Winners Announced For 8th Annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards Honoring 2018 Seattle Theater

February 1, 2019• byMichael Strangeways

After a long afternoon of wrangling (and screaming) the Seattle Theater Writers met a couple weeks ago (at the adorable divey bar/diner The Baronof in North Seattle of all places…) to suss out the nominees and winners for the 8th annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards (named after the famed performer, born in Seattle) to honor excellence in Seattle area theater for the 2018 calendar year.

As always, we came up with an interesting and eclectic mix of nominees spread over 33 categories and divided between “larger” theater companies and “smaller” to ensure that a range of theater is honored from big Equity budgeted houses down to small fringe companies.

The big winners for this year’s awards were ArtsWest Playhouse based in West Seattle with 28 nominations and 7 wins including a Best Play Production win for HIR, shared with co-producer of that show, Intiman and nods for Hir lead Gretchen Krich and an Ensemble win for the entire cast. ArtsWest also picked up awards for their highly praised productions of AN OCTOROON and SKELETON CREW.

Village Theatre was the big winner in the musical theater categories, with 21 nominations and 7 wins, the bulk of those for the premiere of a new musical, THE NOTEWORTHY LIFE OF HOWARD BARNES which won 6 awards including for Best Musical Production, Best Direction of a Musical (Brandon Ivie) and Best Supporting Actor in a Musical (Jeff Steitzer). The musical’s writers/creators, Christopher Dimond and Michael Kooman won for Best Composing and Dimond also won for his book for the musical.

On the larger theater side, Seattle Repertory Theatre’s co-production with Arena Stage out of Washington D.C. of August Wilson’s TWO TRAINS RUNNING won for Best Production of a Play, Best Actor (Eugene Lee) and Best Scenic Design (Misha Kachman). Book-It Repertory snagged wins for their homoerotic production of Oscar Wilde’s THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, winning for Best Direction (Victor Pappas), Best Supporting Actor (Brandon J. Simmons), Costume Design (Ron Erickson) and Lighting Design (Andrew D. Smith).

Other big winners include Seattle Public Theater’s beloved production of the evil puppet comedy HAND TO GOD which tied with HIR for Best Play Production (smaller theater) and also won for Best Direction (Kelly Kitchens), Best Actor (Ben Burris) and Best Actress (Sunam Ellis). Ms Ellis, Hir’s Gretchen Krich and Skeleton Crew’s Tracy Michelle Hughes all tied for Best Actress (smaller theater). The critic’s group couldn’t get a consensus for one winner due to the strength of the performances and awarded the win to all three actors.

Other wins to note: Strawberry Theatre Workshop’s FROST/NIXON won Best Lead Actress for Amy Thone (as Nixon) as well as the Supporting Actress nod for Sarah Hartlett. Deaf actor Joshua Castille shared his win for Best Actor in a Musical with E.J. Cardona in the 5th Avenue’s production of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME; the pair shared the role of Quasimodo with Cardona singing the part. Castille returns to Seattle in March to co-star in ACT Theatre’s production of ROMEO+JULIET where his “Juliet” will be played by young Seattle actress Gabriella O’Fallon who won this year’s Gypsy Rose Lee Award for Best Supporting Actress (smaller theater) for her role as an ethereal object of desire in Washington Ensemble Theatre’s production of THE NETHER.

Here’s the complete list of nominees and winners in all 33 categories.

Eugene Lee (Memphis), Nicole Lewis (Risa), and David Emerson Toney (Holloway) in Seattle Repertory Theatre’s production of August Wilson’s Two Trains Running. Photo by Nate Watters.

Excellence in Production of a Play:

(Large Theaters):

Frost/Nixon – Strawberry Theatre Workshop
Native Gardens – Intiman Theatre
The Picture of Dorian Gray – Book-It Repertory Theatre
The Wolves – ACT Theatre
Winner – Two Trains Running – Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage

(Small Theaters):

An Octoroon – ArtsWest
TIE – Hand to God – Seattle Public Theater
TIE – Hir – ArtsWest and Intiman Theatre
Skeleton Crew – ArtsWest
The Nether – Washington Ensemble Theatre

Excellence in Production of a Musical:

Annie – 5th Avenue Theatre
Hairspray – Village Theatre
Kiss Me, Kate – 5th Avenue Theatre
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill – ArtsWest
Winner – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes – Village Theatre

The cast of The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes. The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes Production photo. © 2018 Mark Kitaoka.

