BWW News: The St. Louis Theater Circle Awards Are Announced!
By: Chris Gibson Apr. 04, 2015
Nearly 400 people hooped, hollered and packed the auditorium at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) on Monday, March 23, 2015 for the third annual St. Louis Theater Circle Awards ceremony. The event honors outstanding achievement in local professional theater by performers and behind-the-scenes artists.
Awards were given in 31 different categories covering comedy, drama and musicals, along with two special awards bestowed on Donna Northcott, founder and artistic director of St. Louis Shakespeare, and Agnes Wilcox, founder and artistic director of Prison Performing Arts. Both women have retired this year and turned their companies over to new artistic directors, Suki Peters for St. Louis Shakespeare and Christopher Limber at Prison Performing Arts.
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis' production of William Shakespeare's romantic comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream, took home six awards, followed by Insight Theatre Company's presentation of Death of a Salesman, which garnered five awards. The Muny's popular production of Seussical won four awards and Stages St. Louis' presentation of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying took top honors in three categories.
More than 120 local professional theatrical productions by nearly two dozen area companies were considered for nominations for awards in various categories. The Rep took home nine awards, followed by The Muny with six, Insight Theatre with five, St. Louis Actors' Studio with four and Stages St. Louis with three. A total of 388 tickets were spoken for in the 405-seat COCA auditorium, or 96 percent capacity. The inaugural ceremony in 2013 drew approximately 250 people to the Florissant Civic Center Theatre and about 300 attended the 2014 event at COCA. This year's event was televised 'live' on HEC-TV and also streamed 'live' on HEC's web site, making it available for people to view at home or online. Results were tabulated in advance and kept secret by members of the Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (VLAA), a not-for-profit group that volunteers the time and professional services of its members to local arts organizations. This year's winners include:
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy: Nancy Lewis, Blithe Spirit, St. Louis Actors' Studio;
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy: Michael James Reed, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis;
- Outstanding Actress in a Comedy: Nancy Bell, Blithe Spirit, St. Louis Actors' Studio;
- Outstanding Actor in a Comedy: Raymond McAnally, One Man, Two Guvnors, The Rep;
- Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play: Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Rep;
- Outstanding Sound Design in a Play: Barry G. Funderburg, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Rep;
- Outstanding Costume Design in a Play: Susan Branch Towne, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Rep;
- Outstanding Set Design in a Play: Michael Ganio, Other Desert Cities, The Rep;
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama: Katie Donnelly, Eat Your Heart Out, R-S Theatrics;
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama: Jason Contini, Death of a Salesman, Insight Theatre Company;
- Outstanding Actress in a Drama: Kate Levy, The Other Place, The Rep;
- Outstanding Actor in a Drama: John Contini, Death of a Salesman, Insight Theatre Company;
- Outstanding New Play: Rebecca Gilman, Soups, Stews and Casseroles: 1976, The Rep;
- Outstanding Musical Director: Jeffrey Richard Carter, Bonnie & Clyde, New Line Theatre;
- Outstanding Choreographer: Stephen Bourneuf, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Stages St. Louis;
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical: Sara Kapner, The Addams Family, The Muny;
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical: Rob McClure, Hello, Dolly!, The Muny;
- Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical: Rob Denton, Seussical, The Muny;
- Outstanding Set Design in a Musical: Robert Mark Morgan, Seussical, The Muny;
- Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical: Leon Dobkowski, Seussical, The Muny;
- Outstanding Actress in a Musical: Lavonne Byers, Cabaret, Stray Dog Theatre;
- Outstanding Actor in a Musical: Ben Nordstrom, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Stages St. Louis;
- Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy: All in the Timing, St. Louis Actors' Studio;
- Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama: Death of a Salesman, Insight Theatre Company;
- Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Stages St. Louis;
- Outstanding Director of a Comedy: Paul Mason Barnes, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Rep;
- Outstanding Director of a Drama: Wayne Loui, Death of a Salesman, Insight Theatre Company;
- Outstanding Director of a Musical: Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy, Bonnie & Clyde, New Line Theatre;
- Outstanding Production of a Comedy: Blithe Spirit, St. Louis Actors' Studio;
- Outstanding Production of a Drama (tie): Death of a Salesman, Insight Theatre Company; The Normal Heart, HotCity Theatre;
- Outstanding Production of a Musical: Seussical, The Muny.
Dominium Realty was the major sponsor of the 2015 St. Louis Theater Circle Awards ceremony. For more information about the St. Louis Theater Circle, visit the St. Louis Theater Circle Facebook page or write stltheatercircle@sbcglobal.net.
Members of the St. Louis Theater Circle include:
- Steve Allen, stagedoorstl.com
- Mark Bretz, Ladue News
- Robert A. Cohn, St. Louis Jewish Light
- Tina Farmer, KDHX
- Malcolm Gay, The Riverfront Times (now with the Boston Globe)
- Chris Gibson, broadwayworld.com
- Harry Hamm, KMOX
- Michelle Kenyon, snoopstheatrethoughts.com
- Gerry Kowarsky, Two on the Aisle, HEC-TV
- Chuck Lavazzi, KDHX
- Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
- Ann Lemons Pollack, StLouisEats.typepad.com
- Christopher Reilly, ALIVE Magazine (in memoriam)
- Andrea Torrence, stlouistheatresnob.blogspot.com
- Lynn Venhaus, Belleville News-Democrat
- Bob Wilcox, Two on the Aisle, HEC-TV
- Eleanor Mullin, Administrator
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