Local theaters, actors nominated for inaugural Louie Awards

Recognizing the achievements of local professional theater companies, the inaugural Louie Awards will be held March 11 at the Gaslight Theater in the Central West End.

The force behind the awards is the St. Louis Theater Circle, a new organization of area reviewers.

The mission of the St. Louis Theater Circle is simple: To honor St. Louis professional theater. While various reviewers may also cover touring shows at The Fox and the Peabody Opera House as well as selected community and college productions, The Louies are designed to focus attention on dozens of area theater companies which showcase the artistic efforts of actors, directors and technical artists in the metropolitan area.

Nominations for The Louies are divided into categories for musicals, dramas and comedies. Approximately 100 local professional theatrical productions were presented in the St. Louis area in 2012.

Nominees for the 2012 Louie Awards are:

FOR MUSICALS

Outstanding Production

• Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages St. Louis
• Chicago, The Muny
• Spring Awakening, Stray Dog Theatre
• Sunday in the Park with George, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
• Sweeney Todd, Opera Theatre Saint Louis

Outstanding Director

• Justin Been, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog
• Michael Hamilton, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages
• Denis Jones, Chicago, The Muny
• Scott Miller, High Fidelity, New Line Theatre
• Rob Ruggiero, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep

Outstanding Actor

• Ron Bohmer, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep
• Ryan Foizey, Cry-Baby, New Line
• Rod Gilfry, Sweeney Todd, Opera Theatre
• Antonio Rodriguez, Urinetown, Stray Dog
• John Sparger, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, New Line

Outstanding Actress

• Erin Davie, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep
• Natascia Diaz, Chicago, The Muny
• Tari Kelly, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Muny
• Jennifer Theby, Urinetown, Stray Dog
• Karen Ziemba, Sweeney Todd, Opera Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actor

• Dean Christopher, Chicago, The Muny
• Mike Dowdy, Cry-Baby, New Line
• Zachary Allen Farmer, High Fidelity, New Line
• Ryan Foizey, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog
• Steve Isom, My One and Only, Stages

Outstanding Supporting Actress

• Terrie Carolan, Cry-Baby, New Line
• Beth Leavel, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Muny
• Susanne Menzer, Sweeney Todd, Opera Theatre
• Deborah Sharn, Urinetown, Stray Dog
• Anna Skidis, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog

Outstanding Acting Ensemble

• Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages
• Chicago, The Muny
• High Fidelity, New Line Theatre
• Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep
• Urinetown, Stray Dog

Outstanding Set Design

• David Blake, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Stray Dog
• Adrian Jones, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep
• Scott L. Schoonover, High Fidelity, New Line
• Michael Schweikardt, The King and I, The Muny
• James Wolk, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages

Outstanding Costume Design

• Lou Bird, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages
• Brad Musgrove, My One and Only, Stages
• Alexandra Scibetta Quigley, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog
• Alejo Vietti, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep

Outstanding Lighting Design

• Tyler Duenow, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog
• Seth Jackson, Chicago, The Muny
• John Lasiter, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep
• Matthew McCarthy, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages

Outstanding Choreography

• Robin Michelle Berger, Cry-Baby, New Line
• Denis Jones, Chicago, The Muny
• Dana Lewis, My One and Only, Stages
• Lara Teeter, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Muny
• Chris Bailey, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Muny

Outstanding Musical Direction

• Adaron “Pops” Jackson, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages
• Stephen Lord, Sweeney Todd, Opera Theatre
• Chris Petersen, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog
• Justin Smolik, High Fidelity, New Line
• F. Wade Russo, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep

 

FOR DRAMAS

Outstanding Production

• Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre
• Clybourne Park, The Rep
• Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, St. Louis Black Repertory Company
• The Hairy Ape, Upstream Theater

Outstanding Director

• Gary Bell, Angels in America, Stray Dog
• Deanna Jent, Going to See the Elephant, Mustard Seed Theatre
• Timothy Near, Clybourne Park, The Rep
• Ed Smith, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Black Rep
• Milton Zoth, Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Outstanding Actor

• John Hickok, The Invisible Hand, The Rep
• Michael Scott Rash, 9 Circles, R-S Theatrics
• Michael James Reed, A Steady Rain, The Rep
• Ben Watts, Angels in America, Stray Dog
• B Weller, Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Outstanding Actress

• Nancy Bell, Clybourne Park, The Rep
• Rachel Fenton, Oleanna, HotCity Theatre
• Rachel Hanks, Angels in America, Stray Dog
• Patrese McClain, No Child, The Black Rep
• Kirsten Wylder, Bug, Muddy Waters Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actor

