Marquee Theater Journalists Association Announces Award Nominees For 2018

The San Francisco North Bay's Marquee Theater Journalists Association has released the list of nominees for its 3rd Annual MTJA Awards. The Association recognized the exemplary work of Sonoma County theater artists with nominations in seventeen categories that were culled from the sixty-six productions attended by MTJA members. Recipients will be announced at the 2018 MTJA Awards - A Celebration of Sonoma County Theater which will be held October 22nd at the Juncture Taproom and Lounge in Santa Rosa.

The MTJA was founded in 2015 by Sonoma County-based theater journalists with the intent of developing a critically-based awards program to acknowledge outstanding work done by the local theater community. Current members include the North Bay Bohemian's Harry Duke, Sonoma County Gazette's Alexa Chipman, Talkin' Broadway's Jeanie K. Smith, and Aisle Seat Review's Barry Willis and Nicole Singley.

From its inception, the Marquee Theater Journalists Association took a decidedly different approach to its awards system than most other programs. It recognizes three types of plays - comedy, drama, and musical - and is the first theater awards program to have gender-inclusive performance categories. The MTJA opted to not have the standard male/female divisions and instead acknowledges Outstanding Lead and Outstanding Supporting Performances in Comedy, Drama, and Musical productions. The MTJA also acknowledges the importance of publicity and promotion and recognizes such with an Outstanding Poster/Program Design Award.

Here is the complete list of nominees for the 2018 MTJA Awards:

Outstanding Poster/Program Design

Elizabeth Craven - Blackbird - Main Stage West

Marla Goodman - Constellations - 6th Street Playhouse

Elizabeth Craven - Eurydice - Main Stage West

Richard Sheppard - I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change - Raven Players

Richard Sheppard - Water by the Spoonful - Raven Players

Outstanding Costume Design

Michael Ross - Always... Patsy Cline - Sonoma Arts Live

Tracy Hinman - Death of a Salesman - 6th Street Playhouse

Maryanne Scozzari - Into the Woods - Santa Rosa Junior College

Pamela Johnson - Peter Pan - Spreckels Theatre Company

Jeanine Grey - Shrek, the Musical - Raven Players

Outstanding Lighting Design

Missy Weaver - Blackbird - Main Stage West

Missy Weaver - Buried Child - Main Stage West

Eddy Hansen - By the Water - Spreckels Theatre Company

April George - Disgraced - Left Edge Theatre

April George - Realistic Jones - Left Edge Theatre

Outstanding Sound Design

Jessica Johnson - By the Water - Spreckels Theatre Company

Doug Faxon - Eurydice - Main Stage West

Doug Faxon - Grace - Main Stage West

Argo Thompson - Honky - Left Edge Theatre

Carla Spindt, Argo Thompson - Women in Jeopardy! - Left Edge Theatre

Outstanding Set Design

David Lear - Blackbird - Main Stage West

Eddy Hansen, Elizabeth Bazzano - By the Water - Spreckels Theatre Company

Peter Crompton - Into the Woods - Santa Rosa Junior College

Michael Ross, Theo Bridant - Always... Patsy Cline - Sonoma Arts Live

Elizabeth Bazzano, Eddy Hansen - Peter Pan - Spreckels Theatre Company

Outstanding Choreography

Katie Watts-Whitaker - I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change - Raven Players

Amanda Morando - Illyria - 6th Street Playhouse

Joseph Favalora - La Cage aux Folles - 6th Street Playhouse

Michella Snider - Peter Pan - Spreckels Theatre Company

Katie Watts-Whitaker - Shrek, the Musical - Raven Players

Outstanding Musical Direction

Ellen Patterson - Always... Patsy Cline - Sonoma Arts Live

Dave MacNab - Daddy Long Legs - Main Stage West

Lucas Sherman - Illyria - 6th Street Playhouse

Ginger Beavers - La Cage aux Folles - 6th Street Playhouse

Timothy Eisman - Peter Pan - Spreckels Theatre Company

Outstanding Ensemble

By the Water - Spreckels Theatre Company

Equus - 6th Street Playhouse

Good People - Cinnabar Arts

Grace - Main Stage West

The Realistic Jones - Left Edge Theatre

Outstanding Musical Production

Always... Patsy Cline - Directed by Michael Ross - Sonoma Arts Live

Daddy Long Legs - Directed by Elly Lichenstein - Main Stage West

Illyria - Directed by Craig Miller - 6th Street Playhouse

Peter Pan - Directed by Sheri Lee Miller - Spreckels Theatre Company

Shrek, the Musical - Directed by Kerry Duvall - Raven Players

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical

Danielle DeBow - Always... Patsy Cline - Sonoma Arts Live

Madison Genovese - Daddy Long Legs - Main Stage West

Carmen Mitchell - Illyria - 6th Street Playhouse

Michael Conte - La Cage aux Folles - 6th Street Playhouse

Sarah Wintermeyer - Peter Pan - Spreckels Theatre Company

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Musical

Karen Pinomaki - Always... Patsy Cline - Sonoma Arts Live

Gillian Eichenberger - Illyria - 6th Street Playhouse

Bill Garcia - Shrek, the Musical - Raven Players

Tim Setzer - Illyria - 6th Street Playhouse

Joseph Favalora - La Cage aux Folles - 6th Street Playhouse

Outstanding Comedy Production

Good People - Directed by Michael Fontaine - Cinnabar Arts

Quartet - Directed by Jereme Anglin - Cinnabar Arts

The Realistic Joneses - Directed by Argo Thompson - Left Edge Theatre

Sideways - Directed by Argo Thompson - Left Edge Theatre

Women in Jeopardy! - Directed by Carla Spindt - Left Edge Theatre

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Comedy

Trey G. Riley - Honky - Left Edge Theatre

Chris Ginesi - The Realistic Joneses - Left Edge Theatre

Chris Schloemp - The Realistic Joneses - Left Edge Theatre

Shannon Rider - Women in Jeopardy! - Left Edge Theatre

Laura Jorgensen - Quartet - Cinnabar Arts

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy

Liz Rogers Beckley - Honky - Left Edge Theatre

Dorian Lockett - Inspecting Carol - Sonoma Arts Live

Richard Pallaziol - Women in Jeopardy! - Left Edge Theatre

Jazmine Pierce - Sideways - Left Edge Theatre

Zane Walters - Women in Jeopardy! - Left Edge Theatre

Outstanding Drama Production

Blackbird - Directed by David Lear - Main Stage West

By the Water - Directed by Carl Jordan - Spreckels Theatre Company

Death of a Salesman - Directed by Craig Miller - 6th Street Playhouse

Disgraced - Directed by Phoebe Moyer - Left Edge Theatre

Grace - Directed by John Craven - Main Stage West

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Drama

Mark Bradbury - By the Water - Spreckels Theatre Company

Mary Gannon Graham - By the Water - Spreckels Theatre Company

Mike Schaeffer - Disgraced - Left Edge Theatre

Jill K. Wagoner - Steel Magnolias - 6th Street Playhouse

Ariel Zuckerman - Death of a Salesman - 6th Street Playhouse

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Drama

Illana Niernberger - Grace - Main Stage West

Mike Pavone - By the Water - Spreckels Theatre Company

Sharia Pierce - Blackbird - Main Stage West

James Rowan - The Elephant Man - Curtain Call Theatre

Jared Wright - Disgraced - Left Edge Theatre

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