Excellence in Direction of a Play:

(Large Theaters):

Juliette Carrillo – Two Trains Running (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage)
Sheila Daniels – The Wolves (ACT Theatre)
Rosa Joshi – Richard III (Seattle Shakespeare Company and upstart crow collective)
Malika Oyetimein – And in This Corner: Cassius Clay (Seattle Children’s Theatre)
Winner- Victor Pappas – The Picture of Dorian Gray (Book-It Repertory Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

Peggy Gannon – Year of the Rooster (MAP Theatre)
Winner – Kelly Kitchens – Hand to God (Seattle Public Theater)
Jay O’Leary – Skeleton Crew (ArtsWest)
Brandon J. Simmons – An Octoroon (ArtsWest)
Jennifer Zeyl – Hir (ArtsWest and Intiman Theatre)

Excellence in Direction of a Musical:

Valerie Curtis-Newton – Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (ArtsWest)
Winner – Brandon Ivie – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)
Steve Tomkins and Timothy McCuen Piggee – Hairspray (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Performance in a Play as a Lead Actor (Male):

(Large Theaters):

Andre G. Brown – And in This Corner: Cassius Clay (Seattle Children’s Theatre)
Jim Gall – Native Gardens (Intiman Theatre)
Winner – Eugene Lee – Two Trains Running (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage)

(Small Theaters):

Evan Barrett – Hir (ArtsWest and Intiman Theatre)
Winner – Ben Burris – Hand to God (Seattle Public Theater)
Lamar Legend – An Octoroon (ArtsWest)
Ryan Schlecht – ASL Midsummer Night’s Dream (Sound Theatre Company)
James Weidman – The Nether (Washington Ensemble Theatre)

Excellence in Performance in a Musical as a Lead Actor (Male):

Joshua Carter – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)
Winner – Joshua Castille and E.J. Cardona – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (5th Avenue Theatre)
Nick DeSantis – Hairspray (Village Theatre)
Timothy McCuen Piggee – Annie (5th Avenue Theatre)

Excellence in Performance in a Play as a Lead Actor (Female):

(Large Theaters):

Mary Ewald – Timon of Athens (Seattle Shakespeare Company)
Sarah Harlett – Richard III (Seattle Shakespeare Company and upstart crow collective)
Kirsten Potter – Ibsen in Chicago (Seattle Repertory Theatre)
Winner – Amy Thone – Frost/Nixon (Strawberry Theatre Workshop)
Dedra D. Woods – Wild Horses (Intiman Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

Nabilah Ahmed – A Small History of Amal (Forward Flux Productions and Pratidhwani)
TIE – Sunam Ellis – Hand to God (Seattle Public Theater)
TIE – Tracy Michelle Hughes – Skeleton Crew (ArtsWest)
TIE – Gretchen Krich – Hir (Artswest and Intiman Theatre)
Eleanor Moseley – Wit (SecondStory Repertory)

Excellence in Performance in a Musical as a Lead Actor (Female):

Caitlin Frances – Disenchanted (Mamches Presents)
Winner – Cayman Ilika – Kiss Me, Kate (5th Avenue Theatre)
Felicia Loud – Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (ArtsWest)

Jon Lutyens (Basil Hallward), Chip Sherman (Dorian Gray), and Brandon J. Simmons (Lord Henry Wotton) in Book-It’s adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Photo by John Ulman

Excellence in Performance of a Play as a Supporting Actor (Male):

(Large Theaters):

William Hall Jr. – Two Trains Running (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage)
Chip Sherman – And in This Corner: Cassius Clay (Seattle Children’s Theatre)
Winner – Brandon J. Simmons – The Picture of Dorian Gray (Book-It Repertory Theatre)
Michael Winters – Timon of Athens (Seattle Shakespeare Company)
Joseph Steven Yang – The Great Leap (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company)

(Small Theaters):

Winner – Jose Abaoag – An Octoroon (ArtsWest)
Martyn G. Krouse – Hand To God (Seattle Public Theater)
Charles Leggett – Hir (Artswest and Intiman Theatre)
Christopher Quilici – Peerless (ArtsWest)
Shane Regan – Year of the Rooster (MAP Theatre)

The astonishing brilliant cast of ArtsWest Playhouse’s production of “An Octoroon” that examines American racial issues through the lens of a 170 year old play. From left to right: Jose Abaoag, Lamar Legend and Heather Persinger.

