Usual Theater Winners Shut Out
By Michael Toscano
Special to The Washington Post
Thursday, March 6, 2008
There was a shift away from the traditional winners at this year's Washington Area Theatre Community Honors, which held its eighth annual gala awards ceremony Sunday night at the Birchmere music hall in Alexandria. This year's awards also seemed to favor darker, serious work.
That included a win for Prince William Little Theatre as Dan Yount took home the prize for Outstanding Performance as a Lead Actor in a Play for his portrayal of Henry Drummond in "Inherit the Wind," a courtroom drama based on the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial involving the teaching of evolution.
"I really have to thank my director, Zina Bleck," Yount said, accepting the award. "She cast me in the role when everyone from my daughter to everyone I know said, 'Henry Drummond? No, you're Matt Brady.' "
Little Theatre of Alexandria and Elden Street Players of Herndon, which have dominated the awards in the past and were among the leaders in the number of nominations, were shut out of the major prizes, and theater companies from Montgomery County moved into the top tier. The Arlington Players won four awards, including Outstanding Musical for their production of the lighthearted "Thoroughly Modern Millie." They shared the honor in a tie with Kensington Arts Theatre for their production of the dark musical "Nevermore," an examination of the life and tortured psyche of writer Edgar Allen Poe. Silver Spring Stage won Outstanding Play for "Never the Sinner," a study of the 1924 Leopold and Loeb murder trial.
"WATCH is alive and ticking," quipped emcee Mike Baker Jr. "Our groups staged 1,300 performances in 2007 and generated $1.3 million. I think we also generated 220 marriages, and an equal number of divorces."
In an odd twist, the winner of the most individual awards was the working kitchen set for the Providence Players of Fairfax. The production of "Saturday, Sunday, Monday," in which an Italian dinner was cooked during the performance, won five awards for its set designers. The Players' John Coscia was the most frequent winner, working his way through the boisterous crowd to the stage four times to share the award for set design, set construction, set decoration and props. The Players garnered an additional award for set painting with this show.
The Arlington Players' "Thoroughly Modern Millie" was the vehicle allowing Allison Block, who played the title role, to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, and for Patrick McMahan to win for Outstanding Featured (Supporting) Actor in a Musical as Mr. Trevor Graydon. John K. Monnett was also recognized for Outstanding Choreography for the show.
Elden Street Players, the big winner last year, won three awards out of 16 nominations but produced the most enthusiastic winner of the night. Molly Hicks was named Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for her work as the feisty Irish maid, Catherine, in "Boston Marriage." Hicks nearly upended presenter Terry Spann as she breathlessly pitched onto the stage, shrieking in delight. "This is freaking great," she shouted, before settling into a more traditional thank-you speech. She concluded by lapsing into the character's brogue, generating loud laughter and applause.
Little Theatre of Alexandria managed two wins out of 19 nominations, including one for lighting design and Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play for Nader Tavangar in his role of Mr. Marks in "Intimate Apparel." Reston Community Players, with 17 nominations, won three awards, two for hair and makeup in the musical "Seussical" and one for Haley Murphy for Outstanding Direction of a Musical. Another musical, "Into the Woods," a darker than usual take on familiar fairy tales, was a big winner for Rockville Musical Theatre. The show took four awards: Outstanding Cameo in a Musical by Michael Reid as "The Wolf," Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for Hannah Willman as "Cinderella," Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical for Harv Lester as "The Baker," and Outstanding Music Direction for Scott Richards.
Silver Spring Stage, which has been earning a reputation for producing smaller-scale dramas and a few comedies, won four awards out of 13 nominations. In addition to Outstanding Play, the drama "Never the Sinner" also saw Michael Kharfen win for Outstanding Direction of a Play and Clare Flood win for Outstanding Special Effects. Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play was won by Jaclyn Young as Agnes in the psychological thriller "Agnes of God."
"I first have to thank my mother, because she told me to," Kharfen said while clutching his award. "And I follow direction, as well."
A total of 109 productions -- 30 musicals and 79 plays -- were judged in 2007 as 29 area theater companies took part in the WATCH program. According to WATCH Chairman Bailey Center, 29,640 individual scores generated by a team of judges were tabulated for this year's awards, in which at least five nominees were named in 28 categories.
Northern Virginia Winners
¿ Arlington Players
Outstanding Choreography -- John K. Monnett, "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical -- Allison Block as Millie Dillmount, "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical -- Patrick McMahan as Mr. Trevor Graydon, "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Outstanding Musical -- "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
¿ Elden Street Players
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play -- Molly Hicks as Catherine the maid, "Boston Marriage"
Outstanding Set Decoration -- Michael Smith, "Boston Marriage"
Outstanding Costume Design -- Judy Whelihan, "Greater Tuna"
¿ Little Theatre Of Alexandria
Outstanding Light Design -- Ken and Patti Crowley, "The Will Rogers Follies"
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play -- Nader Tavangar as Mr. Marks, "Intimate Apparel"
¿ Prince William Little Theatre
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play -- Dan Yount as Henry Drummond, "Inherit the Wind"
¿ Providence Players
Outstanding Properties -- Jillen Jobe, Chip Gertzog, Susan Kaplan and John Coscia for "Saturday, Sunday, Monday"
Outstanding Set Construction -- John Coscia and Patrick David, "Saturday, Sunday, Monday"
Outstanding Set Decoration -- John Coscia and Chip Gertzog, "Saturday, Sunday, Monday"
Outstanding Set Design -- Chip Gertzog and John Coscia, "Saturday, Sunday, Monday"
Outstanding Set Painting -- Craig Geoffrion and Julie Hendrickson, "Saturday, Sunday, Monday"
¿ Reston Community Players
Outstanding Direction of a Musical -- Haley Murphy, "Seussical"
Outstanding Makeup Design -- Bette Williams and Sue Pinkman, "Seussical"
Outstanding Hair Design -- Bette Williams and Farrell Ann M. Hartigan, "Seussical"
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