History was made at the 34th annual Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards on Monday.
The Jessies are divided into three major categories – Large Theatre, Small Theatre and Theatre for Young Audiences – and the Arts Club Theatre Company swept all awards in the Large Theatre category, including 10 with their production of Onegin.
Onegin, a Vancouver-made new musical by Veda Hille and Amiel Gladstone, based on the poem by Pushkin and the opera by Tchaikovsky, won in nearly every category from Outstanding Actor and Actress (Alessandro Juliani and Meg Roe), Supporting Actor (Josh Epstein), Lighting Design (John Webber), Set Design (Drew Facey), Costumes (Jaqueline Firkins) Composition (Veda Hille and Amiel Gladstone), and Direction (Amiel Gladstone).
The creative team of Veda Hille and the Ungrateful Dead (Barry Mirochnick and Marina Hasselberg) were also acknowledged for their Outstanding Musical Direction and Musical Ensemble. The only category they didn't take went to Colleen Wheeler for her Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role in Peter and the Starcatcher, also an Arts Club production.
In the Small Theatre category, Upintheair Theatre won a total of three Jessies for their production of The North Plan, earning a win for Chelsea Haberlin (Outstanding Direction), Genevieve Fleming (Outstanding Performance in a Lead Role) and for Outstanding Production of a Play. Twenty Something Theatre took two Jessies for their production of The Out Vigil, with Matthew MacDonald Bain winning for his performance in a lead role and Jay Clift and Julie McIsaac for Outstanding Sound Design.
Also, Joel Sturrock won a Jessie for Significant Artistic Achievement for Outstanding Choreography in the production of Tender Napalm, and the ever-talented Gabrielle Rose earned another Jessie to add to her outstanding career for her performance in Blackbird Theatre’s production of The Rivals, along with Shelia White for Outstanding Costume Design.
Other award winners in this category were Hardline Productions’ Bright Blue Future with supporting actor Curtis Tweedie taking a Jessie, Alan Brodie for Outstanding Lighting for Pi Theatre’s The Invisible Hand, and Glenn MacDonald for his design in Christie Webb’s Productions, Annapurna. The Escape Artists with Musical TheatreWorks won for Outstanding Production of a Musical for Miss Shakespeare.
In Theatre for Young Audiences, French-language company Théâtre la Seiziéme won for Outstanding Production of Mathieu Mathématiques along with Drew Facey who won for Outstanding Design for this show, and Vincent Leblanc-Beaudoin, Emilie Leclerc and Zack Tardif for Outstanding Performance. Lauren McLean earned a nod for her Outstanding Artistic Direction for Delinquent Theatre’s Our Time.
Acknowledged for Significant Artistic Achievement for the Commission of the Socially Relevant was Green Thumb Theatre for its moving show Still/Falling by Jessie nominee (for Outstanding Original Script) Rachel Aberle. Donna Yamamoto was recognized with the inaugural Vancouver NOW Representation and Inclusion award for outstanding leadership in developing work by 3 Asian-Canadian playwrights in the Cultch’s 2015-16 season as Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre’s Artistic Director.
Additional awards presented were:
· Patron of the Arts Award – Wendy Orvig
· Mary Phillips Prize for Behind-the-Scenes Achievement –Ellie O’Day & Craig Laven
· Sam Payne Award for the Most Promising Newcomer – Daniel Doheny
· John Moffat & Larry Lillo Prize – Chris Gatchalian
· GVPTA Career Achievement Award - Margo Kane
· Sydney Risk Prize– James Gordon King for RIVULETS: 3 short plays about a flood
· Colin Campbell Award for Excellence in Technical Theatre – James Pollard
· Ray Michal Prize for Most Promising New Director – Milton Lim
For more information visit www.jessies.ca.
