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By Kenneth Jones
06 Oct 2008

Barrymore Award winner Hugh Panaro in Les Misιrables.
photo by Mark Garvin

Phildelphia's Arden Theatre Company won six 2008 Barrymore Awards at the Oct. 6 ceremony that celebrates excellence in Philly-area theatre. Walnut Street Theatre's own production of Les Misιrables was a big winner as well.

Arden took six awards, double any other company's amount. Arden's Assassins, Walnut's Les Miz and 1812 Productions' Suburban Love Songs tied for the most awards for a single production (three each).

Les Misιrables, staged without the production's traditional turntable, won Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical, Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical (to Broadway's Hugh Panaro as Jean Valjean), and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical (to Christina DeCicco).

People's Light & Theatre Company's production of Six Characters in Search of an Author won as Outstanding Overall Production of a Play.

The awards are presented by The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. The awards honor troupes and venues in suburban Philadelphia and across the Delaware River into New Jersey and the state of Delaware. The ceremony was held in the Crystal Tea Room in the Wannamaker Building. Vincent Marini directed the evening.

The Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, which was announced previously, is Dolly Beechman Schnall. She's an actress, director, playwright, professor, board member and all around advocate for the arts.

The Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service award, which "promotes the participation of theatres and theatre artists who provide innovative theatre and educational experiences as a vehicle for betterment within the community," went to 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, went to Matt Pfeiffer. The award 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.

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 winner of this year's award is Arden Theatre Company & Christ Church for Our Town in Old City.

The 2008 Barrymore Award nominees and winners are listed below, with winners marked with an asterisk and in boldface.

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

MACY'S AWARD FOR 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

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