2014 GYPSY ROSE LEE AWARDS—SEATTLE THEATER WRITERS ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS!

Joshua Carter as Seymour Audrey II Puppeteer: Eric Esteb Voice of Audrey II: Ekello Harrid Jr.
 ACT Theatre        Photo: Tracy Martin 

And the Winners are….

Seattle Theater Writers Announce the 2014 Winners of 

The Fourth Annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards

Good Life Northwest congratulates all the winners! 

Nothing is more difficult than choosing winners from a selection of outstanding nominees, but the Seattle Theater Writers critics circle had to do just that before we could present our annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards for the fourth year. Even though we did not all agree on everything, we do all agree on the excellence of Seattle's live theater scene, yet another reason to love life in the Northwest. 

This year's awards include a Special Award of Recognition for Excellence in Playwriting, which has been given to Tony Award winner Mr. Robert Schenkkan. The Seattle Repertory Theatre presented his two-play history of Lyndon B. Johnson—All the Way and The Great Society. 

Seattle Theater Writers recommendations: Get out and see more shows this year. Read our reviews. Form your own opinions. Note the names, follow the news, and please support what all these talented people do to enrich our lives. Enjoy reading through this list of winners! I can already hear the applause.

William Ontiveros grips Elijah Alexander in "The Invisible Hand" at ACT Theatre
Photo: Chris Bennion 

The 2014 Gypsy Rose Lee Award Winners are:

Excellence in Production of a Play 

(Larger Theater): The Invisible Hand - ACT Theatre

(Smaller Theater): A Small Fire - Sound Theatre Company

Excellence in Production of a Musical

In the Heights - Village Theatre

Excellence in Direction of a Play

(Larger Theater): Myra Platt - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (Book-It Repertory Theatre)

(Smaller Theater): Julie Beckman - A Small Fire (Sound Theatre Company)

Excellence in Direction of a Musical

Bill Berry - Little Shop of Horrors (The 5th Avenue Theatre/ACT Theatre co-production)

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

(Larger Theater): Greg Lyle-Newton - The Normal Heart (Strawberry Theatre Workshop)

(Smaller Theater): Reginald Andre Jackson - The Mountaintop (ArtsWest)

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

Joshua Carter - Little Shop of Horrors (The 5th Avenue Theatre/ACT Theatre co-production)

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

(Larger Theater): Tracy Michelle Hughes - Pretty Fire (Taproot Theatre)

(Smaller Theater): Teri Lazzara - A Small Fire (Sound Theatre Company)

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

Jessica Skerritt - Little Shop of Horrors (The 5th Avenue Theatre/ACT Theatre co-production)

Excellence in Performance as a Supporting Actor in a Play (Male) - any non-lead

(Larger Theater): Timothy McCuen Piggee - Angels in America (Intiman Theatre)

(Smaller Theater): Ray Tagavilla - A Small Fire (Sound Theatre Company)

Excellence in Performance of a Supporting Actor in a Musical (Male) - any non-lead 

Dane Stokinger - Monty Python's Spamalot (The 5th Avenue Theatre)

Excellence in Performance as a Supporting Actor in a Play (Female) - any non-lead

(Larger Theater): Betsy Schwartz - Tails of Wasps (New Century Theatre Company)

(Smaller Theater): Evelyn DeHais - Chaos Theory (Annex Theatre)

Excellence in Performance as a Supporting Actor in a Musical (Female) - any non-lead

Taryn Darr - A Chorus Line (The 5th Avenue Theatre)

Richard Peacock plays Richie in A Chorus Line at The 5th Avenue Theatre.  
Photo Credit Mark Kitaoka

Excellence in Performance as an Ensemble

(Larger Theater): Tails of Wasps (New Century Theatre Company: Sylvie Davidson, Brenda Joyner, Hannah Mootz, Betsy Schwartz, Paul Morgan Stetler) 

(Smaller Theater): Gidion's Knot (Seattle Public Theater: Heather Hawkins, Rebecca Olson)

Excellence in Set Design

(Larger Theater): Carey Wong - The Boy at the Edge of Everything (Seattle Childrens' Theatre)

(Smaller Theater): Robin Macartney - Girl You Know It's True (The Stay Up Late Show/Theatre Off Jackson co-production)

Excellence in Costume Design

(Larger Theater): Christine Meyers - Twelfth Night (Seattle Shakespeare Company)

(Smaller Theater): Cami Funk - Balconies (Annex Theatre)

Excellence in Lighting Design

(Larger Theater): Andrew D. Smith - The Boy at the Edge of Everything (Seattle Childrens' Theatre)

(Smaller Theater): Marnie Cummings - Returning to Albert Joseph (Satori Group)

Excellence in Sound Design

(Larger Theater): Brendan Patrick Hogan - The Invisible Hand (ACT Theatre)

(Smaller Theater): Josh Blaisdel - The Lisbon Traviata (Theatre22)

Excellence in Musical Direction

RJ Tancioco - In the Heights (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Choreography or Movement

Daniel Cruz - In the Heights (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Local Playwriting

Stephanie Timm - Tails of Wasps (New Century Theatre Company)

Excellence in Local Composing

Mark Siano and Opal Peachey - Seattle Vice (Marxiano Productions)

Full cast of Seattle Vice at ACT Theater    Photo: John Cornicello

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 theater organizations. Seattle Theater Writers’ hope is that awareness can encourage attendance and enjoyment of our rich cultural offerings.  Born from this mission are the annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards, recognizing excellence in Seattle theater across 32 categories.

The participants in this year’s award process were Jose Amador (www.seattlestar.net), Candace Brown (goodlifenw.blogspot.com), Miryam Gordon (Seattle Gay News and miryamstheatermusings.blogspot.com), David-Edward Hughes (www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/seattle), Rosemary Jones (www.examiner.com/theater-in-seattle/rosemary-jones), Alice Kaderlan (blog.seattlepi.com/feetfirst), Dusty Somers (blogcritics.org/author/Dusty-Somers), and Michael Strangeways (www.seattlegayscene.com/).

For more information, go to www.facebook.com/SeattleTheaterWriters. The Notes section shows the evolution of the awards.

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