Faculty, Alumni Lead Barrymore Theater Award Nominations

September 11, 2016

Winners of the 2016 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre will be announced October 24 at UArts' historic Merriam Theater

 

Thumbnail
 Photo is Jennifer Childs BFA ’90 (Acting) in "I Will Not Go Gently"; photo by Mark Garvin

 

Faculty and alumni from the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts and other UArts schools dominated the list of nominees for the 2016 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre, presented annually by Theatre Philadelphia and recognizing the best of Philadelphia theater. Winners will be announced during a ceremony taking place October 24 at UArts' historic Merriam Theater.

Read a Philadelphia Magazine article >>

Among the highlights are two alumni nominations for the prestigious Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist for Alex Bechtel BFA ’08 (Musical Theater) and Justin Jain BFA ’04 (Acting), and two nods for faculty/alum Allen Radway BFA ’99 (Theater) as artistic director of Simpatico Theatre Project, which earned nominations for Outstanding Overall Production of a Play for Time Is On Our Side and the June and Steve Wolfson Award for an Evolving Theatre Company.

Jennifer Childs BFA ’90 (Acting), artistic director of 1812 Productions, is up for three Barrymore Awards, including Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical for the comedy theater company’s production of I Will Not Go Gently, which earned a nomination for Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical. 1812’s education arm, 1812 Outreach, will vie for the Victory Foundation Award for Outstanding Theatre Education Program.

Other multiple nominees include faculty member Greg Wood, who earned two Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play nods for both The Nether and White Guy on the Bus. Two or more UArts faculty and/or alumni could also be found in the following categories: Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical, Outstanding Scenic Design, Outstanding Costume Design, Outstanding Music Direction and Outstanding Choreography/Movement.

2016 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre – UArts Nominees

Outstanding Overall Production of a Play
Time Is On Our Side
Simpatico Theatre Project
Allen Radway BFA ’99 (Theater), Artistic Director

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
I Will Not Go Gently
1812 Productions
Jennifer Childs BFA ’90 (Acting), Artistic Director

Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Megan Nicole O’Brien BFA ’05 (Applied Theater Arts)
See What I Wanna See (11th Hour Theatre Company)

Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play
Greg Wood
The Nether (Interact Theatre Company)
White Guy on the Bus (Passage Theatre Company)

Matteo Scammell BFA ’11 (Acting)
Smoke (Theater Exile)

Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play
Jennifer Kidwell BFA ’91 (Photography)
A Knee That Can Bend (Orbiter 3)

Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical
Billy Bustamante BFA ’04 (Musical Theater)
See What I Wanna See (11th Hour Theatre Company)

Kingsley Ibeneche ’14 (Ballet)
Black Nativity (Theatre Horizon)

Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical
Jennifer Childs BFA ’90 (Acting)
I Will Not Go Gently (1812 Productions)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play
Dave Johnson BFA ’03 (Theater)
The Explorers Club (Delaware Theatre Company)

Justin Jain BFA ’04 (Acting)
An Octoroon (The Wilma Theater)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical
Jake Blouch BFA ’09 (Acting)
See What I Wanna See (11th Hour Theatre Company)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play
Aime Donna Kelly BFA ’09 (Acting)
Disgraced (Philadelphia Theatre Company)

Candace Moore BFA ’16 (Acting)
A Knee That Can Bend (Orbiter 3)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical
Nancie Sanderson BFA ’03 (Musical Theater)
See What I Wanna See (11th Hour Theatre Company)

Leah Walton
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (Arden Theatre Company)

Outstanding Scenic Design
Christopher Haig BFA ’01 (Theater)
Time Is On Our Side (Simpatico Theatre Project)

Colin McIlvaine
The Invisible Hand (Theatre Exile)

Outstanding Costume Design
Jillian Keys BFA ’11 (Theater Design + Technology)
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (Arden Theatre Company)

Rosemary McKelvey
Hans Brinkler and the Silver Skates (Arden Theatre Company)

Earl Girls Award for Outstanding Lighting Design
Masha Tsimring
The Invisible Hand (Theatre Exile)

Outstanding Music Direction
Will Brock BM ’97 (Music Performance)
Black Nativity (Theatre Horizon)

Ryan Touhey BFA ’09 (Musical Theater)
The Secret Garden (Arden Theatre Company)

Outstanding Choreography/Movement
J. Alex Cordaro BFA ’97 (Theater)
Smoke (Theatre Exile)

Amanda Schoonover BFA ’97 (Theater)
The It Girl (Simpatico Theatre Project)

Arlen Hancock BFA ’14 (Acting)
The It Girl (Simpatico Theatre Project)

Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist
Alex Bechtel BFA ’08 (Musical Theater)
Justin Jain BFA ’04 (Acting)

June and Steve Wolfson Award for an Evolving Theatre Company
Simpatico Theatre Project
Allen Radway BFA ’99 (Theater), Artistic Director

Victory Foundation Award for Outstanding Theatre Education Program
1812 Outreach/1812 Productions
Jennifer Childs BFA ’90 (Acting), Artistic Director