CEA 2005 - Theater

CEA 2005

LOCAL ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE (PLAY)

Amy Warner in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival), as Martha, a professor’s wife with cocktail-party charm, but an undertow of anger and sadness. Warner created a Martha with no shame, whose slatternly behavior was a blunt weapon of abuse.

Sue Breving in Kimberly Akimbo (New Stage Collective) as Kimberly, a 16-year-old afflicted with progeria, a genetic disorder causing her to age at four times the normal rate. Breving was convincing as a normal teenager trapped in an older woman’s body in this dark comedy.

Sherman Fracher in While We Were Bowling (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati) as Frances McGlauphlin, the acerbic, alcoholic matron of a bowling-obsessed family, forced to move beyond being June Cleaver when hubby drops dead.

Julianna Bloodgood in Oleanna (Clear Stage Cincinnati) as Carol, a young woman who believes she’s been sexually harassed by a college professor. Is her complaint real or manipulative? Bloodgood successfully walked a delicate tightrope.

LOCAL ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE (PLAY)
Joe Sofranko in Ordinary People (Clear Stage Cincinnati) as Conrad Jarrett, a teenager distanced from his parents by the accidental death of his older brother. Sofranko, a senior at Walnut Hills, was convincing in his grief and his yearning for his parents’ love and attention.
		Bruce Cromer in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival) as George, a failed history professor married to the college president’s demanding daughter. He began in an acerbic mode, but when his cynical façade cracked, we could see the anguish beneath. Jeremy Dubin in Much Ado About Nothing (Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival) as Benedick, a self-important soldier with a softer side he tries to hide. He meets his match in Beatrice (played by Anne Schilling), and the ebb and flow of their verbal and physical sparring generated top-notch theatrical chemistry. Reggie Willis in Good Boys (Know Theatre Tribe) as Thomas Thurman, the father of an African-American bully murdered by a white teen. Willis brought to the surface the agony of his inattention (his character was in prison) and tries to set things right but complicates a tough situation.

LOCAL ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (PLAY)
Corinne Mohlenhoff in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival) as Honey, the sweet wife of a young college professor whose innocence and passive-aggressive behavior are a catalyst for much bad behavior this production of Albee’s classic drama.
		Molly Binder in Lives of the Saints (New Edgecliff Theatre) in which she played a variety of hilarious and diverse comic characters in seven zany playlets by David Ives. a. Beth Harris in Sight Unseen (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati) as Grete, a German journalist who aggressively interviews a self-centered painter and puts him in his place. Dale Hodges in The Crucible (Cincinnati Playhouse), as Rebecca Nurse, a quirky but principled woman in Salem who refuses to admit to witchcraft and pays the ultimate price for her adamant stance.

LOCAL ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (PLAY)
Drew Fracher in Sight Unseen (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati) as Nick, a withdrawn British archeologist married to a woman who’s former lover drops in unannounced to renew old friendships. Fracher gave the understated role a grumpy zest.
		Anthony Darnell in Kimberly Akimbo (New Stage Collective) as Jeff, the boyfriend of a 16-year-old girl who’s genetic disorder makes her age four times faster than normal. He conveyed the manic, good-natured air of a smart kid still figuring out his principles. Matt Johnson in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival) as Nick, a young college professor sucked into the maelstrom of the embattled George and Martha. He has a few secrets of his own, and Johnson portrayed them with subtlety. Nathan Neorr in While We Were Bowling (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati) as Ward "Stickpin" Padowski, an unwelcome addition to the bowling-obsessed McGlaugphlin family in 1950s Buffalo. He's a genuine, black-leather jacket greaser.