Excellence in Performance of a Musical as a Supporting Actor (Male):

Peter Crook – Hairspray (Village Theatre)
Chris Ensweiler – Matilda (Village Theatre)
Winner – Jeff Steitzer – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Performance of a Play as a Supporting Actor (Female):

(Large Theaters):

Cheyenne Barton – The Wolves (ACT Theatre)
Julie Briskman – Timon of Athens (Seattle Shakespeare Company)
Christine Marie Brown – The Wolves (ACT Theatre)
Winner – Sarah Harlett – Frost/Nixon (Strawberry Theatre Workshop)
Annette Toutonghi – Ibsen in Chicago (Seattle Repertory Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

Allyson Lee Brown – Skeleton Crew (ArtsWest)
Caitlin Frances – Smoke and Dust (Macha Theatre Works)
Annelih GH Hamilton – Don’t Split the Party (Transparent Storytelling Group)
Winner – Gabriella O’Fallon – The Nether (Washington Ensemble Theatre)
Jéhan Òsanyìn – An Octoroon (ArtsWest)

Excellence in Performance of a Musical as a Supporting Actor (Female):

Ann Cornelius – Matilda (Village Theatre)
Lisa Estridge – Mamma Mia (5th Avenue Theatre)
Robyn Hurder – Kiss Me, Kate (5th Avenue Theatre)
Winner – Shaunyce Omar – Hairspray (Village Theatre)
Jasmine Jean Sim – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Performance as an Ensemble:

(Large Theaters):

And in This Corner: Cassius Clay – Seattle Children’s Theatre (Sydney Andrews, Andre G. Brown, Andrew Lee Creech, Brace Evans, Bria Samone Henderson, Lamar Legend, Charles Leggett, Cobey Mandarino, Chip Sherman)
Native Gardens – Intiman Theatre (Julie Briskman, Sophie Franco, Jim Gall, Phillip Ray Guevara, Gloria Alcala, Yolanda Suarez)
The Picture of Dorian Gray – Book-It Repertory Theatre (Ian Bond, Anastasia Higham, Imogen Love, Jon Lutyens, Michael Patten, Chip Sherman, Brandon J. Simmons, Jon Stutzman)
Winner – The Wolves – ACT Theatre (Cheyenne Barton, Emma Bjornson, Christine Marie Brown, Madilyn Cooper, Meme Garcia, Rachel Guyer-Mafune, Emilie Hanson, Alyssa Norling, Zoe Tziotis Shields, Martha Kathryn Smith)
Two Trains Running – Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage (Eugene Lee, Nicole Lewis, William Hall Jr., Carlton Byrd, Reginald Andre Jackson, David Emerson Toney, Frank Riley III)

(Small Theaters):

5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche – Fantastic.Z Productions (Jessica Severance, Jana Gueck, Jane Martin, Jessica Stepka, Alexandria Stevens)
A Small History of Amal – Forward Flux Productions and Pratidhwani (Nabilah Ahmed, Gurvinder Pal Singh, Abhijeet Rane, Meenakshi Rishi, Varsha Raghavan, Jay Athalye)
An Octoroon – ArtsWest (Lamar Legend, Mike Dooly, Jose Abaoag, Jessi Little, Heather Persinger, Dedra Woods, Jéhan Òsanyìn, Jazmyne Waters)
Hand to God – Seattle Public Theater (Ben Burris, Sunam Ellis, Arjun Pande, Hannah Mootz, Marty Krouse)
Winner – Hir – Artswest and Intiman Theatre (Gretchen Krich, Charles Leggett, Adrian Kljucec, Evan Barrett)
Skeleton Crew – ArtsWest (Tracy Michelle Hughes, Allen Miller III, Charles Wright, Allyson Brown)
Year of the Rooster – MAP Theatre (Brandon Ryan, Shane Regan, Mia Morris, Zenaida Rose Smith, Lantz Wagner)

Excellence in Scenic Design:

(Large Theaters):

Catherine Cornell – MAC BETH (Seattle Repertory Theatre)
Shawn Ketchum Johnson – Richard III (Seattle Shakespeare Company and upstart crow collective)
Winner – Misha Kachman – Two Trains Running (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage)
Pete Rush – The Picture of Dorian Gray (Book-It Repertory Theatre)
Matthew Smucker – Matilda (Village Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

Lex Marcos (with Mandy Greer) – Parliament Square (Pony World Theatre)
Christopher Mumaw – Hand to God (Seattle Public Theater)
Tristan Roberson – The Nether (Washington Ensemble Theatre)
Julia Hayes Welch – An Octoroon (ArtsWest)
Winner – Burton Yuen – Skeleton Crew (ArtsWest)

Excellence in Costume Design:

(Large Theaters):

Winner – Ron Erickson – The Picture of Dorian Gray (Book-It Repertory Theatre)
Alex Jaeger – Hairspray (Village Theatre)
G.W. (Skip) Mercier – Ibsen in Chicago (Seattle Repertory Theatre)
Rose Pederson – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)
Melanie Taylor Burgess – Matilda (Village Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

