Seattle Theater Critics Announce 2nd Annual Gypsy Award Nominations

Angela DiMarco and Richard Nguyen Sloniker in Azeotrope’s production of “Jesus Hopped the A Train” which earned 10 Gypsy Award nominations including nominations for both actors. Photo: Jessica Martin

The Seattle Theater Writers group is back for the second year in a row, and unlike last year’s inaugural awards, this time they’re presenting a full slate of nominees in 32 categories divided between large and smaller Seattle area theaters and productions.

Leading the list of nominations is Azeotrope’s critically acclaimed production of Stephen Adly Guirgis’s “Jesus Hopped The A Train” which added 10 Gypsy nominations to its long list of accolades, including nominations for Best Play and Director, and 5 nods for the actors in the production. Azeotrope, a small theater company with only two productions under its belt, was founded by director Desdemona Chiang and actor Richard Nguyen Sloniker to showcase Asian American theater makers in Seattle. Ms Chiang was nominated for Best Direction and Mr. Sloniker was nominated for Best Actor for their work in “Jesus”. Co-stars Dumi and Ray Tagavilla were both nominated for Best Supporting Actor; Angela DiMarco was nominated for Best Supporting Actress and the entire cast was honored with a Best Ensemble nod.

Another highly lauded production and also from a small theater company, is Printer’s Devil Theatre’s production of local playwright Keri Healey’s play “Torso” which picked up 9 Gypsy nominations including Play, Director, Playwrighting and acting nods for lead actress Sarah Rudinoff, lead actor John Q. Smith and supporting nods for Stephen Hando and Susannah Burney.

Sarah Rudinoff and John Q. Smith in Printer’s Devil Theater’s production of “Torso” which earned 9 Gypsy Award nominations.

In the Large Theater category, the leading contenders are Seattle Repertory’s production of “Or,” with 7 nods; Seattle Shakespeare Company’s “Pygmalion” also with 7 nominations, and Strawberry Theatre Workshop’s “Accidental Death of an Anarchist” with 6. Overall, the theater company with the largest number of nominations is Seattle Repertory with 13 with “Or,”, “Clybourne Park”, “Pullman Porter Blues” and “The Glass Menagerie” all earning recognition.

On the musical side, Village Theater’s production of Mel Brooks’ “The Producers” snagged 5 nominations and Balagan grabbed 4 nominations for its very successful staging of “Spring Awakening”.The director of “Spring Awakening”, actor/director Eric Ankrim finds himself with some unique competition in the “Best Director of a Musical-Small Stage” category…himself. Mr. Ankrim is also nominated for his direction of Balagan’s recent production of “Avenue Q”.

Here’s the full list of nominations…congratulations to all! The WINNERS for the 2nd Annual Gypsy Awards honoring excellence in Seattle theater for 2012 will be announced on Friday, January 25, 2013.

The 2012 Gypsy Rose Lee Award Nominees (in alphabetical order by individual’s last name or title of play) are as follows:

Excellence in Production of a Play
*(Large Budget):
Accidental Death of an Anarchist — Strawberry Theatre Workshop
Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Pygmalion — Seattle Shakespeare Company
The Pitmen Painters — ACT Theatre

*(Small Budget):
Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope
Kittens in a Cage — Annex Theatre
Superior Donuts — Seattle Public Theater
Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre

Excellence in Production of a Musical
(Large Budget):
The Producers — Village Theatre

(Small Budget):
A Mouse Who Knows Me — Annex Theatre
Avenue Q — Balagan Theatre
Spring Awakening — Balagan Theatre

Excellence in Direction of a Play
(Large Budget):
Gabriel Baron — Accidental Death of an Anarchist — Strawberry Theatre Workshop
Valerie Curtis-Newton — Dirty Story — Intiman Theatre
Allison Narver — Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Jeff Steitzer — Pygmalion — Seattle Shakespeare Company

(Small Budget):
Russ Banham — Superior Donuts — Seattle Public Theater
David Burnett — Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre
Desdemona Chiang — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope
Suzanne Cohen — Odin’s Horse — Mirror Stage Company

Excellence in Direction of a Musical
(Large Budget):
Steve Tomkins — The Producers — Village Theatre

(Small Budget):
Eric Ankrim — Avenue Q — Balagan Theatre
Eric Ankrim — Spring Awakening — Balagan Theatre

