
It's that time again! Portland's hyperlocal theater awards are here. The full list comes after the jump, but here are a few quick thoughts on this year's winners.
Profile Theater's adaptation of Sarah Ruhl's adaptation of Virginia Woolf's funniest book, Orlando, cleaned up deservedly here. Beth Thompson won for best actress in a play, and the show also won best production. Profile Theater also won (jointly with Shaking the Tree) for special achievement in producing for last fall's Passion Play, and outstanding achievement in properties design for Kaye Blankenship's work on In the Next Room, or the vibrator play. It's worth noting that all of these productions happened during the theater's season dedicated to the works of Sarah Ruhl, under the leadership of outgoing artistic director Adriana Baer. The theater company's followed up that season with one devoted to yet another relatively young, female playwright, Tanya Barfield. More of this please!
It's also always good to see some of the city's smaller, more innovative theater companies receive some good buzz, in particular: Mindy Barker's win for outstanding achievement from a scenic artist, for her work on Theatre Vertigo's The Drunken City; Jamie Rea's best supporting actress award for her role in Shaking the Tree's A Doll's House; and accolades for best original script for Action/Adventure Theatre, and former Mercury employee/forever Mercury friend Noah Dunham.
If you are like, "UGH THEATER IS BORING, LADY, LEAVE ME ALONE," I recommend almost anything produced by any of the theater companies I've just mentioned.
And now, a full list of winners after the jump.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Cassi Q. Kohl
H.M.S. Pinafore
Mock's Crest ProductionsBEST SOUND DESIGN
Rodolfo Ortega
Blue Door
Profile TheatreBEST YOUNG PERFORMER
Kai Tomizawa
Junie B. Jones: The Musical
Oregon Children's TheatreOUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: PROPERTIES DESIGN
Kaye Blankenship
In the Next Room, or the vibrator play
Profile TheatreBEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Don Crossley
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Oregon Children's TheatreARTSLANDIA AWARD
The Artslandia Award was presented to Imago Theatre.BEST PIT ENSEMBLE
Tiempo Libre
Cuba Libre
Artists Repertory TheatreBEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY
David Bodin
Twelfth Night
Portland Shakespeare ProjectGavin Hoffman
Great Expectations
Portland Center StagePATA SPOTLIGHT AWARDS presented by Portland Area Theatre Alliance (PATA):
Kate E. Ortolano
The crew of The Skin of Our Teeth at Artists Repertory Theatre
Stage managers Karen Hill and D WesterholmBEST ORIGINAL MUSIC
Ernie Lijoi, Kevin Laursen, Lawrence Rush
Under the Influence
Fuse Theatre EnsembleBEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
James Sharinghousen
Oklahoma!
Broadway Rose Theatre CompanyBEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Jessica Wallenfels
H.M.S. Pinafore
Mock's Crest ProductionsPORTLAND CIVIC THEATRE GUILD AWARDS
The following awards were presented by the Portland Civic Theatre Guild:
The Mary Brand Award: $2000 to Rex Putnam High School Theatre Department Children’s Theatre Program to bring theatre to elementary school audiences that otherwise could not afford to attend.
The Leslie O. Fulton Fellowship: $5000 to John Ellingson for travel to England to study at the Beverly Puppet Festival in July, following which he will connect and interact with several prominent puppet companies in England.
The Portland Civic Theatre $4000 Award in support of theatre: CoHo Theatre to pay for the creation and installation of an exterior sign marking the building and increasing the visibility of the theatre.
The Portland Civic Theatre $6000 Award in support of theatre: Shaking the Tree to upgrade their lighting and sound equipment.OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: SCENIC ARTIST
Mindy Barker
The Drunken City
Theatre VertigoBEST COSTUME DESIGN
Alison Heryer
Ain't Misbehavin'
Portland Center StageBEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Jamie Rea
A Doll's House
Shaking the TreeAGE AND GENDER EQUITY AWARDS:
$10,000 to Profile Theatre
$20,000 to CoHo ProductionsBEST SCENIC DESIGN
Tony Cisek
Ain't Misbehavin'
Portland Center StageBEST MUSIC DIRECTION
Rick Lewis
Ain't Misbehavin'
Portland Center StageLIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Beth HarperBEST ORIGINAL SCRIPT
Noah Dunham
How to Stop Dying
Action/Adventure TheatreBEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Brian Demar Jones
Under the Influence
Fuse Theatre EnsembleBEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Beth Thompson
Orlando
Profile TheatreSPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: PRODUCER
Adriana Baer & Samantha Van der Merwe
Passion Play
Profile Theatre & Shaking the TreeBEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Chris Coleman
Ain't Misbehavin'
Portland Center StageOUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: SOLO PERFORMANCE
Matthew Kerrigan
The Dissenter's Handbook
Shaking the TreeBEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Matthew B. Zrebski
Orlando
Profile TheatreBEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Malia Tippets
Heathers: The Musical
Staged! & triangle productions!BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY
Gavin Hoffman
The Understudy
Artists Repertory TheatreBEST ENSEMBLE IN A PLAY
The Set-Up
Cygnet ProductionsBEST ENSEMBLE IN A MUSICAL
Ain't Misbehavin'
Portland Center StageBEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
Orlando
Profile TheatreBEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
Ain't Misbehavin'
Portland Center Stage