Reasons 6 and 7a thru 7zzzz

For a few weeks here at RTCCVA.com, we’ve been trying to reinforce the obvious: there’s no better place to be on the evening of Sunday, October 19th than the 7th Annual RTCC Awards. Here are perhaps the most compelling reasons yet:

6. This year, the Liz Marks Memorial Award will be awarded to the Acts of Faith Festival, honoring the 10th year of the largest festival of its kind in the country. In 2005, Bruce Miller, Jeff Gallagher, and Daniel Moore began talking about the fear they perceived people had discussing faith publicly.  The Acts of Faith festival was born out of their desire to create an open forum for the appreciation of one of America’s greatest freedoms, the ability to speak about our beliefs without retribution. Over the past 10 theater seasons, some of the most challenging, entertaining and intellectually rigorous productions offered in the Metro Richmond area have been mounted as part of the Acts of Faith festival. It continues to seek relevant stories to grow the faith of those living in the region, to diminish stereotypes and fear among faiths, and to open dialogue between people who otherwise would never have the opportunity to meet.

7. Also this year, some really exceptional artists have been nominated for awards. Here they are:

Best Musical
Cabaret, Richmond Triangle Players
The Color Purple, Virginia Repertory Theatre
The Drowsy Chaperone, Swift Creek Mill
Fiddler on the Roof, Virginia Repertory Theatre
Shrek The Musical, Virginia Repertory Theatre

Best Direction (Musical)
Robin Arthur, Shrek the Musical
Chase Kniffen, The Color Purple
Penny Ayn Maas, Cabaret
Richard Parison, Fiddler on the Roof
Tom Width, The Drowsy Chaperone

Best Actor (Musical)
David Benoit, Fiddler on the Roof
Ronnie Brown, Shrek the Musical
Chris Hester, Cabaret
Jason Marks, Shrek the Musical
Josh Marin, The Color Purple
Jerold Solomon, The Color Purple

Best Actress (Musical)
Felicia Curry, The Color Purple
Grey Garrett, Beyond the Rainbow, Swift Creek Mill
Christie Jackson, The Drowsy Chaperone
Nicole Oberleitner, Caberet
Aly Wepplo, Shrek the Musical

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Musical)
Steve King, The Drowsy Chaperone
Josh Marin, The Wild Party, Firehouse Theatre
Doug Schneider, Cabaret
Matt Shofner, The Drowsy Chaperone
Scott Wichmann, Olympus on my Mind, Virginia Repertory Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Musical)
Carolyn Meade, The Wild Party
Carolyn Minor-Daughtry, The Color Purple
Nicole Oberleitner, The Drowsy Chaperone
Desiree Roots, The Color Purple
Jeanie Rule, Cabaret

Best Musical Direction
Paul Deiss, The Drowsy Chaperone
Kim Fox, Cabaret
Ben Miller, The Color Purple
Ben Miller, The Wild Party
Anthony Smith, Fiddler of the Roof

Best Choreography
Robin Arthur, Shrek the Musical
Dennis Clark, The Drowsy Chaperone
Karen Getz, Fiddler on the Roof
Penny Ayn Maas, Cabaret
Leslie Owens-Harrington, The Color Purple

Best Play
Clybourne Park, Cadence Theatre in collaboration with Virginia Repertory Theatre
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Firehouse Theatre (aka ‘Chad Deity’)
Good People, Cadence Theatre in collaboration with Virginia Repertory Theatre
Joshua Plant, Chamberlayne Actors Theatre
Quality of Life, HATTheatre

Best Direction (Play)
Anna Johnson, Detroit, Cadence Theatre in collaboration with Virginia Repertory Theatre
Anna Johnson, Good People
Kerry McGee, Chad Deity
David Emerson Toney, ‘night, Mother, Firehouse Theatre
Keri Wormald, Clybourne Park

Best Actor (Play)
Joseph Carlson, A Streetcar Named Desire, Firehouse Theatre
Jeff Cole, Wittenberg, Henley Street/Richmond Shakespeare
Aaron Orensky, Joshua Plant
Alexander Sapp, Grace, TheatreLAB
Scott Wichmann, Say Goodnight Gracie, Virginia Repertory Theatre

Best Actress (Play)
Eva DeVirgilis, Hypocrites & Strippers, Richmond Triangle Players
McLean Jesse, Clybourne Park
Katrinah Carol Lewis, Death & the Maiden, Henley Street/Richmond Shakespeare
Catherine Shaffner, ‘night, Mother
Dawn A. Westbrook, Good People

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Play)
Andrew Firda, Clybourne Park
Mauricio Marces, Chad Deity
Stephen Ryan, The Importance of Being Earnest, Henley Street/Richmond
Shakespeare/Richmond Triangle Players
Alexander Sapp, Richard III, Henley Street/Richmond Shakespeare
Alexander Sapp, Tartuffe, Virginia Repertory Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Play)
Jennifer Frank, The Dixie Swim Club, Swift Creek Mill
Jacquie O’Connor, Good People
Melissa Johnston Price, Other Desert Cities, Virginia Repertory Theatre
Debra Wagoner, Tartuffe
Raven Wilkes, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henley Street/Richmond Shakespeare

The Ernie McClintock Award for Best Ensemble Acting
Clybourne Park
Detroit
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Grace
Quality of Life

Most Promising Newcomer
Isabella Cipolina, The Miracle Worker, Swift Creek Mill
Ally Dodds, Fiddler on the Roof
Brad Frazier, Tartuffe
Grace Mincks, Beyond the Rainbow
Diego Salinas, Joshua Plant

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design
Geno Brantley, Chad Deity
Joe Doran, The Drowsy Chaperone
Joe Doran, The Color Purple
Lynne M. Hartman, Other Desert Cities
Robert Perry, Fiddler on the Roof

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design
Maura Lynch Cravey, The Drowsy Chaperone
Sue Griffin, The Color Purple
Sue Griffin, Fiddler on the Roof
Sue Griffin, Tartuffe
Elizabeth Weiss Hopper, Shrek the Musical

Outstanding Achievement in Set Design
Ben Burke, Other Desert Cities
Tennessee Dixon, Death & the Maiden
Frank Foster, Cabaret
Ron Keller, Color Purple
Tom Width, The Drowsy Chaperone

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design
Andrew Craig, Death & the Maiden
Derek Dumais, The Color Purple
Chase Kniffen, Say Goodnight Gracie
Joey Luck, Cabaret
Joey Luck, Chad Deity

Outstanding Achievement in Fight Choreography
James Long, Chad Deity

Liz Marks Memorial Award for Ongoing Contribution to Richmond Area Theater
The Acts of Faith Festival