A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The ’70s Musical. Costumes by Deanna Finnman, set by Hanne Loosen, lighting by Jareth Li. Photo by Nanc Price.
The cast of Ashleigh Hicks’s Brick Shithouse, Found Festival 2024. Photo by Brianne Jang
By Liz Nicholls, .ca
A large-scale jukebox musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s most popular comedy and a small-scale bruisingly physical indie production proved the top choices of jurors as the 36th annual Sterling Award nominations were announced Monday. Named for the theatre pioneer Elizabeth Sterling Haynes, the Sterlings celebrate excellence in the Edmonton theatre season just past.
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The top nomination magnets are, to say the least, a study in contrasts. The Citadel production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The ‘70s Musical, and fenceless theatre’s body-slamming Brick Shithouse, a collaboration with Common Ground Arts Society’s Found Festival, each have eight nominations in the 26 Sterling categories.
The former dives into the chaos potential of love in the psychedelic forest by pairing the rom-com hit of the 1590s to a jukebox of 25 1970s chart-toppers. Daryl Cloran’s production, a best musical nominee, has nods for Jameela McNeil’s leading performance as Titania the r&b queen, and for both Ruth Alexander and Oscar Derkx in supporting roles as rustic thesps and band members. As well, the ensemble cast of 16 is nominated, along with Deanna Finnman’s flamboyant 70s costumes, Ben Elliott’s musical direction in this Bard meets Supertramp enterprise, and Gianna Vacirca’s choreography.
Ashleigh Hicks’ Brick Shithouse, with its gallery of desperate 20-something under-achievers who opt to jump-start their lives behind the dangerously transparent paywall ‘anonymity’ online, is an outstanding indie production contender. It also has Sterling nominations for the playwright, for Sarah J Culkin’s direction, Gabriel Richardson’s supporting performance, as well as the ensemble of his cast-mates. And designer Even Gilchrist is nominated in both the set and lighting categories.
Zachary Parsons-Lozinski as Frank-N-Furter in Rocky Horror Show, Grindstone Theatre. Photo supplied.
Grindstone Theatre’s production of Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show, the opener in its new mainstage series at the Orange Hub, has six nominations, including outstanding musical, Beverly Destroys’ costumes, Simon Abbott’s musical direction, Sarah Dowling’s choreography, Zachary Parsons-Lozinski’s star performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter and Josh Travnik’s supporting performance as Riff Raff.
The SkirtsAfire mainstage production of the Claire Barron play Dance Nation, a glimpse into the fraught lives and tensions of teenage competitive dancers, also has six nominations — for director Amanda Goldberg, for Kristen Padayas in the lead role category and Kijo Gatama in a supporting role, for the ensemble, for Kena León’s soundscape, and for choreography by Julie Murphy and Gomathi Boorada.
Dance Nation, SkirtsAfire Festival. Photo by Brianne Jang, BB Collective Photography
Alexander Ariate as Horse in Horseplay by Kole Durnford, Workshop West. Photo by Marc J Chalifoux. Set and costumes Beyata Hackborn, lighting Sarah Karpyshin
The other top Sterling draws are four productions with five nominations each. Horseplay, an unusual two-hander by newcomer Kole Durnford that premiered at Workshop West Playwrights Theatre, has two characters, one a horse and the other his jockey, joined in this exploration of a friendship and loyalty under duress. Its five nominations are in the outstanding production category, as a new play nominee, for Heather Inglis’s direction, for Alexander Ariate’s ingeniously comic and physical leading role performance, and for Sarah Karpyshin’s lighting.
Damon Pitcher, Jacob Holloway, Victoria Suen, Amanda Neufeld in Krampus: A New Musical, Straight Edge Theatre at Workshop West. Photo by Marc J Chalifoux
The Workshop West/ Straight Edge Theatre production of Krampus: A New Musical, a macabre seasonal offering, also has five nominations, including outstanding musical, Michael Clark’s musical direction, the score by creators Seth Gilfillan and Stephen Allred, and leading and supporting performances by Amanda Neufeld and Damon Pitcher respectively.
The third of the season’s offerings with five Sterling nominations is Andrew Ritchie’s Cycle. The Thou Art Here Theatre production has its creator and star, a cyclist dangerously undaunted by weather and traffic, atop his bike. It’s a contender for new play, for indie production, for Kristi Hansen’s direction, for Liv McRobbie’s sound score, and for T. Erin Gruber’s multi-media design that sent us careening through the streets.
