Although awards season has passed and the new theatre season lies closely on the horizon, Philadelphia is reversing the order a little bit. The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia has announced nominees for its sixth annual Barrymore Awards, Aug. 16, at the Wilma Theatre.
The awards ceremony will take place Oct. 16 at Irvine Auditorium (Spruce St.). Regular tickets are $75, but Artists tickets range from $35-$40. Call (215) 413-7150 for information or check out the website: www.theatrealliance.org.
The 2000 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre will offer more than 20 categories, plus three special awards: a Lifetime Achievement honor to Adele Magner, of the Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival; the F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist, and The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News Award for Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service.
Past Lifetime Achievement Award winners include Theatre Center Philadelphia's Albert Benzwie, Germantown Theatre Guild's Katherine "Kitty" Minehart, actor Doug Wing, longtime theatre supporter Frank C.P. McGlinn and Freedom Theatre founder John E. Allen, Jr.
Philadelphia Theatre Company leads this year's competition with 16 nominations, followed closely behind by Walnut Street Theater (15) and the Arden Theatre Company (14). Tom Stoppard's The Invention of Love, soon to receive a Broadway mounting, was the most-nominated show, with eight for the Wilma Theatre production. Here are the 2000 Barrymore Award Nominees:
Outstanding Overall Production of a Play
Dimly Perceived Threats to the System, Light & Theatre Company
Red Herring, Arden Theatre Company
Side Man, Philadelphia Theatre Company
The Invention Of Love, The Wilma Theatre
Wit, Philadelphia Theatre Company
Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
Dinah Was: The Dinah Washington Musical, Philadelphia Theatre Company
Into the Woods, Arden Theatre Company
Phantom, Walnut Street Theatre
The Hidden Sky, Prince Music Theater
The Tin Pan Alley Rag, The Wilma Theater
Outstanding Direction Of A Play
James J. Christy, Side Man, Philadelphia Theatre Company
Ken Marini, Dimly Perceived Threats To The System, People's Light & Theatre Company
Maria Mileaf, Wit, Philadelphia Theatre Company
Terrence J. Nolen, Red Herring, Arden Theatre Company
Blanka Zizka, The Invention Of Love, The Wilma Theater
Harold Prince Award For Outstanding Direction Of A Musical
Charles Abbott, Phantom, Walnut Street Theatre
Ben Levitt, The Hidden Sky, Prince Music Theater
Terrence J. Nolen, Into The Woods, Arden Theatre Company
David Petrarca, Dinah Was: The Dinah Washington Musical, Philadelphia Theatre Company
Jiri Zizka, The Tin Pan Alley Rag, The Wilma Theater
Outstanding Leading Actor In A Play
David Chandler, Sideman, Philadelphia Theatre Company
Pete Pryor, Three Days Of Rain, Arden Theatre Company
Martin Rayner, The Invention Of Love, The Wilma Theater
Greg Wood, Vigil, Walnut Street Theatre Studio 3
William Zielinski, Rum And Vodka, Brat Productions
Charlotte Cushman Award For Outstanding Leading Actress In A Play
Nora Chester, Three Viewings, Delaware Theatre Company
Randy Danson, Wit, Philadelphia Theatre Company
Janis Dardaris, Sideman, Philadelphia Theatre Company
Millicent Sparks, The Sty Of The Blind Pig, Freedom Repertory Theatre
Ellen Tobie, Collected Stories, Walnut Street Theatre Studio 3
Outstanding Leading Actor In A Musical
Nat Chandler, Phantom, Walnut Street Theatre
Darin Depaul, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Bristol Riverside Theatre
Christopher Sutton, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, Walnut Street Theatre
Jamie Torcellini, La Cage Aux Folles, Walnut Street Theatre
Rick Wasserman, The Tin Pan Alley Rag, The Wilma Theater
Outstanding Leading Actress In A Musical
Ana Maria Andricain, The Hidden Sky, Prince Music Theater
Sondra M. Bonitto, St. Louis Woman, Prince Music Theater
E. Faye Butler, Dinah Was: The Dinah Washington Musical, Philadelphia Theatre Company
Kristin Carbone, Phantom, Walnut Street Theatre
Mary Martello, Into The Woods, Arden Theatre Company
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Play
Mark Alhadeff, The Invention Of Love, The Wilma Theater
Benjamin Lloyd, Dimly Perceived Threats To The System, People's Light & Theatre Company
Ian Merrill Peakes, Side Man, Philadelphia Theatre Company
Frank X, Beyond Therapy, Lantern Theater Company
William Zielinski, Betrayal, Lantern Theater Company