LOCAL ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE (MUSICAL)
Laurie Brinkman in Chicago (Cincinnati Music Theatre) as Roxie Hart, the sweet murderess at the center of the story, who kills her lover because he was walking out on her. Brinkman brought vulnerability to the role.
		Meggie Cansler in Side Show (College-Conservatory of Music), as Violet, the domestic half of a pair of Siamese twins who only wants to find love and happiness. Cansler gave Violet a wistful, wholesome air that nicely balanced her more aggressive sister. Pamela Kay Day in Chicago (Cincinnati Music Theatre) as Velma Kelly, the publicity-seeking murderess who gets pre-empted by Roxie Hart, despite her ability to invent great gimmicks for attention. Day had the right edge for this cutthroat character. Katie Klaus in Side Show (College-Conservatory of Music) as Daisy, the star-struck half of a pair of Siamese twins: She wants a career in showbiz. Klaus conveyed the yearning for attention that every talent feels, blended with a sadness over her limitations.

LOCAL ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE (MUSICAL)

Tom Cartwright in The Scarlet Pimpernel (Showbiz Players) as Percy Blakeney, a sword-wielding hero who masquerades as a foppish nobleman to save victims of the French Revolution. Cartwright played as big and bright a character as can be found on a community theater stage.

Joshua Jeremiah in Sleeping Beauty (Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati) as Prince William/Edward, the once and future romantic partners for the title character. William is all showbiz, while Edward is pure sincerity.

Adam Wagner in Merrily We Roll Along (College-Conservatory of Music) as Charley Kringas, the dedicated — but frustrated — writing partner of a vaunted Broadway composer. He was brash but loveable.

Wayne Wright in Chicago (Cincinnati Music Theatre), as Billy Flynn, the charming defense attorney who will take on any case for the right price, although “all he cares about is love.” Wright played him with a debonair smirk and every hair in place.

LOCAL ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (MUSICAL)
Marcie Brooks in Chicago (Cincinnati Music Theatre) as “Mama” Morton, the matron of a women’s jail in Chicago who knows how to spell graft. Brooks brought the role both sass and cynicism.
		a. Beth Harris in Sleeping Beauty (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati), as Lilac, one of three fairies who keep the story moving in a funny retelling of the classic story. Her offbeat humor made a minor role memorable. Patricia Linhart in Green Gables (Human Race Theatre Company) as Marilla, a stern, unmarried woman whose hardened heart is warmed by the arrival of Anne Shirley, an orphan. Jen Temen in Brigadoon (College-Conservatory of Music) as Meg Brockie, the fresh-faced romantic girl from a town that appears once each century from the mists of Scotland — but this time she meets a brash American.

LOCAL ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (MUSICAL)
Forrest W. Fairley in Chicago (Cincinnati Music Theatre) as Amos Hart (aka “Mr. Cellophane”), the hapless husband of murderess Roxie Hart.
		Andrew Ford in Side Show (College-Conservatory of Music), as Boss, the cruel and cynical manager of the side show that showcased an array of freaks, including Daisy and Violet, a pair of innocent Siamese twins. Joseph Medeiros in Don’t Look Down (Fringe Festival 2005/An Acquired Taste Production), one of four performers in a showcase assembled for the 2005 Cincinnati Fringe Festival. Medeiros, going into his senior year at CCM, stood out in several of CCM grad Adam Wagner’s original compositions. Thad Turner Wilson in Side Show (College-Conservatory of Music), as Terry, a vaudeville promoter with scruples who can’t see his way clear to pursue marriage with a woman who is a Siamese twin, despite the fact he loves her.

ACTING PERFORMANCE BY VISITING ACTOR
Todd Almond as Charlotta and others in I Am My Own Wife (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati). One actor plays 37 roles in this gripping portrait of a transvestite in East Berlin who survived the Nazis and Communism; Todd Almond enlivened each of them with voices, postures and distinct personalities.
		Tim Altmeyer in The Crucible (Cincinnati Playhouse) as Reverend John Hale, who burned with shame and rage as the rush to judgment swept more and more innocent characters to their dooms. Altmeyer conveyed the agony of a man of god who could see that evil was a play, yet couldn’t stop it. Joneal Joplin in The Crucible (Cincinnati Playhouse) as Deputy Governor Danforth, whose rabid manipulation transported several innocent characters to the gallows for witchcraft. If you know him as Scrooge, this shows Joplin’s breadth as an actor. William Jay Marshall in The Exonerated (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati) as Delbert Tibbs, a poet and artist who was railroaded into a rape and murder charge. Marshall not only conveyed the character convincingly, he often spoke the clearest messages of this play about the true value of life.