• Larry Dell, Killer Joe, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• Greg Fenner, Angels in America, Stray Dog
• Terry Meddows, Way to Heaven, New Jewish Theatre
• Joshua Thomas, Othello, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
• David Wassilak, Angels in America, Stray Dog

Outstanding Supporting Actress

• Teresa Doggett, Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• Rachel Fenton, Killer Joe, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• Laura Kyro, Angels in America, Stray Dog
• Elizabeth Ann Townsend, The Maids, Upstream Theater
• Kelley Weber, Lost in Yonkers, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding Acting Ensemble

• Angels in America, Stray Dog
• Clybourne Park, The Rep
• Going to See the Elephant, Mustard Seed Theatre
• Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• The Hairy Ape, Upstream Theater

 

FOR COMEDIES

Outstanding Production

• Jacob and Jack, New Jewish Theatre
• The Comedy of Errors, The Rep
• The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre
• The Foreigner, The Rep
• The Violet Hour, Max & Louie Productions

Outstanding Director

• Paul Mason Barnes, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep
• Edward Coffield, Jacob and Jack, New Jewish Theatre
• Suki Peters, The Compleat Wks of Wm Shkspr (Abridged), St. Louis Shakespeare
• Marty Stanberry, The Divine Sister, HotCity
• Edward Stern, The Foreigner, The Rep

Outstanding Actor

• Ryan DeLuca, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Rep
• Greg Fenner, Fully Committed, Stray Dog
• John Flack, The Divine Sister, HotCity
• Bobby Miller, Jacob and Jack, New Jewish Theatre
• John Scherer, The Foreigner, The Rep

Outstanding Actress

• Emily Baker, Season’s Greetings, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• Sarah Cannon, Dinner with Friends, Dramatic License Productions
• Tarah Flanagan, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep
• Meghan Maguire, Talley’s Folly, New Jewish Theatre
• Carol Schultz, The Foreigner, The Rep

Outstanding Supporting Actor

• Matthew Galbreath, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Black Rep
• Chopper Leifheit, The Divine Sister, HotCity
• Casey Predovic, The Foreigner, The Rep
• Antonio Rodriguez, The Violet Hour, Max & Louie Productions
• Lenny Wolpe, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep

Outstanding Supporting Actress

• Sarajane Alverson, Wake Up, Cameron Dobbs, West End Players Guild
• Lavonne Byers, The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre
• Teresa Doggett, Season’s Greetings, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• Shanara Gabrielle, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep
• Kirsten Wylder, The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre

Outstanding Acting Ensemble

• Jacob and Jack, New Jewish Theatre

• The Comedy of Errors, The Rep
• The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre
• The Foreigner, The Rep
• The Violet Hour, Max & Louie Productions

COMEDIES & DRAMAS

Outstanding Set Design

• Jason Coale, The Maids, Upstream Theater
• Dunsi Dai, Imaginary Jesus, Mustard Seed Theatre
• Scott Neale, Clybourne Park, The Rep
• Erik Paulson, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep
• John Stark, Way to Heaven, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design

• Felia Katherine Davenport, Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• Sarita Fellows, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Black Rep
• Daryl Harris, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Black Rep
• Alexandra Scibetta Quigley, Angels in America, Stray Dog
• Margaret E. Weedon, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep

Outstanding Lighting Design

• Steve Carmichael, The Hairy Ape, Upstream Theater
• Tyler Duenow, Angels in America, Stray Dog
• Phil Monat, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Rep
• Nathan Schroeder, Talley’s Folly, New Jewish Theatre
• Michael Sullivan, Way to Heaven, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding Sound Design

• Justin Been, Angels in America, Stray Dog
• Zoe Sullivan, Going to See the Elephant, Mustard Seed
• Rusty Wandall, A Steady Rain, The Rep
• Robin Weatherall, Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• Robin Weatherall, Way to Heaven, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding New Play

• Imaginary Jesus, Deanna Jent, Mustard Seed Theatre
• Stupefy! The 90-Minute Harry Potter Live!, Jaysen Cryer, Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre
• The Invisible Hand, Ayad Akhtar, The Rep
• The New World, Nancy Bell, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
• Wake Up, Cameron Dobbs, Stephen Peirick, West End Players Guild.

 

Tickets will be $10 apiece, payable in cash or check at the door on the night of the event, and can be reserved by contacting stltheatercircle@sbcglobal.net. Additional seating will be available at the West End Grill & Pub, which adjoins the Gaslight Theater, where food and drinks can be purchased throughout the evening. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the event begins at 7 p.m.

 

For more information, contact stltheatercircle@sbcglobal.net or 314-838-9371.