On Nov. 2, the Dallas Theatre League presented its fourth annual Leon Rabin Awards, covering the 1997-98 season and honoring excellence in theatres located in the Dallas, TX area.
Dallas' smaller theatre made out well, with Lyric Stage taking home five trophies, Dallas Children's Theatre won four and Kitchen Dog, New Theatre Company and Garland Summer Musicals tied with three. The Dallas Theatre Center, the area's largest theatre, came home with only two awards.
The list of winners include:
Best Play:
The Glass Menagerie, Kitchen Dog Theatre
Best Musical:
The Most Happy Fella, Lyric Stage
Direction of a Play:
Tina Parker for The Glass Menagerie, Kitchen Dog Theatre
Direction of a Musical:
Cheryl Danson for The Most Happy Fella, Lyric Stage
Lead Actress in a Play:
Mary Anna Austin for Marvin's Room, Water Tower Theatre
Lead Actress in a Musical:
Liz Mikel for A Glory Over Everything, Dallas Children's Theater
Lead Actor in a Musical:
Gilley Matthews for My Fair Lady, Garland Summer Musicals
Supporting Actress in a Musical:
Sara Shalby-Martin for The Most Happy Fella, Lyric Stage
Supporting Actor in a Musical:
Khary Payton for A Christmas Carol, Dallas Theatre Center
Supporting Actress in a Play:
Shelley Tharp for The Glass Menagerie, Kitchen Dog Theatre
Supporting Actor in a Play:
Jeremy Schwartz for Triumph of Love, New Theatre Company
Direction of a Musical:
Gary Okeson for The Most Happy Fella, Lyric Stage
Costume Design:
Bruce R. Coleman for Sight Unseen, New Theatre Company
Set Design:
Bruce R. Coleman for Triumph of Love, New Theatre Company
Sound Design:
Curtis Craig for The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, Dallas Theatre Center
Lighting Design:
Linda Blase for The Hound of the Baskervilles, Dallas Children's Theater
Choreography:
Paula Morelan for Brigadoon, Garland Summer Musicals
Lifetime Achievement:
Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt
Dallas Theatre League Standing Ovation Award:
Norma Young, co-founder of Theatre Three
Nominations for the Rabin Awards were announced Sept. 20, 1998. Lyric Stage led the field with 17 nominations, with Undermain topping the non musical contenders with 12.
-- By Sean McGrath