Little Theatre of Alexandria Leads With 19 Nods

By Michael J. Toscano
Special to the Washington Post
Thursday, January 24, 2008

Little Theatre of Alexandria topped the list of nominees for the eighth annual Washington Area Theatre Community Honors, or WATCH awards.

With 19 nominations in performance and technical categories, the Alexandria troupe edged out the Reston Community Players, with 17, and Herndon's Elden Street Players, with 16 nods.

The Northern Virginia theater companies will compete against Maryland's Kensington Arts Theatre, 17 nominations, and Silver Spring Stage, 13, including three of six nominations for outstanding play.

In all, 109 productions -- 30 musicals and 79 plays -- were judged in 2007, and 29 community theater companies in Virginia, the District and Maryland participated. The awards will be announced at a March 2 gala at the Birchmere in Alexandria.

The nominations represented a setback for the Elden Street Players, which dominated many of the top categories in recent years. They also show continued recognition of Silver Spring Players for their intimate dramas, and the emergence of the Kensington Arts Players as a top community-based producer of musicals in the region.

Here are the nominations in the top performance categories.

Outstanding Musical

"Into the Woods" by Rockville Musical Theatre

"Nevermore" by Kensington Arts Theatre

"Seussical" by Reston Community Players

"Sweeney Todd" by Kensington Arts Theatre

"Thoroughly Modern Millie" by Arlington Players

Outstanding Play

"Agnes of God" by Silver Spring Stage

"The Drawer Boy" by Silver Spring Stage

"Greater Tuna" by Elden Street Players

"Intimate Apparel" by Little Theatre of Alexandria

"Never the Sinner" by Silver Spring Stage

"Taking Leave" by Vienna Theatre Company

Outstanding Lead Actor/Musical

Evan Hoffmann as Edgar Allan Poe in "Nevermore" -- Kensington Arts Theatre

Harv Lester as Baker in "Into the Woods" -- Rockville Musical Theatre

Harv Lester as Will Rogers in "The Will Rogers Follies" -- Little Theatre of Alexandria

John Loughney as Gordon Schwinn in "A New Brain" -- Foundry Players

Michael Nansel as Sweeney Todd in "Sweeney Todd" -- Kensington Arts Theatre

Outstanding Lead Actress/Musical

Allison Block as Millie Dillmount in "Thoroughly Modern Millie"-- Arlington Players

Lisa-Marie Cabrelli as Adelaide in "Guys and Dolls" -- Reston Community Players

Jennifer Lambert as Daisy Hilton in "Side Show" -- Elden Street Players

Katie McManus as Violet Hilton in "Side Show" -- Elden Street Players

June Schreiner as JoJo in "Seussical" -- Reston Community Players

Outstanding Lead Actor/Play

Itzy Friedman as Mr. Green in "Visiting Mr. Green" -- Silver Spring Stage

Joe Jenckes as Willy Clark in "The Sunshine Boys" -- Little Theatre of Alexandria

Rick Kenney as Eliot in "Taking Leave" -- Vienna Theatre Company

Steve LaRocque as Angus in "The Drawer Boy" -- Silver Spring Stage

Dan Yount as Henry Drummond in "Inherit the Wind"-- Prince William Little Theatre

Outstanding Lead Actress/Play

Shannon Khatcheressian as Anna in "Boston Marriage" -- Elden Street Players

Lory Levitt as Esther in "Intimate Apparel" -- Little Theatre of Alexandria

TiaJuana Rountree as Clemma Diggins in "Proposals" -- Bowie Community Theatre

Kelley Slagle as Josie Hogan in "A Moon for the Misbegotten" -- Colonial Players

Jaclyn Young as Agnes in "Agnes of God" -- Silver Spring Stage

Here are all the nominations for Fairfax theater groups:

Aldersgate Church Community Theatre

Outstanding Cameo in a Play -- Elissa Hudson as Mrs. Dudley in "The Haunting of Hill House"

Outstanding Costume Design -- Kathy Dodson for "Hay Fever"

