By Kenneth Jones
06 Oct 2008

The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia's 2008 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre will be handed out Oct. 6.

The awards honor the best in Philly-area theatres, including venues in suburban Philadelphia and across the Delaware River into New Jersey and the state of Delaware. The ceremony will be held in the Crystal Tea Room in the Wannamaker Building. Vincent Marini directs the evening.

*

Arden Theatre Company and Walnut Street Theatre led the nominated theatres with 16 nominations each.

Les Misιrables from Walnut Street Theatre led the musicals category with 11 nominations. Hugh Panaro (who plays Jean Valjean) and Paul Schoeffler (who plays Inspector Javert) will vie for the Best Actor in a Musical.

The Arden's Assassins followed with eight nominations.

The lead spot for nominations in the straight play category was split three ways with Bug at Theatre Exile, Eurydice at The Wilma Theater, and Six Characters in Search of an Author at The People's Light & Theatre Company each snagging seven nominations. They are followed by The Happiness Lecture at Philadelphia Theatre Company and Skylight at Lantern Theater Company with five nominations apiece.

In addition to the nominations, the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient was announced. Dolly Beechman Schnall will receive the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award for her work as an actress, director, playwright, professor, board member and all around advocate for the arts. "Her commitment to Philadelphia theatre can be seen in her varied contributions of time and talent to organizations including, but not limited to, 1812 Productions, Arden Theatre Company, Prince Music Theater, Rutgers University, Temple University, University of the Arts, Walnut Street Theatre, and The Wilma Theater," according to the organizers.

The Philadelphia theatre community is also recognized with three unique awards each year. The first of these special recognition awards, Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service, promotes the participation of theatres and theatre artists who provide innovative theatre and educational experiences as a vehicle for betterment within the community. Cash prizes of $1,500 to the awarded theatre company, and $500 to a teaching artist of the company's choice, are sponsored by the Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Arts Education Fund. The 2008 nominees are 1812 Production's 1812 Outreach, Delaware Theatre Company's Delaware Young Playwrights Festival, Lantern Theater Company's Classroom Connections, Montgomery Theater's Access Education, Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival's The Open Door Project, and Philadelphia Theatre Company's PASSPORT Theatre Residency Program.

The F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist, which includes a $10,000 cash prize, is given to a Philadelphia theatre artist who shows outstanding promise in his or her field and is dedicated to working in the Philadelphia theatre community. Named after the late F. Otto Haas, noted philanthropist, civic leader, and former Chairman of Rohm & Haas, the award is sponsored through the generosity of Carole Haas Gravagno and is specifically designed to help cover the artist's living expenses for one year to allow the individual to focus solely on his or her craft. The runners-up each receive a $1,000 cash award. This year final nominees were not known by the time of the press conference, so the 10 semifinalists were announced. The 2008 Emerging Artist Award semifinalists are Kala Moses Baxter, Chris Colucci, Charlotte Cloe Fox Wind, Jeb Kreager, Rosemarie McKelvey, Matt Pfeiffer, Peter Reynolds, Sarah Sanford, Joshua Schulman, and David Stradley. This list of semifinalists will be narrowed to the five final nominees and announced by the beginning of September.

The Ted and Stevie Wolf Award for New Approaches to Collaborations celebrates unique collaborations between theatre companies and other "non theatre" organizations. "These collaborations each result in a public event and have an importance or impact both on the participating organizations and the Greater Philadelphia community," according to the Theater Alliance. The nominees for this year's award are Arden Theatre Company & Christ Church for Our Town in Old City; Philadelphia Young Playwrights & Mural Arts Program for Poetic Life & The Choices We Make; and Theatre Exile & American Society of Capoeira & Arts from Brazil for Roosters.

The 2008 Barrymore Award Nominees

OUTSTANDING OVERALL PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
Frozen – InterAct Theatre Company
Skylight – Lantern Theater Company
Six Characters in Search of an Author – The People's Light & Theatre Company
Bug – Theatre Exile
Eurydice – The Wilma Theater

OUTSTANDING OVERALL PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
The World Goes 'Round – 11th Hour Theatre Company
Assassins – Arden Theatre Company
Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Azuka Theatre
Les Misιrables – Walnut Street Theatre
The Irish…And How They Got That Way – Walnut Street Theatre, Independence Studio on 3

INDEPENDENCE FOUNDATION AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY
Wittenberg by David Davalos – Arden Theatre Company
The Happiness Lecture conceived by Bill Irwin – Philadelphia Theatre Company
House, Divided by Larry Loebell – InterAct Theatre Company
Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello, newly translated and adapted by Louis Lippa – The People's Light & Theatre Company
Getting Near to Baby by Y York, based on the novel by Audrey Coloumbis – The Peoples Light & Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MUSIC
Michael Keck – I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda – The People's Light & Theatre Company
Robert Maggio – M. Butterfly – Philadelphia Theatre Company
Fabian Obispo – Mary's Wedding – Delaware Theatre Company
Michael Ogborn – Treasure Island – The People's Light & Theatre Company
Toby Twining – Eurydice – The Wilma Theater

HARMELIN MEDIA AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Dan Kern – Skylight – Lantern Theater Company
Whit MacLaughlin – Frozen – InterAct Theatre Company
Ken Marini – Six Characters in Search of an Author – The People’s Light & Theatre Company
Matt Pfeiffer – Bug – Theatre Exile
Blanka Zizka – Eurydice – The Wilma Theater

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Mark Clements – Les Misιrables – Walnut Street Theatre
Kevin Glaccum – Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Azuka Theatre
Terrence J. Nolen – Assassins – Arden Theatre Company
Steve Pacek – The World Goes 'Round – 11th Hour Theatre Company
Marc Robin – Peter Pan – Walnut Street Theatre

OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION
Eric Ebbenga – Assassins – Arden Theatre Company
Troy Herion – Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Azuka Theatre
Dan Kazemi – The World Goes 'Round – 11th Hour Theatre Company
Douglass G. Lutz – Les Misιrables – Walnut Street Theatre
Ethan Popp – Being Alive – Philadelphia Theatre Company

ARK MEDIA AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Chris Faith – Grace – Luna Theater Company
Kes Khemnu - The Piano Lesson – Arden Theatre Company
Jeb Kreager – Frozen – InterAct Theatre Company
Peter Pryor – Othello – Lantern Theater Company
Matt Saunders – Bug – Theatre Exile

CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY Kim Carson – Six Characters in Search of an Author – The People's Light & Theatre Company
Grace Gonglewski – Bug – Theatre Exile
Mary Martello – Frozen – InterAct Theatre Company
Genevieve Perrier – Skylight – Lantern Theater Company
Amanda Schoonover – Mr. Marmalade – Theatre Exile

GARFIELD REFINING COMPANY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Jeffrey Coon – Assassins – Arden Theatre Company
Steve Luker – Dear World – Bristol Riverside Theatre
Hugh Panaro – Les Misιrables – Walnut Street Theatre
Paul Schoeffler – Les Misιrables – Walnut Street Theatre
Dito van Reigersberg – Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Azuka Theatre

GARFIELD REFINING COMPANY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Kim Carson – Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Azuka Theatre
Ann Crumb – Souvenir – The Media Theatre
Mary Gutzi – Dear World – Bristol Riverside Theatre
Cary Michele Miller – Peter Pan – Walnut Street Theatre
Erin Weaver – Treasure Island – The People's Light & Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Peter DeLaurier – Six Characters in Search of an Author – The People's Light & Theatre Company
Jeb Kreager – Mr. Marmalade – Theatre Exile
Triney Sandoval – Eurydice – The Wilma Theater
Yaegel T. Welch – The Piano Lesson – Arden Theatre Company
William Zielinski – Bug – Theatre Exile

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Lee Ann Etzold – The Happiness Lecture – Philadelphia Theatre Company
Genevieve Perrier – The Lonesome West – Lantern Theatre Company
Ceal Phelan – Six Characters in Search of an Author – The People's Light & Theatre Company
Marcia Saunders – Six Characters in Search of an Author – The People's Light & Theatre Company
Catharine K. Slusar – Mr. Bailey's Minder – Walnut Street Theatre, Independence Studio on 3

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Jeffrey Coon – Les Misιrables – Walnut Street Theatre
Chris Faith – Treasure Island – The People's Light & Theatre Company
Scott Greer – Assassins – Arden Theatre Company
Scott Greer – Les Misιrables – Walnut Street Theatre
James Sugg – Assassins – Arden Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Julie Craig – Les Misιrables – Walnut Street Theatre
Christina DeCicco – Les Misιrables – Walnut Street Theatre
Danielle Herbert – West Side Story – The New Candlelight Theatre
Gwendolyn Jones – Dear World – Bristol Riverside Theatre
Mary Martello – Assassins – Arden Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
Beowulf Boritt – Art – Delaware Theatre Company
Dirk Durossette – Skylight – Lantern Theater Company
Michael Fagin – M. Butterfly – Philadelphia Theatre Company
Mimi Lien – Eurydice – The Wilma Theater
Matt Saunders – Bug – Theatre Exile

PECO AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Chris Lee – M. Butterfly – Philadelphia Theatre Company
Tyler Micoleau – Eurydice – The Wilma Theater
Tyler Micoleau – Mary's Wedding – Delaware Theatre Company
David O'Connor – Skylight – Lantern Theater Company
Joshua Schulman – Art – Delaware Theatre Company

EARL GIRLS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Colleen Grady – Les Misιrables – Walnut Street Theatre
Richard St. Clair – Sleeping Beauty – Arden Theatre Company
Janus Stefanowicz – Age of Arousal – The Wilma Theater
Charlotte Cloe Fox Wind – The Illusion – Villanova Theatre
Lisa Zinni – Go, Dog. Go! – Arden Theatre Company

CLEAR SOUND AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN
Chris Colucci – Suburban Love Songs – 1812 Productions
Jorge Cousineau – The Happiness Lecture – Philadelphia Theatre Company
Jorge Cousineau – Eurydice – The Wilma Theater Fabian Obispo – Mary's Wedding – Delaware Theatre Company
James Sugg – Bug – Theatre Exile

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY/MOVEMENT
Samantha Bellomo – Go, Dog. Go! – Arden Theatre Company
Lee Ann Etzold & Whit MacLaughlin – Prom – New Paradise Laboratories
Karen Getz – Suburban Love Songs – 1812 Productions
Bill Irwin – The Happiness Lecture – Philadelphia Theatre Company
Chu Shan Zhu – M. Butterfly – Philadelphia Theatre Company

CITY PAPER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE IN A PLAY
Suburban Love Songs – 1812 Productions
Go, Dog. Go! – Arden Theatre Company
Animal Farm – Mum Puppettheatre
The Happiness Lecture – Philadelphia Theatre Company
Mr. Marmalade – Theatre Exile

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE IN A MUSICAL
The World Goes 'Round – 11th Hour Theatre Company
Assassins – Arden Theatre Company
Being Alive – Philadelphia Theatre Company
The Irish…And How They Got That Way – Walnut Street Theatre, Independence Studio on 3
Les Misιrables – Walnut Street Theatre