With 30 nominations across many categories, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis brings a substantial presence into the 2016 St. Louis Theater Circle Awards.
Now in their fourth year, the awards honor outstanding work in St. Louis professional theater. The awards are voted on by members of the Circle, an organization of critics who cover theater here. (I am one of the founders.)
The Rep received the most nominations, followed by the Muny with 15 and Stray Dog Theatre with 14. In all, 21 theater companies received nominations for 50 different shows that played here in 2015.
In many categories, the nominations go to individual artists. This year, two of them received three nominations each.
Rob Lippert is nominated for outstanding set design in a musical for “Dogfight” and “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” at Stray Dog Theatre and for “Heathers” at New Line Theatre. Rusty Wandall is nominated for outstanding sound design in a play for “Angel Street” and “I and You” at the Rep and for “Antony and Cleopatra” at Shakespeare Festival St. Louis.
In a curious twist, married actors Kari Ely and Peter Mayer are nominated for parallel awards in a pair of dark comedies that played at the St. Louis Actors’ Studio. Ely, who played Martha in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” is nominated for outstanding actress in a comedy, and Mayer, who played a grouchy resident of an assisted-living center in “The Gin Game,” is nominated for outstanding actor in a comedy.
To make things more complicated, the couple’s onstage partners, William Roth and Linda Kennedy, are nominated in the same categories.
The nominees are:
Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy
Betsy Bowman, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
Shinnerrie Jackson, “Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Erin Kelley, “The Killing of Sister George,” Max & Louie Productions
Shannon Nara, “The Killing of Sister George,” Max & Louie Productions
Jeanitta Perkins, “The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler,” St. Louis Shakespeare
Outstanding supporting actor in a comedy
John Bratkowski, “The World Begun,” Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
Michael Brightman, “Mr. Marmalade,” West End Players Guild
Jeffrey C. Hawkins, “Peter and the Starcatcher,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Pete Winfrey, “Bad Jews,” New Jewish Theatre
John Wolbers, “Wild Oats,” St. Louis Shakespeare
Outstanding actress in a comedy
Lavonne Byers, “The Killing of Sister George,” Max & Louie Productions
Kari Ely, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
Suzanne Grodner, “Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Linda Kennedy, “The Gin Game,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
Em Piro, “Bad Jews,” New Jewish Theatre
Outstanding actor in a comedy
John Feltch, “Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Peter Mayer, “The Gin Game,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
Antonio Rodriguez, “Bad Jews,” New Jewish Theatre
William Roth, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
Jeremy Webb, “Buyer and Cellar,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Outstanding supporting actress in a drama
Em Piro, “Sight Unseen,” New Jewish Theatre
Kelly Taffe, “Safe House,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Jennifer Theby-Quinn, “Afflicted: Daughters of Salem,” Metro Theater Company
Cassia Thompson, “Safe House,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Elizabeth Van Pelt, “Rapture, Blister, Burn,” West End Players Guild
Outstanding supporting actor in a drama
Will Cobbs, “Safe House,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
John Flack, “Sublime Intimacy,” Max & Louie Productions
Andrew Kuhlman, “One Flea Spare,” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble
Michael James Reed, “All the Way,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Chris Tipp, “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead,” Stray Dog Theatre
Outstanding actress in a drama
Shirine Babb, “Antony and Cleopatra,” Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
Emily Baker, “Sight Unseen,” New Jewish Theatre
Danielle Carlacci, “I and You,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Amy Loui, “The Amish Project,” Mustard Seed Theatre
Lisa Tejero, “The Kiss,” Upstream Theater
Outstanding actor in a drama
J. Samuel Davis, “Bashir Lazhar,” Upstream Theater
Brian Dykstra, “All the Way,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Daniel Morgan Shelley, “Safe House,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Jerry Vogel, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Upstream Theater
Eric Dean White, “The Kiss,” Upstream Theater
Outstanding new play
Nancy Bell, “The World Begun,” Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
Shualee Cook, “An Invitation Out,” Mustard Seed Theatre
Neil LaBute, “Kandahar,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
Ken Page, “Sublime Intimacy,” Max & Louie Productions
Alec Wild, “Off the Record,” OnSite Theatre
Outstanding lighting design in a play
Joseph Clapper, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Upstream Theater
Patrick Huber, “Sublime Intimacy,” Max & Louie Productions
Bess Moynihan, “One Flea Spare,” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble
Peter E. Sargent, “Angel Street,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Nathan Schroeder, “Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play,” R-S Theatrics
Outstanding sound design in a play
Paige Brubeck and Evan Sult, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Upstream Theater
Fitz Patton, “All the Way,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Rusty Wandall, “Angel Street,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Rusty Wandall, “Antony and Cleopatra,” Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
Rusty Wandall, “I and You,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Outstanding costume design in a play
Beth Ashby, “An Invitation Out,” Mustard Seed Theatre
Dorothy Marshall Englis, “The Winslow Boy,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
JC Krajicek, “The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler,” St. Louis Shakespeare
Cyndi Lohrmann, “The Killing of Sister George,” Max & Louie Productions
David Toser, “Angel Street,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Outstanding set design in a play
