On June 1st, the nominees for the 2015 Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards, celebrating Edmonton’s theatre community, were announced. The 28th Annual Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards will take place Monday, June 22, 2015 at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre. 

Theatre Alberta congratulates all the nominees – and a special shout out to our own Clarice Eckford (Office & Membership Coordinator) who was nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role for her work in Theatre Network’s production of The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble.

Click here for the Edmonton Journal article covering the announcements from June 1st. 

Outstanding Production of a Play:

• Armstrong’s War (Theatre Network);
• Elephant Wake (Catalyst Theatre);
• The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble (Theatre Network);
• The Pink Unicorn (Northern Light Theatre);
• Playing with Fire (Citadel Theatre)

Timothy Ryan Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical:

• Drat! The Cat! (Plain Janes Theatre Company);
• Cabaret (Mayfield Dinner Theatre);
• Avenue Q (Citadel Theatre);
• Folkswaggin’: Music of the People (Mayfield Dinner Theatre);
• Vigilante (Catalyst Theatre in association with the Citadel Theatre)

Outstanding New Play (award to playwright):

• The Laws of Thermodynamics by Cat Walsh (Theatre YES/Workshop West);
• Vigilante by Jonathan Christenson (Catalyst Theatre in association with the Citadel Theatre);
• Category E by Belinda Cornish (The Maggie Tree); 
• Birdie on the Wrong Bus by Ellen Chorley (Promise Productions);
• Bears by Matthew Mackenzie (Pyretic Productions/Fringe Theatre Adventure/Aboriginal Arts)

Outstanding Director:

• Trevor Schmidt, The Pink Unicorn (Northern Light Theatre);
• Ron Jenkins, Playing with Fire (Citadel Theatre/ Prairie Theatre Exchange);
• Bradley Moss, The Gravitation Pull of Bernice Trimble (Theatre Network);
• Nancy McAlear, Category E (The Maggie Tree);
• Jim Guedo, Passion Play (Wild Side Productions)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:

• Fred Zbryski, Fatboy (Edmonton Actors Theatre);
• Joey Tremblay, Elephant Wake (Catalyst Theatre);
• Nathan Cuckow, Passion Play (Wild Side Productions);
• Shaun Smyth, Playing with Fire (Citadel Theatre/Prairie Theatre Exchange);
• Sheldon Elter, Bears (Pyretic Productions/Fringe Theatre Adventures/Aboriginal Arts)

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

• Clarice Eckford, The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble (Theatre Network);
• Jan Alexandra Smith, Vigilante (Catalyst Theatre in association with the Citadel Theatre);
• Louise Lambert, The Pink Unicorn (Northern Light Theatre);
• Alana Hawley, Venus in Fur (Citadel Theatre);
• Eva Foote, Armstrong’s War (Theatre Network)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:

• Julien Arnold, The Laws of Thermodynamics (Theatre YES/Workshop West);
• Andrew MacDonald-Smith, One Man, Two Guvnors (Citadel Theatre);
• Jesse Gervais, Passion Play (Wild Side Productions);
• Ian Leung, Fatboy (Edmonton Actors Theatre);
• Elliott James, Suburban Motel Series (Punctuate! Theatre)

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:

• Patricia Zentilli, The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble (Theatre Network);
• Louise Lambert, Category E (The Maggie Tree);
• Jenna Dykes-Busby, Category E (The Maggie Tree);
• Susan Gilmour, The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble (Theatre Network);
• Kristi Hansen, Passion Play (Wild Side Productions)

Outstanding Independent Production:

• Category E (The Maggie Tree);
• Suburban Motel Series (Punctuate! Theatre);
• Passion Play (Wild Side Productions);
• Bears (Pyretic Productions/Fringe Theatre Adventure/Aboriginal Arts);
• Fatboy (Edmonton Actors Theatre)

Outstanding Set Design:

• Cory Sincennes, The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble (Theatre Network);
• Nick Blais, The Laws of Thermodynamics (Theatre YES/Workshop West Theatre);
• David Fraser, Playing with Fire (Citadel Theatre);
• Trevor Schmidt, The Pink Unicorn (Northern Light Theatre);
• Bretta Gerecke, Elephant Wake (Catalyst Theatre)

Outstanding Costume Design:

• Trevor Schmidt, Christina/Philippe (Northern Light Theatre);
• Narda McCarroll, Vigilante (Catalyst Theatre in association with the Citadel Theatre);
• Mellissa Cuerrier, Fatboy (Edmonton Actors Theatre);
• Cory Sincennes, Venus in Fur (Citadel Theatre);
• Leona Brausen, Don’t Dress for Dinner (Mayfield Dinner Theatre)

Outstanding Lighting Design:

