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical
Jennie Eisenhower (Parade, Arden Theatre Company)
Liz Filios (Midsummer [a play with songs], Inis Nua Theatre Company)
Lexy Fridell (Nerds, Philadelphia Theatre Company)
Laura Giknis (Little Shop of Horrors, Bristol Riverside Theatre)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play
David Bardeen (Circle Mirror Transformation, Theatre Horizon)
Peter DeLaurier (Emma, Lantern Theater Company)
Joe Guzmán (True Story, Passage Theatre Company)
Dave Johnson (Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Arden Theatre Company)
Jered McLenigan (The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Lantern Theater Company)
William Rahill (Down Past Passyunk, InterAct Theatre Company)
John Zak (The Pillowman, Luna Theater Company)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play
Nancy Boykin (Circle Mirror Transformation, Theatre Horizon)
Amanda Kearns (Tribes, Philadelphia Theatre Company)
Charlotte Northeast (Emma, Lantern Theater Company)
Karen Peakes (The Real Thing, The Wilma Theater)
Marcia Saunders (Incorruptible, Arden Theatre Company)
Mary Elizabeth Scallen (Pride & Prejudice, People's Light)
Mary Beth Shrader (In a Dark Dark House, Simpatico Theatre Project)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical
Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Little Shop of Horrors, Bristol Riverside Theatre)
Derrick Cobey (Parade, Arden Theatre Company)
Benny Elledge (Nerds, Philadelphia Theatre Company)
Michael Philip O'Brien (Parade, Arden Theatre Company)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical
Sarah Gliko (Parade, Arden Theatre Company)
Alex Keiper (Parade, Arden Theatre Company)
Kenita Miller (Parade, Arden Theatre Company)
Candace Thomas (Little Shop of Horrors, Bristol Riverside Theatre)

Outstanding Scenic Design
Wilson Chin (The Rainmaker, People's Light)
Dirk Durossette (Skin and Bone, Azuka Theatre)
David Gordon (Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Arden Theatre Company)
Ian Guzzone (Down Past Passyunk, InterAct Theatre Company)
Sebastienne Mundheim (A Child's Christmas in Wales, Lantern Theater Company)
Matt Saunders (Don Juan Comes Home from Iraq, The Wilma Theater)
Thom Weaver (Annapurna, Theatre Exile)

Outstanding Costume Design
Marie Anne Chiment (The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington, Flashpoint Theatre Company)
Katherine Fritz (Annapurna, Theatre Exile)
Marla Jurglanis (Ghosts, People's Light)
Marla Jurglanis (Pride & Prejudice, People's Light)
Rosemarie E. McKelvey (Parade, Arden Theatre Company)
Richard St. Clair (Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Arden Theatre Company)
Vasilija Zivanic (Don Juan Comes from Iraq, The Wilma Theater)

Outstanding Lighting Design
Shon Causer (A Child's Christmas in Wales, Lantern Theater Company)
Andrew J. Cowles (The Brothers Size, Simpatico Theatre Project)
Allen Hahn (Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Arden Theatre Company)
Justin Hoffecker (True Story, Passage Theatre Company)
Thom Weaver (4000 Miles, Philadelphia Theatre Company)
Thom Weaver (Don Juan Comes Home from Iraq, The Wilma Theater)
Thom Weaver (Parade, Arden Theatre Company)

Outstanding Sound Design
Christopher Colucci (Down Past Passyunk, InterAct Theatre Company)
Christopher Colucci (True West, Theatre Exile)
Christopher Colucci and Daniel Perelstein (The 39 Steps, Theatre Horizon)
Daniel Perelstein (Annapurna, Theatre Exile)
Daniel Perelstein (Don Juan Comes Home from Iraq, The Wilma Theater)
Daniel Perelstein (Parade, Arden Theatre Company)
Jorge Cousineau (Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Arden Theatre Company)

Outstanding Original Music
Stefán Örn Arnarson (True Story, Passage Theatre Company)
Christopher Colucci (The Rainmaker, People's Light)
Michael Hahn (The Exonerated, Delaware Theatre Company)
Robert Kaplowitz (A Child's Christmas in Wales, Lantern Theater Company)
Daniel Perelstein (Annapurna, Theatre Exile)
Daniel Perelstein (Don Juan Comes Home from Iraq, The Wilma Theater)
Daniel Perelstein (The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington, Flashpoint Theatre Company)

