Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards announced

COVID-19’s surprise pop-up has changed the rules and forced numerous award show cancellations or postponements.

For its 33rd season, the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards has deviated from its normal course. Organizers have taken precautions and cancelled the live theatre awards ceremony traditionally hosted at Mayfield Dinner Theatre.

In its place, organizers will broadcast a history-making, pre-recorded online video of this year’s recipients Monday, June 29, at 7 p.m. on YouTube.

The region’s top talent is nominated in 24 categories. Included are five St. Albert-related artists: Jonathan Christenson, Alex Dawkins, Kate Ryan, Dylan Rosychuk and Jenny McKillop.

Christenson, artistic director of Catalyst Theatre, is nominated in two music categories along with Matthew Skopyk for The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare, a dark musical about female spies during the Second World War.

A relatively new face on Edmonton’s professional stages, Dawkins is recognized for her outstanding performance of a leading dramatic role in The Ballad of Peachtree Rose, a dark tale of desperate young woman who puts her trust in the wrong people.

Ryan, whose work with children spans two decades, is up for outstanding achievement in theatre for young audiences. She was the director of Cinderella, Capitol Theatre’s annual Christmas panto.

As a playwright, Dylan is a regular Edmonton Fringe Festival contributor. This season, he is nominated for last summer’s production of Hack, a horror tale about two writers forced to face past transgressions.

And McKillop is lauded for her outstanding Fringe performance in the comedy You Are Happy, a bizarre story about a sister who helps her suicide-prone brother meet a girl.

This is McKillop’s fourth nomination and possibly her first win.

“Who knows if I’ll be lucky? It’s just an honour to be nominated with such wonderful artists. I’d be pleased if everyone won,” she said.

Considering how COVID-19 has thrown the region’s artistic community completely off-kilter, McKillop added, “I’m very proud of our community for adapting to this thing, I know a lot of people have been working on it (awards) and it hasn’t been easy.”

Below is a list of the 2019-2020 Sterling Award nominees:

Outstanding Production of a Play

• Cost of Living (Citadel Theatre/Arts Club Theatre)

• Bed and Breakfast (Theatre Network)

• Everybody Loves Robbie (Northern Light Theatre)

• The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Buffonius (Theatre Network)

• Every Brilliant Thing (Citadel Theatre)

Outstanding New Play

(Award to Playwright)

• The Ballad of Peachtree Rose by Nicole Moeller (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre)

• A Christmas Carol by David van Belle (Citadel Theatre)

• Everybody Loves Robbie by Ellen Chorley (Northern Light Theatre)

• The Blue Hour by Michele Vance Hehir (SkirtsAfire)

• E Day by Jason Chinn (Serial Collective)

Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role-Drama

• Tara Jackson, The Color Purple (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)

• Alex Dawkins, The Ballad of Peachtree Rose (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre)

• Ashley Wright, Cost of Living (Citadel Theatre/Arts Club Theatre)

• Ian Leung, The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire)

• Christopher Imbrosciano, Cost of Living (Citadel Theatre/Arts Club Theatre)

Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role-Drama

• Bahareh Yaraghi, Cost of Living (Citadel Theatre/Arts Club Theatre)

• Robert Benz, The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire)

• Nadien Chu, The Winter’s Tale (Freewill Shakespeare Festival)

• Janelle Cooper, The Color Purple (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)

• Nicole St Martin, The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire)

Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role-Comedy

• Patricia Cerra, Happy Birthday Baby J (Shadow Theatre)

• Jayce McKenzie, Everybody Loves Robbie (Northern Light Theatre)

• Mathew Hulshof, Bed and Breakfast (Theatre Network)

• Kristin Johnston, Baroness Bianka’s Bloodsongs (Northern Light Theatre)

• Helen Belay, The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Buffonius (Theatre Network)

Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role-Comedy

• Hunter Cardinal, The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Buffonius (Theatre Network)

• Marguerite Lawler, The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Buffonius (Theatre Network)

• Oscar Derkx, As You Like It (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)

• Bobbi Goddard, The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Buffonius (Theatre Network)

• Andrea House, The Bad Seed (Teatro La Quindicina)

Outstanding Director

• Kimberley Rampersad, The Color Purple (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)

• Bradley Moss, The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Buffonius (Theatre Network)

• Daryl Cloran, As You Like It (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)

• Trevor Schmidt, Everybody Loves Robbie (Northern Light Theatre)

• Ashlie Corcoran, Cost of Living (Citadel Theatre/Arts Club Theatre)

Outstanding Musical Director

• Roberta Duchak, Six (Citadel Theatre)

• Floydd Ricketts, The Color Purple (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)

• Jonathan Christenson & Matthew Skopyk, The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Catalyst Theatre)

• Mishelle Cuttler, A Christmas Carol (Citadel Theatre)

• Ben Elliott, As You Like It (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)

Outstanding Score of a Play or Musical

• Aaron Macri, The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire)

• Darrin Hagen, Bed and Breakfast (Theatre Network)

• Jonathan Christenson & Matthew Skopyk, The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Catalyst Theatre)

• Mhairi Berg, Mr Burns, a Post Electric Play (Blarney Productions/You Are Here Theatre)