Andrew Ritchie in Cycle, Thou Art Here Theatre. Photo by Mat Simpson
The five nominations for Rachel Peake’s Citadel/Grand Theatre co-production of Disney’s FROZEN: The Broadway Musical include nods for both Chariz Faulmino and Kelly Holiff in leading roles, Andrew Cohen in a supporting role as the possibly not so charming Prince Charming, musical direction by Steven Greenfield, and the multi-media design by Amelia Scott.
Of the five outstanding production nominees, a particularly competitive category, two, Kole Durnford’s Horseplay and Colleen Murphy’s Jupiter, are premieres, the former from Workshop West and the latter from Theatre Network. Two are from the Citadel, last summer’s The Play That Goes Wrong (a co-production with Theatre Calgary and the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre) and Goblin:Macbeth, the imaginative work of Spontaneous Theatre production. The fifth is Trevor Schmidt’s Northern Light production of Penelope Skinner’s Angry Alan, which has an outstanding director nomination for Schmidt, and one for the solo star Cody Porter as a reasonable sort of guy red-pilled against probability into the online extremism of the “men’s movement,” as well as the online soundscape of Amelia Chan.
Cody Porter in Angry Alan, Northern Light Theatre. Photo by Brianne Jang, BB Collective Photography
In the always contentious new play category Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre premiered two of the contenders, Kole Durnford’s Horseplay and the new Stephen Massicotte play Stars On Her Shoulders. They’re up against AJ Hrooshkin’s Alphabet Line, a Prairie Strange production which premiered at Edmonton Fringe Theatre, Ashleigh Hicks’ Brick Shithouse, and Andrew Ritchie’s Cycle.
The contenders for the Timothy Ryan Award for outstanding musical include two Grindstone productions, Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show and A Gentleman’s Guide To Love And Murder, which marks the morphing of the company into the seasonal big-time. Their musical competitors are A Midsummer Night’s Dream: the ‘70s musical, Krampus: A New Musical, and Edmonton Opera’s production of Die Fledermaus.
In the end, the Citadel comes away with 25 Sterling nominations, the most of any theatre by far. Workshop West has 11, Northern Light six, with the rest dispersed amongst smaller theatres and indie companies.
The theatre for young audiences categories are dominated by Alberta Musical Theatre’s production of Rapunzel and include nods for The “Away” Project at the Silver Skate Festival. And the Fringe categories disperse the nomination honours widely, alighting on such new musicals like Collin Doyle and Matt Graham’s Rob and Chris (Bobby + Tina) for Plain Jane Theatre, Trevor Schmidt’s thriller Black Widow Gun Club for Whizgiggling Productions, and Liam Salmon’s Local Diva: The Danielle Smith Diaries from Low Hanging Fruits.
On Sterling gala night, July 14 at the Westbury Theatre, the indispensably versatile Gina Moe will be honoured with the Margaret Mooney Award for Outstanding Achievement in Administration, Nico Van Der Kley will receive the Ross Hill Award for Outstanding Achievement in Production. And Gerry Potter, the venerable founder of Workshop West Playwrights Theatre and Rising Sun Theatre, will receive an award for his outstanding contributions to Edmonton theatre. There’s a special Sterling this year, too, in “sustainability and community stewardship,” and it goes to Tessa Stamp.
Congratulations to all the nominees. Gala tickets: fringetheatre.ca.
The 2024-2025 Sterling Award nominations
Outstanding Production of a Play: Horseplay (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre); Angry Alan (Northern Light Theatre); The Play That Goes Wrong (The Citadel Theatre, Theatre Calgary and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); Jupiter (Theatre Network); Goblin:Macbeth (The Citadel Theatre and Spontaneous Theatre).
The Timothy Ryan Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical: Krampus: A New Musical (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre and Straight Edge Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The ’70s Musical (The Citadel Theatre); Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show (Grindstone Theatre); A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Grindstone Theatre); Die Fledermaus (Edmonton Opera).
Outstanding Independent Production of a Play: Brick Shithouse (Fenceless Theatre and Common Ground Arts Society); Cycle (Thou Art Here Theatre); KaldrSaga: A New Queer, Old Norse Cabaret (Cardiac Theatre); After the Trojan Women (Alma Theatre); The Maids (Putrid Brat).
Outstanding New Play (award to playwright): Ashleigh Hicks, Brick Shithouse (Fenceless Theatre and Common Ground Arts Society); Kole Durnford, Horseplay (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre); Andrew Ritchie, Cycle (Thou Art Here Theatre); AJ Hrooshkin, Alphabet Line (Prairie Strange Productions); Stephen Massicotte, Stars on Her Shoulders (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre).
