A devilish puppet and some Shakespearean buffoonery lead the nominees for this year’s Jessie Awards.
In a ceremony today, the Jessie Richardson Theatre Award Society announced the nominees for the 2018 Jessie Awards. Vancouver’s equivalent to the Tony Awards, the Jessies recognize excellence in Vancouver’s professional theatre as chosen by peer juries.
The awards are split into three groups, celebrating the best in large and small theatre productions, plus theatre for young audiences.
In the large theatre category, the Arts Club Theatre Company not only walked away with the most nominations for twelve different shows, its production of Hand to God garnered six. Receiving an impressive 34 nominations, the Arts Club also saw multiple nominations for productions of Topdog/Underdog, Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika, Fun Home, Misery, and several others.
In the same large theatre category, Pacific Theatre productions were nominated for a total of ten awards, including a best production nod for Outside Mullingar. Bard on the Beach saw each of its productions in its last season nominated, with Much Ado About Nothing leading the way with a total of eight.
A total of 22 productions found themselves nominated in the small theatre category, with Rumble Theatre’s production of The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius leading the pack, with a total of eight, followed by the SpeakEasy Theatre production of The Shipment with five.
Green Thumb Theatre & Neworld Theatre were the big nomination winners in the theatre for young people category, with a total of twelve nominations for their productions of The Code and Jabber. Carousel Theatre followed with a total of six nominations for productions of The Velveteen Rabbit and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
The winners will be announced during a ceremony on July 16 under the Bard on the Beach main stage tent at Vanier Park. Visit jessieawards.com for more information.
A complete list of nominees follows:
LARGE THEATRE
Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Large Theatre
| Oliver Castillo | Hand to God | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Eric Craig | Fun Home | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Douglas Ennenberg | The Events | Pi Theatre |
| Steven Greenfield | Million Dollar Quartet | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Warren Kimmel | Shylock | Bard on the Beach |
| Brian Markinson | Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Andrew McNee | Misery | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Luc Roderique | Topdog/Underdog | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| John Emmet Tracy | Outside Mullingar | Pacific Theatre |
| Jonathan Winsby | Beauty and the Beast | Arts Club Theatre Company |
Outstanding Performance by an Actress – Large Theatre
| Lois Anderson | Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Nicola Cavendish | Happy Place | Touchstone Theatre |
| Erla Faye Forsyth | Outside Mullingar | Pacific Theatre |
| Lucia Frangione | Misery | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Katherine Gauthier | King Charles III | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Margo Kane | Thanks for Giving | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Amber Lewis | Much Ado About Nothing | Bard on the Beach |
| Jennifer Lines | Hand to God | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Kelli Ogmundson | Fun Home | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Colleen Wheeler | Forget About Tomorrow | Arts Club Theatre Company |
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble – Large Theatre
| Amber Funk Barton, Andrew Gordon, Nathan Kay, Tiffany King, Billy Marchenski, Niall McNeill, Lucy McNulty, Kerry Sandomirsky, Matthew Tom-Wing, Marcus Youssef | King Arthur’s Night | Neworld Theatre |
| Lauren Bowler, Katrina Reynolds, Caitlin Stadnyck, Josh Epstein | Bittergirl: The Musical | Arts Club Theatre Company
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| Peter Carlone, Kim Larson, Giovanni Mocibob, Baraka Rahmani, Jalen Saip | Almost, Maine | Pacific Theatre |
| Kimmy Choi, David Cohen, Rowen Khan, Scott Perrie, Adrianna Ravalli, Sara Vickruck | Circle Game | Firehall Arts Centre |
Outstanding Lighting Design – Large Theatre
| Itai Erdal | The Christians | Pacific Theatre |
| Itai Erdal | Topdog/Underdog | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Jeff Harrison | Hand to God | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Lauchlin Johnston | Outside Mullingar | Pacific Theatre |
| John Webber | Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika | Arts Club Theatre Company |
Outstanding Set Design – Large Theatre
| Lauchlin Johnston | Misery | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Shizuka Kai | Topdog/Underdog | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Kevin McAllister | King Charles III | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Carolyn Rapanos | Circle Game | Firehall Arts Centre |
| Ted Roberts | Thanks for Giving | Arts Club Theatre Company |