• Binaifer Kapadia, The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire)

Timothy Ryan Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical

• As You Like It (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)

• The Color Purple (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)

• Baroness Bianka’s Bloodsongs (Northern Light Theatre)

• Six (Citadel Theatre)

• The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Catalyst Theatre)

Outstanding Independent Production

• The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire)

• Mr. Burns, a Post Electric Play (Blarney Productions/You Are Here Theatre)

• Girl in the Machine (Bustle & Beast Theatre)

• Betrayal (Broken Toys Theatre)

• E Day (Serial Collective)

Outstanding Costume Design

• Cory Sincennes, A Christmas Carol (Citadel Theatre)

• Bretta Gerecke, The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Catalyst Theatre)

• Gabriella Slade, Six (Citadel Theatre)

• Tessa Stamp, The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Buffonius (Theatre Network)

• Megan Koshka, The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire)

Outstanding Multi Media Design

• Bretta Gerecke, The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Catalyst Theatre)

• Bradley King, Tracks (Vena Amoris Projects)

• Sean Nieuwenhuis, Girl in the Machine (Bustle & Beast Theatre)

• Matt Schuurman, The Blank Who Stole Christmas (Rapid Fire Theatre)

Outstanding Individual Achievement in Production

• Brad Fischer (Technician/Operator)

• Tessa Stamp (Production Manager)

• Alana Rice (Technician/Operator)

• Nicole Deibert (Scenic Painter)

• Meghan Wearne (Technician/Operator)

Outstanding Artistic Achievement, Theatre for Young Audiences

• Deanna Finnman, Costume Design, Sleeping Beauty (Alberta Musical Theatre Company)

• Gina Puntil, Director, Safe & Fair: Scene at Work (Alberta Workers’ Health Centre)

• Kate Ryan, Director, Cinderella (Capitol Theatre)

Outstanding Set Design

• Tessa Stamp, The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Buffonius (Theatre Network)

• Brianna Kolybaba, Mr. Burns, a Post Electric Play (Blarney Productions/You Are Here Theatre)

• John Dinning, Sleuth (Mayfield Dinner Theatre)

• Megan Koshka, The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire)

• Pam Johnson, As You Like It (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)

Outstanding Lighting Design

• Tim Deiling, Six (Citadel Theatre)

• Scott Peters, The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Buffonius (Theatre Network)

• Elise Jason, Baroness Bianka’s Bloodsongs (Northern Light Theatre)

• Bretta Gerecke, The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Catalyst Theatre)

• Leigh Ann Vardy, A Christmas Carol (Citadel Theatre)

Outstanding Fight Direction or Choreography

• Samantha Jeffery, Mr. Burns, a Post Electric Play (Blarney Productions/You Are Here Theatre)

• Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, Six (Citadel Theatre)

• Ainsley Hillyard, Mr. Burns, a Post Electric Play (Blarney Productions/You Are Here)

• Jonathan Hawley Purvis, As You Like It (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)

• Laura Krewski, The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Catalyst Theatre)

Outstanding Production for Young Audiences

• Sleeping Beauty (Alberta Musical Theatre Company)

• Safe & Fair: Scene At Work (Alberta Workers’ Health Centre)

• Cinderella (Capitol Theatre)

Outstanding Fringe Production

• Queen Lear is Dead (Fox Den Collective)

• The Green Line (In Arms Theatre Collective)

• Boy Trouble (Vena Amoris Projects)

• Hack (Get off the Stage Productions)

• Reality Crack (Vibrate Productions)

Outstanding Fringe Director

• Taylor Chadwick, The Flying Detective (Accidental Humour Co.)

• Dave Horak, The Bald Soprano (Bright Young Things)

• Valerie Planche, Queen Lear is Dead (Fox Den Collective)

• Kenneth Brown, Look at the Town (Poeima Productions)

• Leah Paterson, SWIPE (Synaethesis Dance Theatre)

Outstanding Fringe New Work

(Award to Playwright)

• Hack by Dylan Rosychuk (Get off the Stage Productions)

• Reality Crack by Candace Berlinguette and Laura Raboud (Vibrate Productions)

• 5 South by Rebecca Merkley (Dammitammy Productions)

• The Green Line by Makram Ayache (In Arms Theatre Collective)

• Queen Lear is Dead by Jessy Ardern (Fox Den Collective)

Outstanding Fringe Performance Drama

• Amena Shebab, Hagar (Alma Theatre)

• Michael Peng, Red (Wishbone Theatre)

• Max Hanic, Boy Trouble (Vena Amoris Projects)

• Rebecca Merkley, 5 South (Dammitammy Productions)

• Candace Berlinguette, Reality Crack (Vibrate Productions)

Outstanding Fringe Performance Comedy

• Mark Meer, Fear and Loathing and Lovecraft (Rapid Fire Theatre)

• Jenny McKillop, You Are Happy (Blarney Productions/ Dogheart Theatre)

• Elena Eli Belyea, Gender? I Hardly Know Them (Tiny Bear Jaws/Rapid Fire Theatre)

• Ruth Alexander, Two (Atlas Theatre)

• Cody Porter, The Flying Detective (Accidental Humor Co.)