Cherelle Ashby and Jonelle Cornwell – She Kills Monsters (Theater Schmeater)
Amy Baldwin – 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche (Fantastic.Z Productions)
Kat Henwood – The White Snake (ReACT Theatre)
Winner – Sadiqua Iman – Skeleton Crew (ArtsWest)
Pete Rush – Hir (Artswest and Intiman Theatre)

Excellence in Lighting Design:

(Large Theaters):

Robert J. Aguilar – MAC BETH (Seattle Repertory Theatre)
Geoff Korf – Richard III (Seattle Shakespeare Company and upstart crow collective)
Sherrice Mojgani – Two Trains Running (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage)
Winner – Andrew D. Smith – The Picture of Dorian Gray (Book-It Repertory Theatre)
Matthew Webb – The Journal of Ben Uchida: Citizen 13559 (Seattle Children’s Theatre)

James Weidman as Sims/Papa and Pilar O’Connell as Morris in The Nether. Photo by Jeff Carpenter Photography.

(Small Theaters):

Winner – Ryan Dunn – The Nether (Washington Ensemble Theatre)
Emily Leong – Peerless (ArtsWest)
Thorn Michaels – Hand to God (Seattle Public Theater)
Thorn Michaels – Ironbound (Seattle Public Theater)
Rick Paulsen – Lonely Planet (AJ Epstein Presents)

Excellence in Sound Design:

(Large Theaters):

Erin Bednarz – MAC BETH (Seattle Repertory Theatre)
Brendan Patrick Hogan – Frost/Nixon (Strawberry Theatre Workshop)
Johanna Melamed – The Picture of Dorian Gray (Book-It Repertory Theatre)
Christopher Walker – Ride the Cyclone (5th Avenue Theatre and ACT Theatre)
Winner – Rob Witmer and Meghan Roche – Richard III (Seattle Shakespeare Company and upstart crow collective)

(Small Theaters):

Winner – D.R. Amromin – Silhouette (Annex Theatre)
Mariah Brougher – The Nether (Washington Ensemble Theatre)
Stephon Jamaa’l Dorsey – Skeleton Crew (ArtsWest)
Matt Starritt – An Octoroon (ArtsWest)
Rob Witmer – Hand to God (Seattle Public Theater)

Excellence in Musical Direction:

Dennis Castellano – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (5th Avenue Theatre)
Zhenya Lavy – The Maids/Vexations (Akropolis Performance Lab)
Winner – RJ Tancioco – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Choreography or Movement:

Al Blackstone – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)
Alice Gosti (movement) and Peter Dylan O’Connor (fight) – Richard III (Seattle Shakespeare Company and upstart crow collective)
Winner – Michele Lynch – Kiss Me, Kate (5th Avenue Theatre)
Crystal Dawn Munkers – Hairspray Village Theatre)

Excellence in Local Playwriting:

Winner – Christopher Dimond – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)
Nathan Kessler-Jeffrey – Don’t Split the Party (Transparent Storytelling Group)
Joy McCullough-Carranza – Smoke and Dust (Macha Theatre Works)
Lauren Yee – The Great Leap (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company)
Y York – The Impossibility of Now (Thalia’s Umbrella)

Excellence in Local Composing:

Winner – Christopher Dimond and Michael Kooman – The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Village Theatre)
Scotto Moore – Silhouette (Annex Theatre)
David Molina – Two Trains Running (Seattle Repertory Theatre and Arena Stage)

Excellence in Video Design:

Winner – Ahren Buhmann – Parliament Square (Pony World Theatre)
Tristan Roberson – The Nether (Washington Ensemble Theatre)
Suzi Tucker – Veils (Macha Theatre Works)

Again, congratulations to all the nominees and the winners.

About the Author: Michael Strangeways

As the Editorial Director/Co-Owner, Michael Strangeways writes, edits and does about a million other jobs for Seattle Gay Scene, Puget Sound's most visited LGBTQ news, arts and entertainment website now celebrating its 14th year as a media outlet. A semi-proud Midwesterner by birth, he's lived in Seattle since 2000. He's also a film producer who would like you to check out the Jinkx Monsoon documentary, "Drag Becomes Him" now available on Amazon.com. In his spare time, he gets slightly obsessive about his love for old movies, challenging theater, "otters", vodka, chocolate, "I,Claudius", Lizzie Borden, real books made out of paper, disaster films, show tunes, Weimar era Germany, flea markets, pop surrealistic art, the sex lives of Hollywood actors both living and dead, kitties, chicken fried steak, haute couture and David Bowie. But, not necessarily in that order.