Outstanding Choreography/Movement
Samantha Bellomo (Pride & Prejudice, People's Light)
Joshua Bergasse (Nerds, Philadelphia Theatre Company)
Stephen Casey (Little Shop of Horrors, Bristol Riverside Theatre)
Michael Cosenza (Don Juan Comes Home from Iraq, The Wilma Theater)
Niki Cousineau (Parade, Arden Theatre Company)
K.O. DelMarcelle (Emma, Lantern Theater Company)
Samuel Antonio Reyes (Altar Boyz, 11th Hour Theatre Company)

Outstanding Musical Direction
Matt Doebler (Nerds, Philadelphia Theatre Company)
Jamison Foreman (Midsummer [a play with songs], Inis Nua Theatre Company)
Ryan Touhey (Little Shop of Horrors, Bristol Riverside Theatre)
Ryan Touhey (Parade, Arden Theatre Company)

Outstanding Ensemble in a Play
The Brothers Size (Simpatico Theatre Project)
A Child's Christmas in Wales (Lantern Theater Company)
Circle Mirror Transformation (Theatre Horizon)
Don Juan Comes Home from Iraq (The Wilma Theater)
The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington (Flashpoint Theatre Company)
Pride & Prejudice (People's Light)
Sideways Stories from Wayside School (Arden Theatre Company)

Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical
Man of La Mancha (Act II Playhouse)
The Muscial of Musicals (The Musical!) (Montgomery Theater)
Nerds (Philadelphia Theatre Company)
Parade (Arden Theatre Company)

Outstanding New Play/Musical
A Child's Christmas in Wales (Lantern Theater Company)
Down Past Passyunk (InterAct Theatre Company)
The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington (Flashpoint Theatre Company)
True Story (Passage Theatre Company)

F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Theatre Artist
Liz Filios
Aimé Donna Kelly
Bi Jean Ngo
Daniel Perelstein
Mary Tuomanen

Virginia Brown Martin Philadelphia Award
Annapurna (Theatre Exile)
The Exonerated (Delaware Theatre Company)
I Am My Own Wife (Theatre Horizon)
In a Dark Dark House (Simpatico Theatre Company)
The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington (Flashpoint Theatre Company)

June and Steve Wolfson Award for an Evolving Theatre Company
Azuka Theatre
EgoPo Classic Theater
Inis Nua Theater Company
Quintessence Theatre Group
Tiny Dynamite

Lifetime Achievement Award
Carla Belver

Theatre Philadelphia is a leadership organization that administers the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre and seeks to encourage awareness of professional theatre in the Greater Philadelphia area. Theatre Philadelphia also seeks to identify and build upon opportunities that will strengthen Philadelphia's theatre community as a whole while engaging foundations, corporations, and individual donors who are invested in the health and vitality of theatre in our city. Theatre Philadelphia was founded in 2012 following closure of the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia and is led by founding board members Kevin Glaccum, President (Producing Artistic Director, Azuka Theatre); Terry Nolen, Vice President (Producing Artistic Director, Arden Theatre Company); Grace E. Grillet, Treasurer (Administrative Consultant, People's Light); Erin Reilly, Secretary (Artistic Director, Theatre Horizon); Susan Atkinson (Founding Director, Bristol Riverside Theatre); Leonard C. Haas(Independent Theatre Artist & Philanthropist); Amy L. Murphy (Managing Director, Arden Theatre Company); Steve Pacek (Associate Artistic Director, 11th Hour Theatre Company); Anne Shuff (Managing Director, Lantern Theater Company); and Thom Weaver (Artistic Director, Flashpoint Theatre Company).

The Barrymore Awards have served as Philadelphia's professional theatre awards program since 1994, recognizing artists for excellence and innovation while increasing awareness of the richness of our city's thriving theatre community. The Barrymore Awards are a nationally recognized symbol of excellence for professional theatre in our region, raising the bar for the work produced by local theatres and individual artists while generating coverage in local and national media. Theatre Philadelphia also seeks to leverage the Barrymore Awards to provide high-value marketing exposure for all submitted productions and participating theatres.

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