• Scott Peters, MOTE (Blarney Productions); 
• Beth Kates, Vigilante (Catalyst Theatre in association with the Citadel Theatre);
• T. Erin Gruber, Category E (The Maggie Tree);
• David Fraser, Playing with Fire (Citadel Theatre/Prairie Theatre Exchange);
• Adam Tsuyoshi Turnbull, Christina/Philippe (Northern Light)

Outstanding Multi-Media Design:

• ShowStages Collective, Category E (The Maggie Tree);
• Jamie Nesbitt, Avenue Q (Citadel Theatre);
• Max Amerongen, MOTE (Blarney Productions);
• Corwin Ferguson, Playing with Fire (Citadel Theatre/Prairie Theatre Exchange);
• Julia Grochowski & Tynan Boyd, The Falstaff Project (Thou Art Here! Theatre)

Outstanding Score of a Play or Musical:

• Jonathan Christenson, Vigilante (Catalyst Theatre in association with the Citadel Theatre);
• Bryce Kulak & Dean Musani, Bears (Pyretic Productions/Fringe Theatre Adventures/Aboriginal Arts);
• Matthew Skopyk, Playing with Fire (Citadel Theatre);
• Darrin Hagen, Christina/Philippe (Northern Light Theatre);
• Owen Hutchinson & Allan Gilliland, Arcadia (Citadel Theatre).

Outstanding Musical Director:

• Don Horsburgh, Avenue Q (Citadel Theatre);
• Jonathan Christenson & Matthew Skopyk, Vigilante( Catalyst Theatre in association with the Citadel Theatre);
• Van Wilmott, Cabaret (Mayfield Dinner Theatre);
• Erik Mortimer, Drat! The Cat! (Plain Janes Theatre Company);
• The Be Arthurs, One Man, Two Guvnors (Citadel Theatre).

Outstanding Choreography or Fight Direction:

• Patrick Howarth, Suburban Motel Series (Punctuate! Theatre);
• Ainsley Hillyard, Bears (Pyretic Productions/Fringe Theatre Adventures/Aboriginal Arts);
• Laura Krewski, Vigilante (Catalyst Theatre in association with the Citadel Theatre);
• Jeff Dimitrou, Cabaret (Mayfield Dinner Theatre);
• Jonathan Purvis, One Man, Two Guvnors (Citadel Theatre).

Outstanding Production for Young Audiences:

• Rumpelstiltskin (Alberta Opera);
• Birdie on the Wrong Bus (Promise Productions);
• The Antyssey (Concrete Theatre)

Outstanding Artistic Achievement, Theatre for Young Audiences:

• Jesse Gervais, performance, The Antyssey (Concrete Theatre);
• Joel Chrichton & Richard Lee, music, lyrics and book, The Antyssey (Concrete Theatre);
• Mieko Ouchi, direction, The Antyssey (Concrete Theatre);
• Patrick Beagan, production design, The Antyssey (Concrete Theatre);
• Mari Chartier, performance, Birdie on the Wrong Bus (Promise Productions)

Individual Achievement in Production:

• Matt Currie, house technician;
• Stephanie Ripley, technical director;
• Elijah Lindenberger, projection technician;
• Adam Tsuyoshi Turnbull, production manager;
• Chris Kavanagh, technical director

Outstanding Fringe Production:

• Letters and Words;
• 3 … 2 … 1;
• The Euphorians;
• The Deep Blue Sea;
• It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Superman!

Outstanding Fringe New Work:

• Flora & Fauna’s Field Trip with Fleurette by Darrin Hagen & Trevor Schmidt;
• Confessions of a Sex Worker by Dawn Friesen;
• Letters to Laura by Eliza Benzer;
• The Euphorians by Stewart Lemoine;
• Eleven-oh-Four by Cat Walsh

Outstanding Fringe Director:

• Perry Gratton, Letters to Laura;
• Wayne Paquette, 3 … 2 … 1;
• Jake Hastey, Red Wine, French Toast, and The Best Sex You’ve Ever Had;
• Kate Ryan, It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Superman!;
• Nancy McAlear, The Deep Blue Sea

Outstanding Fringe Performance by an Actor:

• Jamie Cavanagh, 3 … 2 … 1;
• Mat Busby, The Deep Blue Sea;
• Sheldon Elter, It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Superman!;
• Chris Cook, 3 … 2 … 1;
• Garett Ross, It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Superman!

Outstanding Fringe Performance by an Actress:

• Cat Walsh, Eleven-oh-Four;
• Eliza Benzer, Letters to Laura;
• Nancy McAlear, Lobster Alice;
• Belinda Cornish, The Deep Blue Sea;
• Rachel Bowron, It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Superman!

The Margaret Mooney Award for Outstanding Achievement in Administration:

• Penny Ritco

The Ross Hill Award for Career Achievement in Production:

• Richard Sims

The Sterling Award for the Most Valuable Contribution to Theatre in Edmonton:

• Citadel Theatre

Special Lifetime Sterling Award:

•  John Wright