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Play
Megan Bellwoar, Collected Stories, Walnut Street Theatre Studio
Mollie Hall, Wit, Philadelphia Theatre Company
E.Ashley Izard, Beyond Therapy, Lantern Theater Company
Sarallen, Flyin' West, Delaware Theatre Company
Jo Twiss, Dancing At Lughnasa, Hedgerow Theatre
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Musical
Joel Blum, The Tin Pan Alley Rag, The Wilma Theater
Jeffrey Coon, The Snow Queen, Prince Music Theater
Scott Greer, Into The Woods, Arden Theatre Company
Nick Ullett, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Bristol Riverside Theatre
Bernard Wurger, Phantom, Walnut Street Theatre
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Musical
Ann Arvia, Phantom, Walnut Street Theatre
Molly Ephraim, Into The Woods, Arden Theatre Company
Carla J. Hargrove, Dinah Was: The Dinah Washington Musical, Philadelphia Theatre Company
Joilet Harris, St. Louis Woman, Prince Music Theater
Mary Kate Mcgrath, Into The Woods, Arden Theatre Company
Outstanding Set Design
Marie Ann Chiment, Born Yesterday, Delaware Theatre Company
Hiroshi Iwasaki, Endgame, Villanova Theatre
Michael Mcgarty, The Invention Of Love, The Wilma Theater
James F. Pyne, Jr., The Road To Mecca, People's Light & Theatre Company
Paul Wonsek, The Heiress, Walnut Street Theatre
Outstanding Lighting Design
Russell H. Champa, The Invention Of Love,The Wilma Theater
Russell H. Champa, Wit, Philadelphia Theatre Company
Jerold R. Forsyth, Cherry Docs, The Wilma Theater
James Leitner, Red Herring, Arden Theatre Company
Troy Martin O'Shia, The Hidden Sky, Prince Music Theater
Outstanding Costume Design
Theoni V. Aldredge And Colleen Mcmillan, La Cage Aux Folles, Walnut Street Theatre
Hilary Corbett, The Heiress, Walnut Street Theatre
Galina Solovyeva, The Snow Queen, Prince Music Theater
Richard St. Clair, The Snow Queen, Arden Theatre Company/Pig Iron Theatre Company
Janus Stefanowicz, The Invention Of Love, The Wilma Theater
Outstanding Sound Design
Charles T. Brastow, Dimly Perceived Threats To The System, People's Light & Theatre Company
Whit Maclaughlin, Drink Me, Interact Theatre Company
Fabian Obispo, The Skin Of Our Teeth, People's Light & Theatre Company
Peter Rydberg, On The Verge, Villanova Theatre
Peter Rydberg, Endgame, Villanova Theatre
Outstanding Choreography
Patricia Birch, The Snow Queen, Prince Music Theater
George Faison, The Tin Pan Alley Rag, The Wilma Theater
Whit Maclaughlin, Stupor, New Paradise Laboratories
Richard Stafford, La Cage Aux Folles, Walnut Street Theatre
Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, St. Louis Woman, Prince Music Theater
Outstanding Original Music
Peter Foley, The Hidden Sky, Prince Music Theater
Michael "Hawkeye" Herman, El Paso Blue, Venture Theatre
Eric Jensen, The Snow Queen, Arden Theatre Company/Pig Iron Theatre Company
John Lionarons, The Adventures Of Pinocchio, People's Light & Theatre Company
Adam Wernick, The Invention Of Love, The Wilma Theater
Outstanding Ensemble
A Vagabond Christmas Carol, Vagabond Acting Troupe
Dimly Perceived Threats To The System, People's Light & Theatre Company
Red Herring, Arden Theatre Company
Side Man, Philadelphia Theatre Company
Stupor, New Paradise Laboratories
Outstanding New Play
Between Men And Cattle, Richard Kalinoski, Interact Theatre Company
Drink Me, Mary Fengar Gail, Interact Theatre Company
Red Herring, Michael Hollinger, Arden Theatre Company
The Hidden Sky, Kate Chisholm, Prince Music Theater
White People, J.T. Rogers, Philadelphia Theatre Company
F. Otto Haas Award For Emerging Theatre Artist
Andre D. Harringtion
John Lumia
Pete Pryor
Catharine Slusar
William Zielinski
Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News Education And Community Service Award
1812 Productions, 1812 Educational Outreach
Interact Theatre Company, Interaction
Prince Music Theater, The Rainbow Connection At The Prince
The Village Of Arts And Humanities, The Village Youth Theater
Lifetime Achievement Award
Adele Magner, Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival
*
At last year's ceremony, held Oct. 18, 1999 at the Irvine Auditorium, the Barrymores honored Floyd Collins with five awards. The musical, about the media circus surrounding a man trapped in a cave, picked up wins for overall production, directing, lead actor, supporting actor and lighting. On the straight play side, Israel Horovitz's Lebensraum nabbed three awards, for director, ensemble and overall production of a play.
-- By David Lefkowitz
and Ernio Hernandez