Reston Community Players and Silver Spring Stage dominate the 10th annual WATCH Awards

It was curtains for the other nominees in the musical categories as Reston Community Players’ (RCP) production of Kander and Ebb’s musical Curtains was honored with 12 awards at the 10th Annual Washington Area Theatre Community Honors (The WATCH Award), held at the Birchmere, in Alexandria, VA on March 14, 2010.

In the musical categories, RCP’s Curtains swept, winning for Outstanding Musical, choreography (Andrea Heininge), direction (Andrew JM Regiec), featured actress (Katie McManus as “Georgia Hendricks”), lead actor in a Musical (Blakeman Brophy as “Lt. Frank Cioffi”), lighting design (Ken & Patti Crowley), music direction (Mark Deal), set construction (Sara Birkhead), set design (Skip Larson, Rick Schneider and Director Andrew JM Regiec), set painting (Cathy Rieder), sound design (Rich Bird), and stage combat choreography (Brian Farrell & Karen Schlunp). RCP also scooped up the featured actor award for Mike Hoskinson’s hysterical portrayal of chunky Dave Bukatinsky, in their bare-all production of The Full Monty.

The Arlington Players’ sumptuous production of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies won three awards for its costume design (Grant Kevin Lane), hair design (Bette Williams), and makeup design by Avery Burns.

Kensington Arts Theatre’s (KAT) production of the Vietnam War musical One Red Flower – was recognized for properties (Brian Dettling and Jenna Ballard), and Ms. Ballard also won for set decoration, which she tied with fellow KAT members Evan Hoffmann & Malca Giblin who shared the award for their work on The Great American Trailer Park Musical.

CCT With 2^ND Flight Theatre Company, won two awards for its production of the little- known musical gem, Flight of the Lawnchair Man, winning cameo in a musical for Josh Doyle, who played aviator Charles Lindbergh, and tied for the award with Roy Barbacow as the Waiter/Caroler in the Colonial Players production of She Loves Me), and winning lead actress for Susanna Todd, who played the loveable Gracie.

In the play categories, Silver Spring Stage led the way, claiming eight awards: The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? won awards for Outstanding Play, lead actress in a play (Laura Russell as “Stevie”), and for its properties (Sonya Okin).  Its powerful production of columbinus also won three awards: direction (Bridget Muehlberger and Andrea Spitz), light design (Chris Curtis), while Mousetrap was honored for its set design (Kevin Garrett), and set construction (Andrew Greenleaf and Eric Henry).

Little Theatre of Alexandria followed with four nods: set decoration for Art of Murder (C. Evans Kirk), makeup design (Paul Morton), and set painting for Gross Indecency (MYKE), and featured actress for Mollie Wise, who played Betty Meeks, in The Foreigner.

Port Tobacco Players – which had the loudest and most rambunctious supporters of the evening – won three awards: costume design (Melody Sciarratta) for A Man for All Seasons, which also won featured actor for Randy Tusing’s performance of Thomas Cromwell. The set design prize went to John Reckeweg for his work on Angel Street.

The cameo in a play award was given to Gayle Nichols-Grimes, who starred as the outrageous Ann Marwood Bartle in Dominion Stage’s production of the comedy Jeffrey. The award for hair design went to E. Lynda Bruce-Lewis for Greenbelt Arts Center’s production of Amadeus. James Raby won the award for lead actor for playing Mozart’s rival Antonio Salieri, in the St. Mark’s Players production of Amadeus.

In 2009, 114 productions (32 musicals, 82 plays) were adjudicated in 2009, and 30 community theater companies participated in WATCH adjudication. Read all the 2009 nominees and winners here.

Related:

Community theatre prepares area premiere of Broadway hit Curtains
Follies then and again