Outstanding Set Construction -- Stuart Travis for "Hay Fever"

Outstanding Set Design -- Bill Glikbarg for "Hay Fever"

Elden Street Players

Outstanding Set Painting -- Jill Kerr for "The Iceman Cometh"

Outstanding Direction of a Play -- Debbie Niezgoda for "Boston Marriage"

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play -- Molly Hicks as Catherine in "Boston Marriage"

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play -- Shannon Khatcheressian as Anna in "Boston Marriage"

Outstanding Properties -- Michael Smith for "Boston Marriage"

Outstanding Set Decoration -- Michael Smith for "Boston Marriage"

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play -- Mollie Wise as Claire in "A Delicate Balance"

Outstanding Set Decoration -- Michael Smith for "A Delicate Balance"

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical -- Katie McManus as Violet Hilton in "Side Show"

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical -- Jennifer Lambert as Daisy Hilton in "Side Show"

Outstanding Music Direction -- Elisa Rosman for "Side Show"

Outstanding Costume Design -- Judy Whelihan for "Greater Tuna"

Outstanding Hair Design -- Kat Brais for "Greater Tuna"

Outstanding Makeup Design -- Kat Brais for "Greater Tuna"

Outstanding Play -- "Greater Tuna"

Outstanding Sound Design -- Keith Bell for "Greater Tuna"

Providence Players

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play -- Matt Ames as Malvolio in "Twelfth Night"

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play -- Patrick David as Sir Toby Belch in "Twelfth Night"

Outstanding Light Design -- Chip Gertzog for "Saturday, Sunday, Monday"

Outstanding Properties -- Jillen Jobe, Chip Gertzog, Susan Kaplan and John Coscia for "Saturday, Sunday, Monday"

Outstanding Set Construction -- John Coscia and Patrick David for "Saturday, Sunday, Monday"

Outstanding Set Decoration -- John Coscia and Chip Gertzog for "Saturday, Sunday, Monday"

Outstanding Set Design -- Chip Gertzog and John Coscia for "Saturday, Sunday, Monday"

Outstanding Set Painting -- Craig Geoffrion and Julie Hendrickson for "Saturday, Sunday, Monday"

Reston Community Players

Outstanding Choreography -- Ivan Davila for "Guys and Dolls"

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical -- Nick von Bank as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in "Guys and Dolls"

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical -- Lisa-Marie Cabrelli as Adelaide in "Guys and Dolls"

Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography -- Brian Farrell and Karen Schlumpf for "Guys and Dolls"

Outstanding Special Effects -- Marty Rothwell for "Museum"

Outstanding Cameo in a Musical -- Emily Zumchak as Baby Kangaroo in "Seussical"

Outstanding Choreography -- Heide Zufall for "Seussical"

Outstanding Costume Design -- Farrell Ann M. Hartigan for "Seussical"

Outstanding Direction of a

Musical -- Haley Murphy for "Seussical"

Outstanding Hair Design -- Bette Williams and Farrell Ann M. Hartigan for "Seussical"

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical -- June Schreiner as JoJo in "Seussical"

Outstanding Light Design -- Les Zidel for "Seussical"

Outstanding Makeup Design -- Bette Williams and Sue Pinkman for "Seussical"

Outstanding Musical -- "Seussical"

Outstanding Set Construction -- Steve Lada for "Seussical"

Outstanding Set Design -- Dawn Parker for "Seussical"

Outstanding Set Painting -- Cathy Rieder for "Seussical"

Vienna Theatre Company

Outstanding Direction of a Play -- Lorraine Magee for "Taking Leave"

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play -- Cassie Lee as Cordelia in "Taking Leave"

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play -- Leta Hall as Alma in "Taking Leave"

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play -- Rick Kenney as Eliot in "Taking Leave"

Outstanding Light Design -- Suzanne Maloney for "Taking Leave"

Outstanding Play -- "Taking Leave"

Outstanding Set Construction -- John Vasko in "Taking Leave"