ACTING PERFORMANCE BY A VISITING ACTRESS
Anne Schilling in Much Ado About Nothing (Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival) as Beatrice, who sparred constantly with her once and future lover, Benedick (played by Jeremy Dubin). Whether frustrated, mournful or romantic, she captured the essence of this feisty character.
		Melissa Bohon in Green Gables (Human Race Theatre Company) as Anne Shirley (aka Anne of Green Gables), a feisty, honest orphan who changes the life of small island town in provincial Canada. A CCM grad, Bohon created the role at ETC in a reading back in 1999, then returned post-graduation, for this fully staged version. Tracy Shayne in The Exonerated (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati) as Sunny, a woman sucked into the killing of two police offers. She and her innocent husband went to prison; he was executed, she was eventually released. Shayne showed the evolution of this woman from naïveté to knowledge, but with a buoyant perspective. Priscilla Shanks in A Picasso (Cincinnati Playhouse) as Miss Fischer, a Gestapo agent who questions Pablo Picasso about three of his paintings. Shanks revealed Fischer’s core character like peeling away layers of artifice and icy scrutiny to reveal an impassioned art lover.

ENSEMBLE ACTING PERFORMANCE
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival). Albee’s searing drama is often a showcase for a memorable actress. CSF found one in Amy Warner, but the balance of the cast — Bruce Cromer, Matt Johnson and Corinne Mohlenhoff — came together to create a horrendous evening of suffering and angst.
		*Ain’t Misbehavin’* (Cincinnati Black Theatre Company). Cincinnati’s only theater focused on African-American talent and works by black creators assembled a top-notch cast to recreate the music of “Fats” Waller who wrote the score for the Harlem Renaissance in the 1930s. They captured the humor and attitude of a vibrant period in American history. The Exonerated (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati). Ten actors recreate the stories of a half-dozen innocent people, wrongly committed to Death Row then ultimately released after years of hardship. While individual performers shined, this production was impressive in the way the actors interacted while remaining relatively stationary, seated in chairs or occasionally standing. Of Mice and Men (Mariemont Players). John Steinbeck’s classic tale of intolerant ranch-hands in Depression-era California, produced by Mariemont Players, used a cast of some of the community’s best male actors. They showed how a company of actors can create a story that still means something to contemporary audiences.

COMMUNITY THEATER PRODUCTION
Chicago (Cincinnati Music Theatre). CMT recreated the classic musical about all the things we hold near and dear to our hearts — murder, greed and corruption. Kander & Ebb’s tale of “merry murderesses” is an ambitious undertaking, but this community theater was more than equal to the task with talent, a fine orchestra and choreography that made you remember Bob Fosse.
		*Ain’t Misbehavin’* (Cincinnati Black Theatre Company). Performing at Cincinnati State’s ATLC Auditorium, CBTC presented this 1978 classic that brought to life the age of the Cotton Club and honky-tonk dives in New York’s Harlem, ca. 1930, through the music of the inimitable “Fats” Waller. *Pump Boys and Dinettes* (Mariemont Players). With five singer-actors and four musicians, Mariemont Players recreated a diner on Highway 57 were the Country and Western Swing tunes are as tasty as the food. The humor were corny and the songs a lot of silly fun — and audiences loved it. Of Mice and Men (Mariemont Players) Taken from John Steinbeck’s classic novel about a slowwitted ranch hand and his friend in Depression-era California, Mariemont Players assembled a strong cast to tell a story about friendship and the necessity for dreams.

