The small, innovative Pope Theatre Company in Manalapan, FL, won 11 out of 18 regional categories at the 21st Annual Carbonell Awards, given annually for excellence in south Florida theatre.
According to the Miami Herlad, Pope Artistc Director J. Barry Lewis spent the entire evening running up and down the aisle collecting awards, saying afterwards, "...I can't catch my breath...It was such a joyous experience."
Pope's production of the Irving Berlin musical Puttin' On the Ritz won five awards including Best Musical, and their production of Not Waving by Gen LeRoy won best new work, for which Sloane Shelton received Best Actress.
Winners were announced Monday, Nov. 18 in a ceremony at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables. This year's George Abbot Award for outstanding acheivement in the arts was given to career journalist Bill von Maurer, a Florida ciritc since 1956. The awards were named after artist Manuel Carbonell, who sat in the audience.
A total of more than 125 professional regional theater productions in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties were eligible, of which 28 different shows received nominations. Here is a list of the nominees, with winners in bold and with an asterisk:
NEW WORK
Best New Work: "Burton" by Paul Harvey Aurandt, Caldwell Theatre Company; "Marjory" by Evelyn Wilde Mayerson, Coconut Grove Playhouse; *"Not Waving" by Gen LeRoy, Pope Theatre Company; "Passage" by Loretta Greco, Area Stage; "Youth & Asia" by Richard Jana ro, New Theatre.
PLAYS
Best Production of a Play: *"Death of a Salesman," Coconut Grove Playhouse; "Hysteria," Pope Theatre Company; "Jack and Jill," Pope Theatre Company; "Not Waving," Pope Theatre Company; "Sylvia," Caldwell Theatre Company. Honorable Mention: "2," Pope Theatre Company.
Best Director/Play: Gerald Freedman, "Death of a Salesman," Coconut Grove Playhouse; Gail Garrison, "2," Pope Theatre Company; J. Barry Lewis, "Hysteria," Pope Theatre Company; *Barbara Lowery, "All in the Timing," Acme Acting Company; Louis Tyrrell, "Not Waving," Pope Theatre Company. Honorable Mention: Kenneth Kay, "Sylvia," Caldwell Theatre Company; Louis Tyrrell, "Jack and Jill," Pope Theatre Company.
Best Actor/Play: Jack Axelrod, "Hysteria," Pope Theatre Company; John Felix, "2," Pope Theatre Company; *Hal Holbrook, "Death of a Salesman," Coconut Grove Playhouse; Anthony Newfield, "Love! Valour! Compassion!," Caldwell Theatre Company; Matthew Wright, "Love! Valour! Compassion!," New Theatre. Honorable Mention: J.C. Cutler, "Jack & Jill," Pope Theatre Company; Emiliano Diaz, "Passage," Area Stage; Gregory Henderson, "Big Wind on Campus," Area Stage; Timothy Nolen, "Burton," Caldwell Theatre Company.
Best Actress/Play: Kim Cozort, "Sylvia," Caldwell Theatre Company; Elizabeth Franz, "Death of a Salesman," Coconut Grove Playhouse; Jessica K. Peterson, "Hysteria," Pope Theatre Company; *Sloane Shelton, "Not Waving," Pope Theatre Company; Barbara Sloan, "Last Summer at Bluefish Cove," New River Repertory Company. Honorable Mention: Nattacha Amador, "Passage," Area Stage; Alice Haining, "Jack and Jill," Pope Theatre Company.
Best Supporting Actor/Play: *Stephen G. Anthony, "Sylvia," Caldwell Theatre Company; George Contini, "Love! Valour! Compassion!," New Theatre; Matt Mulhern, "Death of a Salesman," Coconut Grove Playhouse; Kraig Swartz, "Love! Valour! Compassion!," Caldwel l Theatre Company; Louis Tyrrell, "Hysteria," Pope Theatre Company. Honorable Mention: David Kwiat, "Later Life," New Theatre; Ale Weinberg, "All in the Timing," Acme Acting Company.
Best Supporting Actress/Play: Aymee Garcia, "Summer Shorts," City Theatre; Maritza Gonzalez, "All in the Timing," Acme Acting Company; Nellie Gwinn, "Summer Shorts," City Theatre; Angela Thomas, "Uncommon Women and Others," Hollywood Boulevard Theatre; *Wendy Michaels, "Last Summer at Bluefish Cove," New River Repertory Company. Honorable Mention: Irene Adjan, "Uncommon Women and Others," Hollywood Boulevard Theatre; Jill Brennan, "Breaking Legs," Jupiter Theatre; Beth Holland, "London Suite," Off Broadway Theatre.
MUSICALS
Best Production of a Musical: "Man of La Mancha," Actor's Playhouse; "Phantom," Jupiter Theatre; *"Puttin' on the Ritz," Pope Theatre Company; "Take Me Along," Royal Palm Dinner Theatre; "Tomfoolery," Actor's Playhouse. Honorable Mention: "Crazy for You," Jupiter Theatre.
Best Director/Musical: David Arisco, "Man of La Mancha," Actor's Playhouse; David Arisco, "Tomfoolery," Actor's Playhouse; Bob Bogdanoff, "Take Me Along," Royal Palm Dinner Theatre; Norb Joerder, "Phantom," Jupiter Theatre; *J. Barry Lewis and Lynnette Barkley, "Puttin' on the Ritz," Pope Theatre Company.
