#B. Docktor Photography

[larryland]

REVIEW: "Homebody" at the Ancram Opera House

REVIEW: “Homebody” at the Ancram Opera House

A middle-aged Englishwoman, identified only as Homebody, tries in vain to remember the name of her anti-depressant:  “a portmanteau chemical cocktail word confected by punning psychopharmacologists.”  She imagines her “brain floating in a salt bath, frosted with a rime of salt, a pickle-brine brain, pink-beige walnut-wrinkled nutmeat within a crystalliform quartzoid ice-white hoarfrost casing, a…

[larryland]

Williamstown Theatre Festival and Barrington Stage Company Take Top Honors

At an SRO ceremony held at Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield, the Board of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association presented the Berkshire Theatre Awards on the evening of Monday, November 12, 2018. This was the third year the awards have been presented to honor and celebrate the excellence and diversity of theatre in the greater Berkshire region.

The 2018 awards really display the commitment of regional theatres to presenting new and diverse work. Women and minorities were well represented among the nominees and the winners in all categories. Nominees represented theatres in Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, and Connecticut.

Critics J. Peter Bergman and Macey Levin once again hosted the ceremony, which saw top honors for Outstanding Play Production go to the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s production of Theresa Rebeck’s Seared, and Barrington Stage Company’s production of West Side Story for take home the award for Outstanding Musical Production.

The 2018 awards really display the commitment of regional theatres to presenting new and diverse work. Women and minorities were well represented among the nominees and the winners in all categories. Nominees represented theatres in Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, and Connecticut.

This year’s ceremony featured several performances from regional theatre groups, some of whom were nominated for awards. The Acting Class with Patrick White recreated scenes from their production of Men in Boats, nominated for Outstanding Ensemble Production. Director Christine Decker and actors Erika Floriani and Jana Lillie presented a scene from Chocolate by Frederick Stroppel, Brian Petti performed a monologue from the Bridge Street Theatre’s production of Mickie Maher’s There is a Happiness that Morning Is directed by John Sowle. And Joel Ripka and Paul Pontrelli, did a scene from the Chester Theatre Company’s production The Aliens by Annie Baker, directed by Daniel Elihu Kramer, which won the Outstanding Ensemble Production award for the cast, which also included James Barry.

Julianne Boyd was named Outstanding Director of a Musical for her work on West Side Story at Barrington Stage, and James Warwick was named Outstanding Director of a Play for Mothers and Sons at Shakespeare & Company.

Danielle Skraastad took home the award for Outstanding Solo Performance in Tony Kushner’s HOMEBODY, directed by Jeffrey Mousseau and presented at the Ancram Opera House.

The Larry Murray Award for Community Outreach and Support through Theater went to Shakespeare & Company for their Shakespeare in the Courts and Fall Festival of Shakespeare programs.

2018 Berkshire Theatre Awards (winners appear in Boldface)

Outstanding Supporting Actress Musical

Skyler Volpe as Anita – West Side Story – Barrington Stage

Hayley Podschun as Gwen Cavendish – Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

Latoya Edwards as Dionne – Hair –Berkshire Theatre Group

Monica M. Wemett as Miss Hannigan – Annie –Mac-Haydn Theatre

Berkie award winners Skyler Volpe as Anita and Addie Morales as Maria in the Barrington Stage Company production of “West Side Story.” Photo: Daniel Rader.

Skyler Volpe

Outstanding Supporting Actor Musical

Chip Zien as Oscar Wolfe – Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

Sean Ewing as Bernardo – West Side Story – Barrington Stage

A.J. Shively as Perry – The Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

Steven Rattazzi as Marinetti – Lempicka – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Sean Ewing

Sean Ewing (center) with Danny Bevins and Julio Catano-Yee. Photo by Daniel Rader.

Outstanding Supporting Actress Play

Ella Loudon as LaBelle/Phoebe Dennis – As You Like It – Shakespeare and Co.

Victoria Frings as Viv – Well Intentioned White People – Barrington Stage

Nemuna Ceesay as Macy – The Cake – Barrington Stage

Mary Stout as Anne Marie – A Doll’s House, Part II – Barrington Stage

Nemuna Ceesay with Debra Jo Rupp and Virginia Vale in The Cake. Photo Carolyn Brown.