ACHIEVEMENT IN SCENIC DESIGN (CRITICAL ACHIEVEMENT)
Twelfth Night (Cincinnati Playhouse; Scenic design by Joseph P. Tilford). For a tale set on an island, Tilford created an island with hundreds of fitted limestone pavers that sloped into surrounding water, used for comic and introspective effect. There was also a changing, cloud-swept sky and just a hint of architecture (pillars, a door).
		*I Am My Own Wife* (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, scenic design by Brian c. Mehring). For this one-man show about an East German transvestite who survived adverse political circumstances for half a century, Mehring used evocative doors and frames, plus miniatures of the furniture and phonographs that Charlotta collected. Thirty Ghosts (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, scenic design by Brian c. Mehring). Robert Lewis Vaughan’s tale required ghosts and real people to co-exist, and Mehring’s design created zones for each — in a way that was creepy but easy to grasp. A marvelous framework for believable special effects. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival, scenic design by Will Turbyne). It’s the 1960s, the cluttered home of a college professor and his wife, strewn with books and the remainders of boozing and battling. Turbyne’s set perfectly evoked the period and the tacky but intellectual atmosphere. The best set on CSF’s stage in years.

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN (CRITICAL ACHIEVEMENT)
Crowns (Cincinnati Playhouse, costume design by Reggie Ray). Five strong African-American women weave the story of their lives wearing primary colors and an astonishing array of hats — the “crowns” of the play’s title, more than 60 of them. They perform before a grid hung with more than five dozen exuberant hats that Ray designed to convey character and more.
		*Brigadoon* (College-Conservatory of Music; costume design by Rebecca Senske). Recreating a 1946 Broadway production, Senske had to dress more than 40 performers in kilts and tartans, plus some mid-20th-century Americans on a hiking trip in the Scottish highlands. Her work was convincing and colorful, without being clichéd. Sleeping Beauty (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati; costume design by Rebecca Senske). Retelling the traditional fairy tale with some funny attitude, Senske outfitted the cast in “royal” costumes that came with a sense of humor: A rock star prince with dark glasses, three fairies — Lilac, Marigold and Daisy — in fluttery dresses keyed to their dominant colors. Twelfth Night (Cincinnati Playhouse, costume design by Susan Tsu). Moving the story of shipwrecked twins and confused lovers to the romantic 18th century, Tsu used costume motifs to underscore the plays emotional overtones, pensive demeanors and forlorn attitudes.

ACHIEVEMENT IN LIGHTING, SOUND OR SPECIAL EFFECTS (CRITICAL ACHIEVEMENT)

Thirty Ghosts (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati; lighting design by Brian c. Mehring; sound design by Vincent Olivieri) The designers created an haunting environment of stairs, clouded windows, angled walls and free-standing doorways that floated in light, shimmered on cue with fleeting, phantom images and rattled the night with ghoulish thumps and bumps.

The Exonerated (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati; Lighting design by Brian c. Mehring; sound design by Vincent Olivieri) Portraying people wrongly sentenced to Death Row, the play’s power was underscored by Mehring's powerful pools of light and punctuated by Oliveri's haunting sound effects, including the reverberating clang of metal floors cells.

The Retreat from Moscow (Cincinnati Playhouse; lighting design by Thomas C. Hase). The story of a bitter divorce and its aftermath was enhanced by a lighting design that enabled beautifully fluid transitions from scene to scene, simply by supple changes of illumination, enabling the play’s scenes to advance subtly without being overtly noticed.

While We Were Bowling (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati; lighting design by Brian c. Mehring; sound design by Fitz Patton; prop master/design assistant by Shannon Rae Lutz). The 1950s came to life in this sad comedy about a dysfunctional family: A living room and a bowling alley reeked of the ’50s, underscored by splendid array of lamps, appliances, furniture, trophies and accessories. And we heard the pins drop, on cue.