Outstanding Performance by a Performer in a Leading Role (play): Cody Porter, Angry Alan (Northern Light Theatre); Lindsey Angell, A Streetcar Named Desire (The Citadel Theatre and Theatre Calgary); Alexander Ariate, Horseplay (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre); Julien Arnold, The Woman in Black (Teatro Live!); Kristen Padayas, Dance Nation (SkirtsAfire Festival).
Outstanding Performance by a Performer in a Leading Role (musical): Zachary Parsons-Lozinski in Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show (Grindstone Theatre); Jameela McNeil in A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The ’70s Musical (The Citadel Theatre); Chariz Faulmino in Disney’s FROZEN (The Citadel Theatre and The Grand Theatre); Kelly Holiff in Disney’s FROZEN (The Citadel Theatre and The Grand Theatre); Amanda Neufeld in Krampus: A New Musical (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre and Straight Edge Theatre).
Outstanding Performance by a Performer in a Supporting Role (play)
Alexandra Dawkins, The Maids (Putrid Brat); Gabriel Richardson, Brick Shithouse (Fenceless Theatre and Common Ground Arts Society); Sheldon Elter, A Streetcar Named Desire (The Citadel Theatre and Theatre Calgary); Kijo Gatama, Dance Nation (SkirtsAfire Festival); Michael Watt, Bea (Shadow Theatre).
Outstanding Performance by a Performer in a Supporting Role (musical): Josh Travnik, Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show (Grindstone Theatre Society); Oscar Derkx, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The 70’s Musical (The Citadel Theatre); Ruth Alexander, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The 70’s Musical (The Citadel Theatre); Andrew Cohen, Disney’s FROZEN (The Citadel Theatre and The Grand Theatre); Damon Pitcher, Krampus: A New Musical (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre and Straight Edge Theatre).
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Play or Musical: the cast of Brick Shithouse (Fenceless Theatre and Common Ground Arts Society); the cast of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Grindstone Theatre); the cast of Dance Nation (SkirtsAfire Festival); the cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The 70’s Musical (The Citadel Theatre); the cast of Goblin:Macbeth (Citadel Theatre and Spontaneous Theatre).
Outstanding Director: Sarah J Culkin , Brick Shithouse (Fenceless Theatre and Common Ground Arts Society); Heather Inglis, Horseplay (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre); Trevor Schmidt, Angry Alan (Northern Light Theatre); Kristi Hansen, Cycle (Thou Art Here Theatre); Amanda Goldberg, Dance Nation (SkirtsAfire Festival).
Outstanding Set Design: Tessa Stamp, Jupiter (Theatre Network); Beyata Hackborn The Play That Goes Wrong (The Citadel Theatre, Theatre Calgary, and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); c.m. zuby, The Two Battles of Francis Pegahmagabow (Shadow Theatre); Even Gilchrist, Brick Shithouse (Fenceless Theatre and Common Ground Arts Society); Daniel vanHeyst, Where You Are (Shadow Theatre).
Outstanding Lighting Design: Even Gilchrist, Brick Shithouse (Fenceless Theatre and Common Ground Arts Society); Whittyn Jason, Brother Rat (ReadyGo Theatre and Edmonton Fringe Theatre); Larissa Poho, Monstress (Northern Light Theatre); Sarah Karpyshin, Horseplay (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre); Siobhán Sleath, Heist (The Citadel Theatre and The Grand Theatre).
Outstanding Costume Design: Deanna Finnman, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The ’70s Musical (The Citadel Theatre); Cory Sincennes, Disney’s FROZEN: The Broadway Musical (The Citadel Theatre and The Grand Theatre); Beverly Destroys, Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show (Grindstone Theatre); Patrick Du Wors, Die Fledermaus (Edmonton Opera); Philip Edwards, Goblin:MacBeth (The Citadel Theatre and Spontaneous Theatre).
Outstanding Score of a Play or Musical: Seth Gilfillan and Stephen Allred, Krampus: A New Musical (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre and Straight Edge Theatre); Josh Meredith and Erik Richards, Brother Rat (ReadyGo Theatre and Edmonton Fringe Theatre); Richard Feren, Heist (The Citadel Theatre and The Grand Theatre); Jinting Zhao, Nato Downs and Ari Rhodes, Bear Grease (A LightningCloud Production, presented by The Citadel Theatre); VISSIA , Rapunzel (Alberta Musical Theatre Company).
Outstanding Sound Design: Kena León, Dance Nation (SkirtsAfire Festival), Liv McRobbie, Cycle (Thou Art Here Theatre); Dave Clarke, Monstress (Northern Light Theatre); Amelia Chan, Angry Alan (Northern Light Theatre); Lindsey Walker, Bea (Shadow Theatre).