Excellence in Performance as a Lead Actor
(Large Budget):
Mark Anders — Pygmalion — Seattle Shakespeare Company
Ryan Higgins — Accidental Death of an Anarchist — Strawberry Theatre Workshop
David Hogan — The Art of Racing in the Rain — Book-It Repertory
Trieu Tran — Uncle Ho to Uncle Sam — ACT Theatre

(Small Budget):
Richard N. Sloniker — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope
John Q. Smith — Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre

Excellence in Performance as a Lead Actress
(Large Budget):
Suzanne Bouchard — The Glass Menagerie — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Kirsten Potter — Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Jennifer Lee Taylor — Pygmalion — Seattle Shakespeare Company

(Small Budget):
Mary Ewald — Happy Days — New City Theater
Hannah Victoria Franklin — White Hot — Marxiano Productions
Sarah Milici — Suddenly Last Summer — Theatre 9/12
Sarah Rudinoff — Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre

Excellence in Performance as a Supporting Actor — any non-lead
(Large Budget):
Peter Crook — Clybourne Park — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Nick DeSantis — The Producers — Village Theatre
Jason Harber — Accidental Death of an Anarchist — Strawberry Theatre Workshop
Dan Kremer — Antony and Cleopatra — Seattle Shakespeare Company

(Small Budget):
Dumi — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope
Stephen Hando — Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre
Charles Norris — Superior Donuts — Seattle Public Theater
Ray Tagavilla — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope

Excellence in Performance as a Supporting Actress — any non-lead
(Large Budget):
E. Faye Butler — Pullman Porter Blues — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Ryah Nixon — Rent — The 5th Avenue Theatre
Jeanne Paulsen — Pygmalion — Seattle Shakespeare Company

(Small Budget):
Susannah Burney — Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre
Angela DiMarco — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope
Nike Imoru — Titus Andronicus — upstart crow
Morgan Rowe — Emerald City — Live Girls! Theater

Excellence in Performance as an Ensemble
(Large Budget):
Accidental Death of an Anarchist — Strawberry Theatre Workshop (Ryan Higgins, Jason Harber, Timothy Hyland, Galen Joseph Osier, MJ Sieber, Rhonda J. Soikowski)
Old Times — ACT Theatre (Anne Allgood, Cheyenne Casebier, Jeffrey Frace)
Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre (Kirsten Potter, Basil Harris, Montana von Fliss)
The Pitmen Painters — ACT Theatre (Daniel Brockley, Christine Marie Brown, Frank Lawler, Charles Leggett, Jason Marr, Joseph P. McCarthy, Morgan Rowe, R. Hamilton Wright)

(Small Budget):
Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope (Richard Nguyen Sloniker, Dumi, Ray Tagavilla, Patrick Allcorn, Angela DiMarco)
Kittens in a Cage — Annex Theatre (Francesca Mondelli, Katie Driscoll, Lisa Viertel, Laurel Ryan, Tracy Leigh, Erin Pike, Erin Stewart)
Titus Andronicus — upstart crow (Amy Thone, Kate Wisniewski, Tracy Hyland, Brenda Joyner, Rhonda Soikowski, Kelly Kitchens, Ki Gottberg, Nike Imoru, Peggy Gannon, Sarah Harlett, Therese Diekhans, Zoey Belyea, Kacey Shiflet, Nicole Merat, Terri Weagant, Donna Wood)
Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre (Sarah Rudinoff, John Q. Smith, Stephen Hando, Susanna Burney, Emily Chisholm)

Excellence in Set Design
(Large Budget):
Scott Bradley — Clybourne Park — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Matthew Smucker — Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Carey Wong — A Single Shard — Seattle Children’s Theater

(Small Budget):
Bryan Boyd and Suzi Tucker — The Illusion — Sound Theater Company
Timothy Siciliano — The Skriker — Janice Findley Productions
Craig Wollam — Superior Donuts — Seattle Public Theater
Deanna Zibello — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope

Excellence in Costume Design
(Large Budget):
Ron Erickson — Accidental Death of an Anarchist — Strawberry Theatre Workshop
Catherine Hunt — Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Deanne Middleton — Pygmalion — Seattle Shakespeare Company
Deb Trout — Romeo and Juliet — Intiman Theatre

