Jessie Awards 2013: Ceremony

Tonight the Vancouver theatre industry will gather at the Commodore Ballroom to celebrate the 31st Annual Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards (the “Jessie Awards” or “Jessies”). Nominees were announced in May and awards will be handed out in over 30 categories.

Tickets for the Jessies are still available for $29.75 (plus service charges) through Ticketmaster online or by phone 1-855-985-5000. Doors open at 5:30pm on Monday, June 24th with the ceremony beginning at 6:45pm. Even if you aren’t a member of the industry, it’s a thoroughly entertaining evening and one of my favourite theatre-related events of the year thanks to the Vancouver TheatreSports League who puts on the show.

You can find a complete list of Jessie Awards nominees online and follow the Jessies on Facebook for more information.

Vancouver Theatre Company Profiles

Miss604.com is the proud Social Media Sponsor of the Jessie Awards. Over the last few months I have profiled various local theatre companies that were sent, and responded to, a general questionnaire: The Frank Theatre Company; Carousel Theatre for Young People; Solo Collective; Theatre for Living/Headlines Theatre; Electric Company Theatre; Twenty Something Theatre; Boca del Lupo; Pacific Theatre.

Awards Ceremony Coverage

Stay tuned for coverage from the 31st Annual Jessie Awards. I will be joining them in progress due to a prior commitment but John will be on site to take photos that will accompany my roundup. I’ll be posting tweets and updates from attendees in the meantime by searching the tag #Jessies13.

Update Thanks to @JessieAwards, I have immediately caught up on the recipients so far. Here they are in tweet form!

• Significant Artistic Achievement (Large Theatre)
  Sponsored by Muse Management @bendelliott Merry Wives at @bardonthebeach
• Significant Artistic Achievement (Small Theatre)
  Sponsored by Red Management The @bocadellupo team for Photog
• Significant Artistic Achievement (TYA)
  Where the Wild Things Are from @PHTheatre
• Mary Phillips Award for Behind-the-Scenes Achievement
  Tanya Dixon-Warren
• Ray Michal Prize for Outstanding Work/Body of Work by an Emerging Director
  @thezoocrew’s Chelsea Haberlin
• Outstanding Set Design (Large Theatre)
  Amir Ofek for Boeing-Boeing at @theArtsClub
• Outstanding Set Design (Small Theatre)
  Sponsored by @RosedaleRobson Pam Johnson for @TouchstoneInVan
• Outstanding Costume Design (Small Theatre)
  Drew Facy for @TheVirtualStage
• Outstanding Costume Design (Large Theatre)
  Drew Facey for Merry Wives at @bardonthebeach
• Sydney Risk Prize for Outstanding Script by an Emerging Playwright
  Denis for Stau Quo Théâtre la Seizième
• Critics’ Choice Innovation Award
  Sponsored by Vancouverplays.com Winners & Losers from @NeworldTheatre and @THTRreplacement
• Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Small Theatre)
  France Perras for Porc-Epic Théâtre la Seizième
• Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Large Theatre)
  Sponsored by @TheatreUBC Nicola Lipman @theArtsClub
• Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Large Theatre)
  Robert Maloney for Clybourne Park @theArtsClub
• Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Small Theatre)
  Brett Harris @thezoocrew
• Outstanding Sound Design or Composition (Small Theatre)
  Sponsored by Iatse118 @turbojetsky for Broken Sex Doll
• Outstanding Lighting Design (Large Theatre) sponsored by Christie Lites
  Gerald King for Macbeth at @bardonthebeach
• The @GVPTATheatre Career Achievement Award
  Presented by Bill Millerd to Terence Kelly and Anna Hagan
• The @georgiastraight Patron of the Arts Award goes to @BMO
• Outstanding Design (TYA)
  Linda Leon for Where the Wild Things Are @PHTheatre
• Outstanding Lighting Design (Small Theatre)
  Sponsored by @TicketsTonight Alan Brodie for Terminus @pitheatre
• Sam Payne Award for Most Promising Newcomer
  Presented by @turbojetsky to Jen Stewart

Update 8:30pm: I ran in late to find John in my usual liveblogging location at the Commodore and found that he’s been posting updates on Twitter as he realizes what a great time the Jessies truly are. I’m playing catch-up with the actual handing out of awards so I’ll start live and then fill in all the blanks once the show is done.

Award: Outstanding Artistic Creation Theatre for Young Audiences
Sponsored by: Bingham & Company
Recipient: Kim Selody for Where the Wild Things Are, Presentation House Theatre

Award: Outstanding Original Script
Recipient: Yvette Nolan for The Unplugging, Arts Club Theatre Company

Award: The Colin Campbell Award for Excellence in Technical Theatre
Recipient: Brian Heath, Gateway Theatre

Award: John Moffat and Larry Lillo Prize
Recipient: Christine Hackman

Update 8:55pm: Mary Phillips Award for Behind-the-Scenes Achievement winner Tanya Dixon-Warren just appeared on stage. She was in her garden (still in her gardening clothes on stage) and the phone kept ringing. It was people at the Jessies calling her to let her know that she had been honoured. She got in the car and came down for her (belated) acceptance speech just now: “This community has meant to more to Michael and my family than any of you can ever imagine.”

Award: Outstanding Direction, Small Theatre
Sponsored by: PuSh Festival
Recipient: Craig Holzschuh Porc-Épic, Théâtre la Seizième

Award: Outstanding Direction, Large Theatre
Sponsored by: Canadian Actors’ Equity Association
Recipient: Johnna Wright The Merry Wives of Windsor, Bard on the Beach

Award: Outstanding Performance, Theatre for Young Audiences
Sponsored by: The Characters
Recipient: Raes Calvert and Linda Carson (Ensemble) Where the Wild Things Are, Presentation House Theatre (in association with Manitoba Theatre for Young People) “It’s not just for children!”

Award: Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role, Large Theatre
Sponsored by: CanPlay
Recipient: Andrew McNee Boeing-Boeing, Arts Club Theatre Company
“Sweet fancy relish, that’s so awesome!” – Andrew echoes what’s been said tonight already about how wonderful the local theatre community is: “You’re all a bunch of ding dongs, I love you so much!”

Award: Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role, Small Theatre
Sponsored by: UBCP
Recipient: John Emmet Tracy Terminus, Pi Theatre

Award: Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role, Large Theatre
Recipient: Gina Chiarelli Master Class, Arts Club Theatre Company

Award: Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role, Small Theatre
Recipient: Erla Faye Forsyth How to Write a New Book for the Bible, Pacific Theatre. “This community, this is why I do it. My normal world is pretty small so it’s great to get out and a be a part of something bigger.”

Update Faux tweets are read aloud on the big screen. My favourite is one from Christopher Gaze (not really) from Bard on the Beach: “Just found out from Elizabeth Ball that city council is putting a bike path through our production of Hamlet. Now we’ll have to suffer the SCHWINNS and HAROS of outrageous fortune. #2SpeedOrNot2Speed.”

Award: Outstanding Production, Small Theatre
Sponsored by: ActSafe
Recipient: Terminus, Pi Theatre
“Vancouver’s theatre community has maintained its veracity, its camaraderie.”

Award: Outstanding Production, Large Theatre
Sponsored by: Lauren Lovitt & Associates
Recipient: The Merry Wives of Windsor, Bard on the Beach
“Bill [Millerd] said to me, I think this is going to be your night and an Outstanding Production is good. Is very, very good. And we’re grateful for that,” says Christopher Gaze. “Talk about community tonight, we have a family at Bard. Like you all do in all your theatres. We have a big family at Bard.”

“Let us never cease in our mental fight in that the strive to do the best!”