Nemuna Ceesay

Outstanding Supporting Actor Play

Brooks Ashmanskas as Ronnie Wilde – The Closet – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Phillip James Brannon as Marcel – Dangerous House – Williamstown Theatre Festival

John Hadden as Arnold – HIR – Shakespeare and Co.

Daniel K. Isaac as Atung – The Chinese Lady – Barrington Stage

John Hadden

John Hadden as Arnold in “HIR.” Photo: Eloy Garcia.

Outstanding Lead Actor Musical

Will Branner as Tony – West Side Story – Barrington Stage

Will Swenson as Tony Cavendish – Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

David Garrison as Irving Berlin – Coming Back Like a Song – Berkshire Theatre Group

George Dvorsky as “Daddy” Warbucks – Annie – Mac-Haydn Theatre

George Dvorsky

George Dvorsky as Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks with Corinne Tork as Grace Farrell, and Annabel Feigen as Annie. Photo Credit: Sarah Kozma

Outstanding Lead Actress Musical

Addie Morales as Maria – West Side Story – Barrington Stage

Harriet Harris as Fanny Cavendish – Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

Laura Michelle Kelly as Julie Cavendish –Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

Andrea Prestinario as Alison Bechdel – Fun Home – Weston Playhouse

Addie Morales

Addie Morales and Will Branner. Photo by Daniel Rader.

Outstanding Lead Actress Play

Annette Miller as Katherine – Mothers and Sons – Shakespeare and Co.

Debra Jo Rupp as Della – The Cake – Barrington Stage

Alfie Fuller as Noxolo – Dangerous House – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Laila Robins as Nora – A Doll’s House, Part II – Barrington Stage

Annette Miller as Katherine in “Mothers and Sons.” Photo by Eloy Garcia.

Annette Miller

Outstanding Lead Actor Play

Jonathan Epstein as Gustav – Creditors – Shakespeare and Co

Christopher Innvarr as Torvald – A Doll’s House, Part II – Barrington Stage

David Adkins as Allen Squier – The Petrified Forest – Berkshire Theatre Group

Hoon Lee as Harry – Seared – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Hoon Lee

Hoon Lee as Harry in “Seared.” Photo Daniel Rader.

Outstanding Ensemble Production

HIR – Shakespeare and Co.

Three Sisters – Living Room Theatre

Men on Boats – Acting Class with Patrick White at Sand Lake Center for the Arts

The Aliens – Chester Theatre

Joel Ripka, James Barry, and Paul Pontrelli in “The Aliens” at Chester Theatre Company. Photo by Elizabeth Solaka

 Outstanding Solo Play

Mona Golabek in The Children of Willisden Lane – Hartford Stage

Danielle Skraastad in HOMEBODY – Ancram Opera House

Sharon Washington in Feeding the Dragon – Hartford Stage

Danielle Skraastad as the Homebody. Photo: B. Docktor Photography

Danielle Skraastad

Outstanding Director Musical

Julianne Boyd – West Side Story – Barrington Stage

John Rando – Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

John Saunders – Cabaret – Mac-Haydn Theatre

Rachel Chavkin – Lempicka – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Barrington Stage Company Artistic Director Julianne Boyd

“West Side Story” at Barrington Stage Company. Photo Daniel Rader.

Outstanding Director Play

Nicole Ricciardi – Creditors – Shakespeare and Co.

Saheem Ali – Dangerous House – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Jennifer Chambers –The Cake – Barrington Stage

James Warwick – Mothers and Sons – Shakespeare and Co.

James Warwick

Annette Miller, Bill Mootos, David Gow and Hayden Hoffman in “Mothers and Sons.” Photo by Eloy Garcia.

Outstanding Scenic Design

Alexander Dodge – Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

Wilson Chen – The Petrified Forest – Berkshire Theatre Group

Dane Laffrey – Dangerous House – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Kristen Robinson –West Side Story – Barrington Stage

Kristen Robinson

Set for “West Side Story” by Kristen Robinson – “Tony’s Death.”

Outstanding Costume Design

Alejo Vietti – The Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

Hunter Kaszarowski – The Petrified Forest – Berkshire Theatre Group

Montana Levi Blanco – Lempicka – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Angela Carstensen – Cabaret – Mac-Haydn Theatre

Alejo Vietti

Arnie Burton, Laura Michelle Kelly, Hayley Podschun, Harriet Harris, Holly Ann Butler, Will Swenson & Kathryn Fitzgerald in costumes by Alejo Vietti for “The Royal Family of Broadway.”

