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Best of Metro Vancouver theatre given ‘Jessies’ at Bard fest’s beachside stage

Fifty theatrical productions were nominated from last year’s theatre season
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Bard on the Beach’s award-winning production of “As You Like It” starred Lindsey Angell and Nadeem Phillip in the summer of 2018. (submitted photo/David Cooper)

Metro Vancouver’s best theatre actors, actresses and productions were honoured during the 37th annual Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards Monday evening (July 15) at the Bard on the Beach venue, on the BMO Mainstage in Vanier Park.

The awards celebrate excellence in professional theatre and salute “all the talent who contribute to Vancouver’s fantastic theatre scene.”

Fifty theatrical productions were nominated from last year’s theatre season, in the three categories of Small Theatre, Large Theatre and Theatre for Young Audiences, plus some special awards and prizes.

In the Large Theatre category, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival took the lead with five Jessies divided between three productions. Timon of Athens won two of these with lead actor Colleen Wheeler winning for her performance, along with Drew Facey for set design.

Their production of Lysistrata nabbed the Critic’s Choice Innovation Award along with Barbara Clayden garnering a Jessie for her costumes.

Bard on the Beach’s adaptation of the Beatles-inspired version of As You Like It won for Outstanding Production of a Musical.

• READ MORE: Beatles-inspired ‘As You Like It’ at Bard on the Beach summer fest in Vancouver

ALSO: Delta set designer brings the ’60s to Shakespeare stage

Théâtre la Seizième earned four Jessies for Le Soulier (The Shoe), including actor Félix Beauchamp for his outstanding performance and David Paquet for Outstanding Original Script.

The remaining awards in this category were given to the Arts Club Theatre Company garnering two nods: one to Nora McLellan for her supporting role performance in The Matchmaker and the other to Itai Erdal for Lighting Design in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

The Outstanding Production and Significant Artistic Achievement Jessies were given to Kamloopa by The Cultch (in partnership with Western Canada Theatre, Persephone Theatre and Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre, and in collaboration with National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre).

Adam Grant Warren nabbed the Jessie for Outstanding Performance in a Supportive Role for his work in Touchstone Theatre’s production of Kill Me Now.

The Theatre for Young Audiences category recognized Carousel Theatre for Young People’s new musical, Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play for Outstanding Production, with Kayla Dunbar getting a nod for Outstanding Artistic Creation.

Jake Walker was awarded Outstanding Performance for his portrayal in Jack and the Magic Bean by Presentation House Theatre.

Among additional awards, The Vancouver Now Representation and Inclusion Award was given to Heather Redfern and The Cultch, Grant Burnyeat received the Patron of the Arts Award and Stephanie Kirkland was acknowledged for her work by receiving the Mary Phillips Prize for Behind the Scenes Achievement.

Also, Andrew Wheeler was awarded the John Moffat & Larry Lilo Prize, and David Diamond received the GVPTA Career Achievement Award.

More event details are posted at jessieawards.com.

Below is a complete list of all winners.

37th Annual JESSIE AWARD WINNERS

Small Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Small Theatre

Warren Kimmel – Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Fleet Street – The Snapshots Collective

Outstanding Performance by an Actress – Small Theatre

Colleen Winton - Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Fleet Street – The Snapshots Collective

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Small Theatre

Oliver Castillo - Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Fleet Street – The Snapshots Collective

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Small Theatre

Alannah Ong – The Ones We Leave Behind – Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design – Small Theatre

James Proudfoot – Camera Obscura (hungry ghosts) – the frank theatre company/Queer Arts Festival

Outstanding Set Design – Small Theatre

Marshall McMahen – Les Filles du Roi – Fugue Theatre/Raven Theatre/Urban Ink/The Cultch

Outstanding Costume Design – Small Theatre

Marshall McMahen & Konwahonwá:wi Stacey – Les Filles du Roi – Fugue Theatre/Raven Theatre/Urban Ink/The Cultch

Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition – Small Theatre

Corey Payette & Kyra Soko - Les Filles du Roi – Fugue Theatre/Raven Theatre/Urban Ink/The Cultch

Outstanding Direction – Small Theatre

Corey Payette - Les Filles du Roi – Fugue Theatre/Raven Theatre/Urban Ink/The Cultch

Outstanding Production – Small Theatre

Camera Obscura (hungry ghosts) – the frank theatre company/Queer Arts Festival

Outstanding Production – Musical – Small Theatre

Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Fleet Street – The Snapshots Collective

Significant Artistic Achievement – Small Theatre

Molly MacKinnon & Christine Quintana – Never the Last – Delinquent Theatre - Outstanding interdisciplinary collaboration involving the imaginative integration of dance, live musical performance and theatre

Large Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Large Theatre

Félix Beauchamp- Le Soulier - Théâtre la Seizième

Outstanding Performance by an Actress – Large Theatre

Colleen Wheeler – Timon of Athens – Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Large Theatre

Adam Grant Warren – Kill Me Now – Touchstone Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Large Theatre

Nora McLellan – The Matchmaker – Arts Club Theatre Company

Outstanding Lighting Design – Large Theatre

Itai Erdal – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Arts Club Theatre Company

Outstanding Set Design – Large Theatre

Drew Facey - Timon of Athens – Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Outstanding Costume Design – Large Theatre

Barbara Clayden – Lysistrata - Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition – Large Theatre

Malcolm Dow – Le Soulier - Théâtre la Seizième

Georgia Straight Outstanding Direction – Large Theatre

Esther Duquette & Gilles Poulin-Denis - Le Soulier - Théâtre la Seizième

Outstanding Production – Large Theatre

Kamloopa – The Cultch – (in partnership with Western Canada Theatre, Persephone Theatre and Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre, and in collaboration with National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre)

Outstanding Production - Musical – Large Theatre

As You Like it – Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Significant Artistic Achievement – Large Theatre

Kim Senklip Harvey & Lindsay Lachance – Kamloopa - The Cultch – (in partnership with Western Canada Theatre, Persephone Theatre and Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre, and in collaboration with National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre) Outstanding decolonization of theatre spaces and practices.

Theatre for Young Audiences

Outstanding Performance – Theatre for Young Audiences

Jake Walker – Jack and the Magic Bean – Presentation House Theatre

Outstanding Design – Theatre for Young Audiences

Shizuka Kai, Jessica Oostergo, Brad Trenaman – Salmon Girl – Raven Spirit Dance - Ensemble Design (set, costume, lighting)

Outstanding Artistic Creation – Theatre for Young Audiences

Kayla Dunbar – Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play” – Carousel Theatre for Young People

Outstanding Production – Theatre for Young Audiences

Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play” – Carousel Theatre for Young People

Significant Artistic Achievement – Theatre for Young Audiences

Jack and the Magic Bean – Presentation House Theatre – Outstanding risky and improvised audience engagement

ADDITIONAL AWARDS

Outstanding Original Script

David Paquet – Le Soulier (The Shoe) - Théâtre la Seizième

Critic’s Choice Innovation Award

Lysistrata – Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Vancouver Now Representation and Inclusion Award

Heather Redfern and The Cultch

Patron of the Arts Award

Grant Burnyeat

Mary Phillips Prize for Behind the Scenes Achievement

Stephane Kirkland

Sam Payne Award for the Most Promising Newcomer

Taran Kootenhayoo

John Moffat & Larry Lilo Prize

Andrew Wheeler

GVPTA Career Achievement Award

David Diamond

Sydney Risk Prize

Kamloopa by Kim Senklip Harvey

Colin Campbell Award for Excellence in Technical Theatre

Adrian Muir

Ray Michal Prize for Most Promising New Director

Marie Farsi



Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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