ALTERNATIVE PRODUCTION (CRITICAL ACHIEVEMENT)
Don’t Look Down (Adam Wagner/An Acquired Taste Production) Presented during the 2005 Cincinnati Fringe Festival, recent CCM grad Adam Wagner's cabaret felt ready for New York, with well-constructed, unabashedly catchy songs that had meaning, too. Four performers — current CCM students — showed off Wagner's music.
		*A/The Postmodern Love Story* (BlueForms Theatre Group) Presented during the 2005 Cincinnati Fringe Festival, this spoken-word and movement piece described the ways we experience love, drawing from When Harry Met Sally and Plato, almost in the same breath. The Columbus-based ensemble used a tight, unselfish ensemble of actors. 4.48 Psychosis (Know Theatre Tribe). Sarah Kane’s title is the time most suicides occur. Know's high-tech production used a hand-held video camera passed from actor to actor. Odd lighting and camera angles translated the actors from their onstage presence to distorted forms on the screen, simulating an alternate, psychotic reality. The Good Thief (Know Theatre Tribe) Featuring former CSF regular Nick Rose, Conor McPherson's 70-minute monologue was basic drama: No scenery, no lights, no sound system. Presented in the back room of Mount Adams Bar & Grill, it brought to life a petty Irish criminal who's not a bad guy, but whose life goes from bad to worse in one day.

LOCAL PREMIERE (CRITICAL ACHIEVEMENT)
I Am My Own Wife by Doug Wright (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati) Doug Wright wrote a one-man show about a transvestite in East Berlin who survived the Nazis and Communism. The piece requires one actor to play 37 distinct roles, weaving them together into a memorable tale of imagination, perseverance and strength of character.
		*Drinking Alone* by Matt Johnson (New Edgecliff Theatre). Written by an actor at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival, the one-woman used actress Elizabeth Harris to portray a violent affair with the contents of hundreds of bottles littering the stage. The character is a maelstrom of kinetic and verbal energy. The Exonerated by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati). The playwrights interviewed dozens of people sentenced to die for crimes they did not commit, then distilled their stories down to six ultimately released from Death Row. Ten actors recreate these compelling stories, all the more powerful because they are true.. Wild Women of Planet Wongo by Dave Ogrin, Ben Budick and Steve Mackes. (Northern Kentucky University Y.E.S. Festival) A romp through the science fiction movies of the 1950s, with three astronauts stranded on a planet of beautiful women. The show, presented during NKU’s biennial new play festival was silly, infectious fun.

OUTSTANDING PLAY (CRITICAL ACHIEVEMENT)
*Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?*, directed by Brian Isaac Phillips (Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival). CSF found four actors who pumped new life into a story of a savage night of drinking, cynicism, spite and emotion. Edward Albee’s 1962 classic has seldom had more texture or vitality.
		*The Exonerated, directed by D. Lynn Meyers (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati). ETC presented the searing stories of six people wrongly condemned to Death Row who ultimately gained their release, but not without paying a high personal price. Staged minimalistically – a few chairs and spotlights – to great effect. I Am My Own Wife, directed by D. Lynn Meyers (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati). A one-man show about a transvestite in East Berlin who survived the Nazis and Communism, ETC found one actor — Todd Almond — to play 37 distinct roles and underscored the play with imaginative and evocative set design and solid, clear direction. Streamers*, directed by Jason Bruffy (Know Theatre Tribe). David Rabe’s 1976 drama about life in an Army barracks as soldiers wait to be shipped to Vietnam. The tensions between black and white, gay and straight. Made for searing theater, intensified by Know’s staging in the claustrophobic confines of Gabriel’s Corner.

OUTSTANDING MUSICAL (CRITICAL ACHIEVEMENT)

Brigadoon, directed by Richard Hess (College-Conservatory of Music). CCM faithfully recreated the classic 1946 Lerner & Loewe show about a magical town that appears for just one day each century, including the recreating the show’s original choreography.

Chicago, directed by Skip Fenker (Cincinnati Music Theatre). CMT found the pulse of the classic 1975 Kander and Ebb musical about crime and love in 1920s Chicago, using choreography inspired by the iconic Bob Fosse but for dancers and performers who weren’t professionals.

The Last Five Years, directed by Dennis Courtney (Cincinnati Playhouse). The Playhouse offered the local professional premiere of Jason Robert Brown’s two-actor show about the arc of a marriage from two perspectives — he from beginning to end, she the reverse.

Side Show, directed by Jeremy Kronenberg (College-Conservatory of Music). Henry Krieger’s musical about Siamese twins who leave the sideshow business for vaudeville to seek success onstage and perhaps in love was inventively staged in CCM’s intimate Cohen Studio Theater.