Jessie Awards 2015 Winners

In the fall of 2014 I sign on as the official blog partner of the Jessie Awards (“the Jessies”) which celebrate excellence in Vancouver theatre. Over the last few months I have profiled dozens of shows around town and tonight the season culminates with the awards show at the Commodore on Granville. I’ll be live tweeting award winners, quotes, photos, and more from the Jessie Awards ceremony. Stay tuned for updates!

Jessie Awards 2015 Winners

Outstanding Lighting Design (Large Theatre)
Recipient: Lauchlin Johnston, The Whipping Man, Pacific Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design (Small Theatre)
Recipient: Jeff Harrison, Blasted, Pi Theatre

Outstanding Design (Theatre for Young Audiences): Props Design
Dusty Hagerud and Tara Travis, The Little Prince, Monster Theatre

Mary Phillips Prize
“For someone who does a lot for the theatre community with little or no recognition with the population at large […] He’s been a member of your community for 25 years and if you haven’t already guessed, the recipient is Scott Ashton Swan.”

Scott Ashton Swan: “I love doing what I do and it’s so exciting to see, especially the music theatre societies, grow and grow and grow!”

Outstanding Set Design (Small Theatre)
Recipient: Drew Facey, Blasted, Pi Theatre

Outstanding Set Design (Large Theatre)
Recipient: Drew Facey, À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou, Théâtre la Seizième

Outstanding Costume Design (Small Theatre)
Recipient: Mara Gottler, The Duchess a.k.a. Wallis Simpson, Ruby Slippers Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design (Large Theatre)
Recipient: Carmen Alatorre, Crazy For You, Gateway Theatre

A quick interlude in tonight’s program for The Artistic Directors’ Den (Dragons’ Den Spoof Skit) with Christopher Gaze, Bill Millerd, Denise Jones, and Richard Wolfe. The first pitch is for Bard2Go, a solution for Bard on the Beach’s ticket prices “where you can simply get out of your seats, leave, go to Starbucks, grab a latte, and return just in time for Polonius to get stabbed.” Yaletown Arts Purse Dog Troupe (“YAPDT”) is the next pitch, just for dogs! The Dragons err… Artistic Directors didn’t go for that one. Last pitch? “straight white men who want to perform all female plays”: The Solo Erective. None of tongue-in-cheek ideas were “picked up” by the panel. Back to the awards!

Sydney Risk Prize for Outstanding Original Script by an Emerging Playwright
Recipient: Christine Quintana for Selfie, Théâtre la Seizième.

Georgia Straight’s Critics’ Choice Innovation Award
Recipient: Foreign Radical, Theatre Conspiracy

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Small Theatre)
Recipient: Peter Carlone, Hunter Gatherers, Staircase Theatre

Before presenting the next award, there is a dedication to Amy Wallis, for whom there was a memorial service this month.

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Small Theatre)
Recipient: Lindsey Angell, Iceland, Dirt Road Productions

Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition (Small Theatre)
Recipient: Mishelle Cuttler, STATIONARY: a recession-era musical, Delinquent Theatre

Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition (Large Theatre)
Recipient: Alessandro Juliani, Saint Joan, Arts Club Theatre Company

Patron of the Arts Award
Recipient: Dr. Stanley Hamilton: “Stan is a pragmatic visionary!”

GVPTA Career Achievement Award
Recipient: Jerry Wasserman

Significant Artistic Achievement (Large Theatre)
Recipient: Julie Tomaino, Crazy For You, Gateway Theatre, Outstanding Choreography

Significant Artistic Achievement (Small Theatre)
Recipient: Bob Frazer, Craig Erickson, Quelemia Stacey Sparrow, John Shaw, Dawn Petten, Lauren Jackson, Chris Cope, Varya Rubin, Our Town, Osimous Theatre, Outstanding Ensemble Performance

Significant Artistic Achievement (Theatre for Young Audiences)
Recipient: Jessica Oostergo and Shizuka Kai, Hamelin – A New Fable, Axis Theatre, Outstanding Design Concept and Execution

The next two presenters not only acknowledge that these awards are being held on the traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, they also put out a call for diversity on stages.

Outstanding Original Script
Recipient: Hiro Kanagawa, Indian Arm, Rumble Theatre

Colin Campbell Award for Excellence in Technical Theatre
Recipient: Lorraine West

John Moffat and Larry Lillo Prize
“We give this award each year, in their memory, to encourage a local artist to pursue their desires.” Recipient: Jill Daum

As is tradition, every year the presenters of the John Moffat and Larry Lillo Prize lead everyone in a toast before the In Memoriam segment runs on the big screens.

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role (Large Theatre)
Recipient: Joey Lespérance, À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou, Théâtre la Seizième

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role (Small Theatre)
Recipient: Scott Bellis, After Me (Après Moi), Ruby Slippers Theatre
“In the end it’s really about the people who come together, who laugh together, who tell the stories and send it out to the people.”

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role (Large Theatre)
Recipient: France Perras, À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou, Théâtre la Seizième

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role (Small Theatre)
Recipient: Jennifer Lines, After Me (Après Moi), Ruby Slippers Theatre

Outstanding Direction (Small Theatre)
Recipient: Richard Wolfe, Blasted, Pi Theatre

Outstanding Production (Production of a Musical, Small Theatre)
Recipient: Stationary: A Recession-era Musical, Delinquent Theatre
“Being a theatre artist is like being in a cover band, and it’s nice to play some originals. I recommend you try it at least once.”

Outstanding Production (Large Theatre)
Recipient: À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou, Théâtre la Seizième

Outstanding Production (Small Theatre)
Recipient: Our Town, Osimous Theatre

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