Outstanding Costume Design – Large Theatre
| Carmen Alatorre | The Winter’s Tale | Bard on the Beach |
| Barbara Clayden | Beauty and the Beast | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Drew Facey | The Merchant of Venice | Bard on the Beach |
| Mara Gottler | Two Gentlemen of Verona | Bard on the Beach |
| Christine Reimer | Much Ado About Nothing | Bard on the Beach |
Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition – Large Theatre
| Torquil Campbell, Alessandro Juliani | Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Julie Casselman | Outside Mullingar | Pacific Theatre |
| James Coomber | Hand to God | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| David Mesiha | The Humans | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Murray Price | Much Ado About Nothing | Bard on the Beach |
Outstanding Direction – Large Theatre
| Lois Anderson | Fun Home | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Kim Collier | Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Stephen Drover | Hand to God | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Dean Paul Gibson | Topdog/Underdog | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Angela Konrad | Outside Mullingar | Pacific Theatre |
Outstanding Production – Large Theatre
| Fun Home | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Misery | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Much Ado About Nothing | Bard on the Beach |
| Outside Mullingar | Pacific Theatre |
| Topdog/Underdog | Arts Club Theatre Company |
Significant Artistic Achievement – Large Theatre
| Jeny Cassady | Hand to God | Outstanding Puppet Design and Coaching | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Andrew Cohen | Circle Game | Outstanding Musical Arrangements | Firehall Arts Centre |
| Lonnie Delisle | The Christians | Outstanding Choir Direction | Pacific Theatre |
| Jamie Nesbitt | Nine Dragons | Outstanding Projection Design | Gateway Theatre |
| Corey Payette | Children of God | Outstanding Contribution to a National Conversation | Urban Ink with National Arts Centre and Raven Theatre |
SMALL THEATRE
Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Small Theatre
| Peter Anderson | Butcher | Prime Cuts Collective |
| Paul Anthony | The Pillowman | Reality Curve Theatre |
| Nick Fontaine | A Little Night Music | Patrick Street Productions |
| Kenton Klassen | The Lonesome West | Cave Canem Productions |
| Joey Lespérance | The Hunger Room | Staircase Theatre |
| Omari Newton | The Shipment | SpeakEasy Theatre |
| Tom Pickett | Ruined | Dark Glass Theatre |
| Mason Temple | Satellite(s) | Solo Collective Theatre |
| John Voth | The Lonesome West | Cave Canem Productions |
| Raugi Yu | I Lost My Husband | Ruby Slippers Theatre |
Outstanding Performance by an Actress – Small Theatre
| Patti Allen | A Little Night Music | Patrick Street Productions |
| Lindsey Angell | Butcher | Prime Cuts Collective |
| Yoshié Bancroft | The Double Axe Murders | Rusticate Theatre / Presentation House |
| Shayna Jones | Ruined | Dark Glass Theatre |
| Melissa Oei | A Beautiful View | Naked Goddess Productions |
| Katrina Reynolds | Smart People | Mitch and Murray Productions |
| Tara Travis | Who Killed Gertrude Crump? | Monster Theatre |
| Panthea Vatandoost | Blackbird | One Story Collective |
| Lindsay Warnock | A Little Night Music | Patrick Street Productions |
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble – Small Theatre
| Sarah Afful, Peter Anderson, Craig Erickson, Pippa Mackie, Naomi Wright | The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius | Rumble Theatre |
| Daniel Doerksen, David Newham, Kurt Schindelka | A Steady Rain | Seven Tyrants Theatre |
| Katey Hoffman, Cheyenne Mabberley | The After After Party | After Party Theatre |
Outstanding Lighting Design – Small Theatre
| Itai Erdal | The Shipment | SpeakEasy Theatre |
| Gerald King | 1 Hour Photo | Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre |
| Gerald King | Satellite(s) | Solo Collective Theatre |
| Sophia Tang | The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius | Rumble Theatre |
Outstanding Set Design – Small Theatre
| Drew Facey | The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius | Rumble Theatre |
| Pam Johnson | 1 Hour Photo | Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre |
| Alex Kirkpatrick | The Double Axe Murders | Rusticate Theatre/Presentation House |
| Yvan Morissette | Satellite(s) | Solo Collective Theatre |
| John Webber | How Star Wars Saved My Life | Some Assembly Theatre |
Outstanding Costume Design – Small Theatre
| Jessica Bayntun | A Little Night Music | Patrick Street Productions |
| Drew Facey | The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius | Rumble Theatre |
| Stephanie Kong | City of Angels | The PIT Collective |
| Markian Tarasiuk | The Shipment | SpeakEasy Theatre |
Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition – Small Theatre
| Steve Charles | 1 Hour Photo | Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre |
| Mishelle Cuttler | The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius | Rumble Theatre |