(Small Budget):
Eve Cohen — The Skriker — Janice Findley Productions
Katie Hegarty — The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls — WET
Nina Moser — Happy Days — New City Theater
Kimberley Newton — Titus Andronicus — upstart crow

Excellence in Lighting Design
(Large Budget):
Michelle Habeck — A Single Shard — Seattle Children’s Theatre
L.B. Morse — Hedda Gabler — Intiman Theatre
Rick Paulsen — No Man’s Land — ACT Theatre
Andrew D. Smith — Pygmalion — Seattle Shakespeare Company

(Small Budget):
Robert Aguilar — Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre
Amiya Brown — The Skriker — Janice Findley Productions
Geoff Korff — Titus Andronicus — upstart crow
Jessica Trundy — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope

Excellence in Sound Design
(Large Budget):
Evan Mosher — The Bells — Strawberry Theatre Workshop
Chris R. Walker — Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Robertson Witmer — The Art of Racing in the Rain — Book-It Repertory

(Small Budget):
Paul Hansen — The Skriker — Janice Findley Productions
Michael White Hayes — Team of Heroes: Behind Closed Doors — Annex Theatre
Jay Weinland — Odin’s Horse — Mirror Stage Company

Excellence in Musical Direction
(Large Budget):
Jmichael — Pullman Porter Blues — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Tim Symons and Bruce Monroe — The Producers — Village Theatre

(Small Budget):
Kimberley Dare — Spring Awakening — Balagan Theatre

Excellence in Choreography or Movement
(Large Budget):
Kristin Bohr Holland — The Producers — Village Theatre
Sonya Dawkins — Pullman Porter Blues — Seattle Repertory Theatre
Denis Jones — Damn Yankees — The 5th Avenue Theatre

(Small Budget):
Pat Graney — The Skriker — Janice Findley Productions
Paul Ray — Disco Pigs — Sound Theater Company and Giant Productions
Lexi Scamehorn and Kathryn Van Meter — Spring Awakening — Balagan Theatre

Excellence in Local Playwriting
Kelleen Conway Blanchard — Kittens in a Cage — Annex Theatre
Keri Healey — Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre
S.P. Miskowski — Emerald City — Live Girls! Theater
Robert Schenkkan — A Single Shard — Seattle Children’s Theatre

Excellence in Local Composing
John Ackerman — Torso — Printer’s Devil Theatre
Christian “Lil Kriz” Beeber — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope
Myra Platt and Theresa Holmes — Prairie Nocturne — Book-It Repertory
Anastasia Workman — Cafe Nordo: Somethin’s Burning

*For the 2011 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards, the division names were “Equity” and “Non-Equity” but while the intention was to indicate economic differences, using union membership focused too much attention on acting. Members felt that this implied a disrespect to smaller theater actors which was completely unintentional. For 2012, the names of divisions is inelegant, perhaps, but a real reflection of theater economics (which includes the ability of a theater to pay for union-member actors, often including mandatory health and welfare contributions, adding significantly to the budget obligations).

The seven Seattle theater writers and reviewers that participated in this year’s slate have come together to award their choices for excellence in theater: Jose Amador (Seattle Star), Stefan D-W (The Sunbreak), Miryam Gordon (Seattle Gay News and CultureMob), Jerry Kraft (Seattle Actor), Greg Scheiderer (West Seattle Weisenheimer), Michael Strangeways (Gay Seattle Scene), and Scott Taylor (Drama in the Hood). All members see and review a significant number of performances throughout the year in order to recommend nominees for excellence in theater. Group members may alter each year.

The awards are limited to fully staged, professional theater performances of a play or a musical within the Greater Seattle area. Touring performances, shorts festivals, improvisational performances, remounted/reprised plays, and productions that only included one weekend of performance are generally ineligible. For more information, contact Miryam Gordon at (206) 367-7130 or seattletheater@gmail.com.

About Seattle Theater Writers:
Founded in 2011 by Miryam Gordon and comprised of local writers and reviewers, Seattle Theater Writers is a group dedicated to raising public awareness of theater practitioners and the work produced by professional Equity and non-Equity theater organizations. Born from this mission are the annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards, recognizing excellence in Seattle theater across 32 categories—the most comprehensive and inclusive local theater awards to date!