Outstanding Lighting Design

Bradley King – Lempicka – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Andrew Gmoser – Damn Yankees – Mac-Haydn Theatre

Lap Chi Chu – Dangerous House – Williamstown Theatre Festival

David Lander – West Side Story – Barrington Stage

Lap Chi Chu

Samira Wiley as Pretty Mbane in “Dangerous House.” Lighting design by Lap Chi Chu. Photo Carolyn Brown.

Outstanding Sound Design – TIE

Daniel Kluger – The Sound Inside – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Fabian Obispo – The Chinese Lady – Barrington Stage

Rider Q. Stanton – Ring of Fire – Capital Repertory Theatre

Palmer Hefferan – Dangerous House – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Palmer Hefferan

Fabian Obispo

Outstanding Choreography

Robert La Fosse – West Side Story – Barrington Stage

Joshua Bergasse – Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

Sebastiani Romagnolo – Cabaret – Mac-Haydn Theatre

Lisa Shriver – Hair – Berkshire Theatre Group

Choreographer Robert La Fosse.

Sarah Crane, Magdalena Rodriguez, Skyler Volpe, Tamrin Goldberg, and Jerusha Cavazos in the Barrington Stage Company production of “West Side Story” choreographed by Robert La Fosse. Photo by Daniel Rader.

Outstanding NEW Play

The Sound Inside by Adam Rapp, directed by David Cromer – Williamstown Theatre Festival

The Chinese Lady by Lloyd Suh, directed by Ralph B. Pena – Barrington Stage

The Closet by Douglas Carter-Beane, directed by Mark Brokaw – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Dangerous House by Jen Silverman, directed by Saheem Ali – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Playwright Jen Silverman.

Alfie Fuller as Noxolo and Michael Braun as Gregory in Jen Silverman’s “Dangerous House.” Photo Sarah Sutton.

Outstanding NEW Musical

Lempicka – Book and Lyrics by Carson Kreitzer; Music by Matt Gould, directed by Rachel Chavkin – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Royal Family of Broadway – Book by Rachel Sheinkin; Music and Lyrics by William Finn, directed by Joshua Bergasse – Barrington Stage

Coming Back Like a Song – by Lee Kalcheim. Songs by Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, Jimmy Van Heusen and their collaborators. Directed by Gregg Edelman – Berkshire Theatre Group

Playwright Lee Kalcheim

Philip Hoffman as Harold Arlen, David Rasche as Jimmy Van Heusen, and David Garrison as Irving Berlin in Lee Kalcheim’s “Coming Back Like A Song!” Photo by Emma K. Rothenberg-Ware

Outstanding Musical Production

West Side Story – directed by Julianne Boyd – Barrington Stage

Hair – directed by Daisy Walker – Berkshire Theatre Group

Ring of Fire – directed by Maggie Mancinelli -Cahill – Capital Repertory Theatre

Anything Goes – directed by Alan M-L Wager – Sharon Playhouse

Barrington Stage Company Artistic Director Julianne Boyd

Sean Ewing, Tyler Hanes, and the cast of Barrington Stage Company’s production of “West Side Story.” Photo by Daniel Rader.

Outstanding Play Production

Creditors by August Strindberg, adapted by David Greig. Directed by Nicole Ricciardi –Shakespeare and Co.

Mothers and Sons by Terence McNally. Directed by James Warwick – Shakespeare and Co.

Dangerous House by Jen Silverman, directed by Saheem Ali – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Seared by Theresa Rebeck. Directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel. Williamstown Theatre Festival

Playwright Theresa Rebeck.

Hoon Lee as Harry and W. Tré Davis as Rodney in Theresa Rebeck’s “Seared” at Williamstown Theatre Festival. Photo Daniel Rader.

The Larry Murray Award for Community Outreach and Support through Theater went to Shakespeare & Company for their Shakespeare in the Courts and Fall Festival of Shakespeare programs.

https://vimeo.com/255971330

    Third Annual Berkshire Theatre Awards Winners Announced Williamstown Theatre Festival and Barrington Stage Company Take Top Honors At an SRO ceremony held at…