Best Choreographer: *Lynnette Barkley, "Puttin' on the Ritz," Pope Theatre Company; Marion J. Caffey, "Little Shop of Horrors," Burt Reynolds Theatre; Norb Joerder, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," Jupiter Theatre; Barbara Flaten LeGette, "Pajama Game," Actor's Playhouse; Suzanne Kaszynski, "Crazy for You," Jupiter Theatre.
Best Musical Director: *Craig D. Ames, "Puttin' on the Ritz," Pope Theatre Company; Randy Booth, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," Burt Reynolds Theatre; Tom Dillickrath, "Man of La Mancha," Actor's Playhouse; Kevin Jones, "Phantom," Jupit er Theatre; David Nagy, "Tomfoolery," Actor's Playhouse.
Best Actor/Musical: Oscar Cheda, "Tomfoolery," Actor's Playhouse; Jerry Gulledge, "Man of La Mancha," Actor's Playhouse; *Stephen Mo Hanan, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," Burt Reynolds Theatre; Byron Nease, "Phantom," Jupiter Theatre; M ichael L. Walters, "Take Me Along," Royal Palm Dinner Theatre. Honorable Mention: Christopher Bishop, "Hunchback of Notre Dame," Shores Theatre; Brian Chenoweth, "Crazy for You," Jupiter Theatre; Paul Lewis, "Tomfoolery," Actor's Playhouse.
Best Actress/Musical: Barbara Bradshaw, "Take Me Along," Royal Palm Dinner Theatre; *Margot Moreland, "Tomfoolery," Actor's Playhouse; Michele Ragusa, "Phantom," Jupiter Theatre; Connie Saloutos, "Crazy for You," Jupiter Theatre; Connie Saloutos, "Man of La Mancha," Actor's Playhouse. Honorable Mention: Lourelene Snedeker, "Mame," Hollywood Playhouse.
Best Supporting Actor/Musical: Brad Drummer, "Puttin' on the Ritz," Pope Theatre Company; Timothy Connell, "Puttin' on the Ritz," Pope Theatre Company; *Tom Kenaston, "Puttin' on the Ritz," Pope Theatre Company; James Puig, "Man of La Mancha," Actor's Pla yhouse; Gary Richardson, "Take Me Along," Royal Palm Dinner Theatre. Honorable Mention: Terrell Hardcastle, "Three Guys Naked from the Waist Down," Hollywood Boulevard Theatre; Joe Langworth, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," Jupiter Theatre; Daniel Marcus, "Guys and Dolls," Jupiter Theatre; Robert R. Oliver, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," Burt Reynolds Theatre.
Best Supporting Actress/Musical: Cyrilla Baer, "Pajama Game," Actor's Playhouse; Mary Lou Barber, "Puttin' on the Ritz," Pope Theatre Company; *Kim Cozort, "Puttin' on the Ritz," Pope Theatre Company; Aymee Garcia, "Pajama Game," Actor's Playhouse; Lourel ene Snedeker, "Phantom," Jupiter Theatre. Honorable Mention: Kay Brady, "La Cage Aux Folles," Royal Palm Dinner Theatre.
TECHNICAL/PLAYS AND MUSICALS
Best Set Design: *Richard Crowell, "Hysteria," Pope Theatre Company; James Faerron, "Passage," Area Stage; Stephen M. Lambert, "Marjory," Coconut Grove Playhouse; James Noone, "Ladies in Retirement," Coconut Grove Playhouse; Stephan Olson, "Jack and Jill, " Pope Theatre Company. Honorable Mention: Stephen M. Lambert, "Death Defying Acts," Coconut Grove Playhouse; Tony Walton, "Not Waving," Pope Theatre Company.
Best Lighting Design: Martin Aronstein, "Death of a Salesman," Coconut Grove Playhouse; *Jim Fulton, "Hysteria," Pope Theatre Company; J.C. Rodriguez, "Passage," Area Stage; Thomas Salzman, "Sylvia," Caldwell Theatre Company; Thomas Salzman, "Terra Nova," Caldwell Theatre Company. Honorable Mention: Ginny Adams, "Phantom," Jupiter Theatre; Mikuni Ohmae, "Beast on the Moon," New Theatre; Jeff Quinn, "Love! Valour! Compassion!," New Theatre; Jeff Quinn, "Youth and Asia," New Theatre; Todd Wren, "Marjory," Coconut Grove Playhouse.
Best Costume Design: Vickie K. Bast, "Phantom," Jupiter Theatre; *Suzette Pare, "Hysteria," Pope Theatre Company; Suzette Pare, "Jack and Jill," Pope Theatre Company; Jeffery B. Phipps, "Summer Shorts," City Theatre; Penny Koleos Williams, "Sylvia," Caldw ell Theatre Company. Honorable Mention: Mary Lynne Izzo, "Man of La Mancha," Actor's Playhouse; Noel Taylor, "Ladies in Retirement," Coconut Grove Playhouse; Ellis Tillman, "Death Defying Acts," Coconut Grove Playhouse.
--By Blair Glaser