Wilson Chin, “Angel Street,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Scott C. Neale, “Antony and Cleopatra,” Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
Paul Shortt, “Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Peter and Margery Spack, “Safe House,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Mark Wilson, “An Invitation Out,” Mustard Seed Theatre
Outstanding supporting actress in a musical
Eileen Engel, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Stray Dog Theatre
Heather Headley, “Into the Woods,” the Muny
Sydney Mancasola, “La Rondine,” Opera Theatre of Louis
Sarah Porter, “The Threepenny Opera,” New Line Theatre
Zoe Vonder Haar, “The Full Monty,” Stages St. Louis
Outstanding supporting actor in a musical
Dan Fenaughty, “Anything Goes,” Stages St. Louis
Joneal Joplin, “The Fantasticks,” Insight Theatre Company
Rob McClure, “Beauty and the Beast,” the Muny
Milton Craig Nealy, “The Full Monty,” Stages St. Louis
Sam Weber, “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” the Muny
Outstanding actress in a musical
Julie Cardia, “Anything Goes,” Stages St. Louis
Shannon Cothran, “Dogfight,” Stray Dog Theatre
Erin Dilly, “Into the Woods,” the Muny
Joyce El-Khoury, “Emmeline,” Opera Theatre of St. Louis
Anna Skidis, “Heathers,” New Line Theatre
Outstanding actor in a musical
Andy Christopher, “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” the Muny
Ben Davis, “Oklahoma!,” the Muny
Evan Fornachon, “Heathers,” New Line Theatre
Gerry Love, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Stray Dog Theatre
Jordan Shanahan, “Rigoletto,” Union Avenue Opera
Outstanding musical director
Jeffrey Richard Carter, “The Threepenny Opera,” New Line Theatre
Charles Creath, “Once on This Island,” the Black Rep
Michael Horsley, “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” the Muny
George Manahan, “Emmeline,” Opera Theatre of St. Louis
Chris Petersen, “Dogfight,” Stray Dog Theatre
Outstanding choreographer
Stephen Bourneuf, “Anything Goes,” Stages St. Louis
Denis Jones, “Holiday Inn,” the Muny
Dan Knechtges and Jessica Hartman, “Hairspray,” the Muny
Susan Stroman and Ginger Thatcher, “Oklahoma!,” the Muny
Keith Tyrone Williams, “Once on This Island,” the Black Rep
Outstanding lighting design in a musical
Christopher Akerlind, “Emmeline,” Opera Theatre of St. Louis
Tyler Duenow, “Dogfight,” Stray Dog Theatre
John Lasiter, “Oklahoma!,” the Muny
Sean M. Savoie, “Once on This Island,” the Black Rep
Sean M. Savoie, “Anything Goes,” Stages St. Louis
Outstanding set design in a musical
Shoko Kambara, “The Barber of Seville,” Opera Theatre of St. Louis
Rob Lippert, “Dogfight,” Stray Dog Theatre
Rob Lippert, “Heathers,” New Line Theatre
Rob Lippert, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Stray Dog Theatre
James Wolk, “Anything Goes,” Stages St. Louis
Outstanding costume design in a musical
Eileen Engel, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Stray Dog Theatre
Andrea Lauer, “Into the Woods,” the Muny
Brad Musgrove, “Anything Goes,” Stages St. Louis
Sarah Porter, “The Threepenny Opera, New Line Theatre
Alejo Vietti, “Holiday Inn,” the Muny
Outstanding ensemble in a comedy
“Bad Jews,” New Jewish Theatre
“Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play,” R-S Theatrics
“The 39 Steps,” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
“Wild Oats,” St. Louis Shakespeare
Outstanding ensemble in a drama
“All the Way,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
“Antony and Cleopatra,” Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
“One Flea Spare,” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble
“Safe House,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
“The Winslow Boy,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Outstanding ensemble in a musical
“Anything Goes,” Stages St. Louis
“Dogfight,” Stray Dog Theatre
“Into the Woods,” the Muny
“Heathers,” New Line Theatre
“The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Stray Dog Theatre
Outstanding director of a comedy
John Contini,” Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
Michael Evan Haney, “Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Sydnie Grosberg Ronga, “Bad Jews,” New Jewish Theatre
Jacqueline Thompson, “The World Begun,” Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
Kirsten Wylder, “The 39 Steps,” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble
Outstanding director of a drama
Deanna Jent, “The Amish Project,” Mustard Seed Theatre
Jane Page, “I and You,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Ellie Schwetye, “One Flea Spare,” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble
Patrick Siler, “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Upstream Theater
Steven Woolf, “All the Way,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Outstanding director of a musical
Justin Been, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Stray Dog Theatre
Michael Hamilton, “Anything Goes,“ Stages St. Louis
Scott Miller, “The Threepenny Opera,” New Line Theatre
Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy, “Heathers,” New Line Theatre
Rob Ruggiero, “Oklahoma!,” the Muny
Outstanding production of a comedy
“The Gin Game,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
“The Killing of Sister George,” Max & Louie Productions
“The 39 Steps,” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
“Wild Oats,” St. Louis Shakespeare
Outstanding production of a drama
“All the Way,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
“I and You,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
“One Flea Spare,” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble
“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Upstream Theater
“The Winslow Boy,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Outstanding production of a musical
“Anything Goes,” Stages St. Louis
“Dogfight,” Stray Dog Theatre
“Heathers,” New Line Theatre
“The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Stray Dog Theatre
“The Threepenny Opera,” New Line Theatre
2016 St. Louis Theater Circle Awards
The awards will be presented on March 21 at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade College Preparatory School, 425 South Lindbergh Boulevard. They also will be carried live on HEC-TV; HEC and stltoday.com will stream the ceremony, too. The Circle Awards are open to the public. Tickets, $15, are available at brownpapertickets.com. For more information, visit the St. Louis Theater Circle on Facebook.
Luke Steingruby 