| Daniel Deorksen & Kurt Schindelka | A Steady Rain | Seven Tyrants Theatre |
| Keith Thomas | Butcher | Prime Cuts Collective |
Outstanding Direction – Small Theatre
| Stephen Drover | The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius | Rumble Theatre |
| Ryan Gladstone | Who Killed Gertrude Crump? | Monster Theatre |
| Angela Konrad | Ruined | Dark Glass Theatre |
| Omari Newton & Kayvon Khoshkam | The Shipment | SpeakEasy Theatre |
Outstanding Production – Small Theatre
| Lonesome West | Cave Canem Productions |
| The Shipment | SpeakEasy Theatre |
| The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius | Rumble Theatre |
| Who Killed Gertrude Crump? | Monster Theatre |
Significant Artistic Achievement – Small Theatre
| Joanna Garfinkel & Yoshié Bancroft | Japanese Problem | Universal Limited | Outstanding use of a site specific historical venue for the purpose of connection, experience and impact |
| Tetsuro Shigematsu Jamie Nesbitt & Susan Miyagishima | 1 Hour Photo | Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre | Outstanding technical design and execution for the purpose of historical storytelling |
| Marissa & Daniel Arnold | The Ridiculous Darkness | Alley Theatre | Outstanding work involving and engaging distinct communities from the Lower Mainland for cross community outreach connection and performance |
| Tara Travis & Dusty Hagerüd | Who Killed Gertrude Crump? | Monster Theatre | Outstanding puppetry design, creation, execution and performance |
THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES
Outstanding Performance – Theatre for Young Audiences
| Elizabeth Barrett | The Code | Green Thumb Theatre |
| Frankie Cottrell, Alex Gullason & Carly Pokoradi | The Canada Show | Monster Theatre |
| Sereana Malani | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | Carousel Theatre |
| Parmiss Sehat | Jabber | Green Thumb Theatre & Neworld Theatre |
| Amanda Testini | The Velveteen Rabbit | Carousel Theatre |
Outstanding Design – Theatre for Young Audiences
| Darren Boquist | Lighting | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | Carousel Theatre |
| Drew Facey | Set | Crème -Glacée | Théâtre la Seizième |
| Jay Havens | Set, Costume, & Props | Th’owziya: The Hungry Feast Dish | Axis Theatre |
| Shizuka Kai, Joel Grinke, and Mishelle Cuttler | Set, Projects, Sound | Jabber | Green Thumb Theatre & Neworld Theatre |
| Yvan Morissette | Set | The Velveteen Rabbit | Carousel Theatre |
Outstanding Artistic Creation – Theatre for Young Audiences
| Ryan Gladstone & Bruce Horak | Song Composition | The Canada Show | Monster Theatre |
| Chelsea Haberlin | Directing | Jabber | Green Thumb Theatre & Neworld Theatre |
| Patrick McDonald | Directing | The Code | Green Thumb Theatre |
| Deb Williams | Directing | The Velveteen Rabbit | Carousel Theatre |
| Marguerite Witvoet | Composer/Musical Director | Th’owxiya: The Hungry Feast Dish | Axis Theatre |
Outstanding Production – Theatre for Young Audiences
| Crème -Glacée | Théâtre la Seizième |
| Jabber | Green Thumb Theatre & Neworld Theatre |
| The Canada Show | Monster Theatre |
| The Code | Green Thumb Theatre |
| The Velveteen Rabbit | Carousel Theatre |
Significant Artistic Achievement – Theatre for Young Audiences
| Axis Theatre | Th’owxiya: The Hungry Feast Dish | Outstanding Artistic Achievement for centrally focusing on an Indigenous story |
| Green Thumb Theatre | Outstanding Q & A preparation & execution | |
| Green Thumb Theatre | The Code | Outstanding Artistic Achievement for exceptional presentation of contemporary, far reaching teen issues |
| Green Thumb Theatre & Neworld Theatre | Jabber | Outstanding use of technology and media as a way of representing modern teenage explorations into identity |
| Green Thumb Theatre & Neworld Theatre | Jabber | Outstanding Artistic Achievement for portraying how different races and religions can intertwine and co-exist |
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SCRIPT
| Rachel Aberle | The Code | Green Thumb Theatre |
| Mark Leiren-Young | Bar Mitzvah Boy | Pacific Theatre |
| Colleen Murphy | The Society for The Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius | Rumble Theatre |
| Tesuro Shigematsu | 1 Hour Photo | Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre |
| Jovanni Sy | Nine Dragons | Vertigo Theatre, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, & Gateway Theatre |
CRITIC’S CHOICE INNOVATION AWARD
| Cinerama | Fight with a Stick |
| Hyperlink | Elbow Theatre |
| Japanese Problem | Universal Limited |
| Multiple Organism | Mind of a Snail |
| The Ridiculous Darkness | Alley Theatre in partnership with Neworld Theatre |
| Six Fine Lines | Level-Headed Friends Productions |
28 May 2018: Due to errors in the press release, the nominations have been updated to include Neworld Theatre as a co-nominee for the production of Jabber alongside Green Thumb Theatre, corrected Warren Kimmel’s nomination for the Bard on the Beach production of Shylock, and corrected The Double Axe Murders’ nomination to correctly identify Presentation House.