Outstanding Musical Direction: Ben Elliott, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The ’70s Musical (The Citadel Theatre); Simon Abbott, Rocky Horror Show (Grindstone Theatre); Michael Clark Krampus: A New Musical (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre and Straight Edge Theatre); Lyndon Pugeda, The Ballad of Johnny and June (The Citadel Theatre); Steven Greenfield, Disney’s FROZEN (The Citadel Theatre and The Grand Theatre).
Outstanding Choreography/Fight/Intimacy Direction: Sam Jeffery (fight and intimacy direction), Brick Shithouse (Fenceless Theatre and Common Ground Arts Society); Julie Murphy and Gomathi Boorada (choreography), Dance Nation (SkirtsAfire Festival); Sarah Dowling (choreography), Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show (Grindstone Theatre); Gianna Vacirca (choreography), A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The ’70s Musical (The Citadel Theatre); Siobhan Richardson (fight and intimacy direction), Heist (The Citadel Theatre and The Grand Theatre).
Outstanding Multimedia Design: Corwin Ferguson, Heist (The Citadel Theatre & The Grand Theatre); T Erin Gruber, Cycle (Thou Art Here Theatre); Matt Schuurman, After Mourning – Before Van Gogh (Shadow Theatre); Amelia Scott, Disney’s FROZEN: The Broadway Musical (The Citadel Theatre); Aaron Macri, The Two Battles of Francis Pegahmagabow (Shadow Theatre).
Outstanding Production for Young Audiences: Rapunzel (Albert Musical Theatre Company); The “Away” Project (The Silver Skate Festival).
Outstanding Artistic Achievement for Young Audiences: VISSIA (composer), Rapunzel (Albert Musical Theatre Company); Maxwell Vesely (performer), Rapunzel (Albert Musical Theatre Company); Even Gilchrist, Tessa Stamp, and Whittyn Jason (designer), The “Away” Project (The Silver Skate Festival); Camille Pavlenko (pPlaywright), Rapunzel (Albert Musical Theatre Company).
Outstanding Fringe Production: Bright Lights (Blarney Productions); Local Diva: The Danielle Smith Diaries (Low Hanging Fruits); Rob and Chris (Bobby + Tina) – A New Musical (Plain Jane Theatre); WROL (Without Rule of Law) (Light in the Dark Theatre0; Bull (High Rise Productions).
Outstanding Fringe New Work (award to playwright): Liam Witte, 27 Pictures (Bicycle Built for Three Productions); Liam Salmon, Local Diva: The Danielle Smith Diaries (Low Hanging Fruits); Collin Doyle and Matt Graham, Rob and Chris (Bobby + Tina) – A New Musical (Plain Jane Theatre); Angie Bustos, The Picture of Elias Graham (Theatre Tahanan); Trevor Schmidt, Black Widow Gun Club (Whizgiggling Productions).
Outstanding Fringe Performance by an Individual: Zachary Parsons-Lozinski, Local Diva: The Danielle Smith Diaries (Low Hanging Fruits); Lauren Brady, OWEaDEBT (HEYwire Theatre); Robyn Clark, WROL (Without Rule of Law) (Light in the Dark Theatre); Rachel Bowron, Bright Lights (Blarney Productions); Elyse Roszell, The Picture of Elias Graham (Theatre Tahanan).
Outstanding Fringe Performance by an Ensemble: the cast of Bright Lights (Blarney Productions); the cast of Fear Fables (Entertainment Purposes Only); the cast of Black Widow Gun Club (Whizgiggling Productions); the cast of WROL (Without Rule of Law) (Light in the Dark Theatre); the cast of Rob and Chris (Bobby + Tina) – A New Musical (Plain Jane Theatre).
Outstanding Fringe Director: Luc Tellier, Bright Lights (Blarney Productions); Kate Ryan, Rob and Chris (Bobby + Tina) – A New Musical (Plain Jane Theatre); Owen Holloway, Local Diva: The Danielle Smith Diaries (Low Hanging Fruits); Trevor Schmidt, Black Widow Gun Club (Whizgiggling Productions); Emily Marisabel, WROL (Without Rule of Law) (Light in the Dark Theatre).
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Production: Trent Crosby (production manager); Kat Evans (production manager); Patrick Fraser (technical director); Lore Green (stage manager).
Special Award: Achievement in Sustainability and Community Stewardship: Tessa Stamp
Outstanding Contribution to Edmonton Theatre: Gerry Potter
The Margaret Mooney Award for Outstanding Achievement in Administration: Gina Moe
The Ross Hill Award for Outstanding Achievement in Production: Nico Van Der Kley
