Sunday, January 23, 2022



CLEVELAND CRITICS CIRCLE 2021 THEATER AWARD WINNERS

 

 

The Cleveland Critics Circle each year honors local theaters, performances, writers, performers and technicians of plays staged by Cleveland area professional theaters during the January 1-December 31 year.

 

Voters:  Kerry Clawson (Akron Beacon Journal), Sheri Gross (Cleveland Jewish News, The Lorain Journal, The News Herald), Laura Kennelly (CoolCleveland.com), Mark Horning (WIX), and Roy Berko(Broadwayworld.com, CoolCleveland.com, www.royberko.info).  Participation in these awards does not preclude individual critics from preparing their own recognitions.

 

(Note: Dual award winners and Honorable Mention designees are listed in alphabetical order)

 

Best Musical Production-- INTO THE WOODS, BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY

             Honorable Mention

                        BLACK NATIVITY, KARAMU HOUSE 

  QUILTERS, PORTHOUSE THEATRE

 

Best Non-Musical Production-- BROADWAY BOUND, BECK CENTER FOR THE ARTS

            Honorable Mention

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, OHIO SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

APPLES IN WINTER, SEAT OF THE PANTS PRODUCTIONS

WHERE DO WE SIT ON THE BUS?, CLEVELAND PLAYHOUSE

 

Best Actor – Musical MATEUS CARDOSO, HEARTBREAKERS IN HELL, RUBBER CITY

                                             THEATRE

       DEVON TURCHAN, CABARET THEATRE, BLANK CANVAS

            THEATRE           

            Honorable Mention

            TIM ALLEN, ELF, BECK CENTER FOR THE ARTS

            DARRELLE HILL, BLACK NATIVITY, KARAMU HOUSE 

                        

Best Actor – Non-Musical-- TREY GILPIN, AIRNESS, DOBAMA

            Honorable Mention

BRIAN KENNETH ARMOUR, SMALL ENGINE REPAIR, NONE TOO

         FRAGILE THEATRE

ALED DAVIES, THE TEMPEST, GREAT LAKES THEATER

JOE WEGNER, THE TEMPEST, GREAT LAKES THEATER

 

Best Actress – Musical— SANDRA EMERICK, CABARET, BLANK CANVAS THEATRE

           TERRI KENT, QUILTERS, PORTHOUSE THEATRE   

Honorable Mention

GRACIE KEENER, AMELIE THE MUSICAL, MERCURY THEATRE COMPANY

 

Best Actress – Non-Musical ANNE MCEVOY, APPLES IN WINTER, SEAT OF THE

                                                         PANTS PRODUCTIONS

         DERDRIU RING, THIS GIRL LAUGHS, BECK CENTER

             FOR THE ARTS

Honorable Mention

AMY FRITSCHE, THE EXONERATED, BECK CENTER FOR THE ARTS

CHRISTINA JOHNSON, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM,

         KARAMU HOUSE

 

Rising Stars 

            Male

                        DARIO ALVAREZ, INTO THE WOODS, BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY

                        MATEUS CARDOSO, HEARTBREAKERS IN HELL, RUBBER CITY

                                     THEATRE 

            Female

                        EILEEN BRADY, INTO THE WOODS, BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY

                        RHONNIROSE MANTILLA, INTO THE WOODS, BALDWIN

                                     WALLACE UNIVERSITY

                        CLAIRE MARIE MILLER, INTO THE WOODS, BALDWIN

                                     WALLACE UNIVERSITY

 

Best Director – Musical--TERRI KENT, QUILTERS, PORTHOUSE THEATRE

Honorable Mention

VICTORIA BUSSERT, INTO THE WOODS, BALDWIN

                        WALLACE UNIVERSITY

                        TONY SIAS, BLACK NATIVITY, KARAMU HOUSE

 

Best Director – Non-Musical-- JAMIE KOETH, APPLES IN WINTER, SEAT OF THE

                                         PANTS PRODUCTIONS

Honorable Mention

SARA BRUNNER, THE TEMPEST, GREAT LAKES THEATER

DAVID VEGH, SMALL ENGINE REPAIR, NONE TOO FRAGILE THEATRE

            JUSTIN EMEKA, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM, KARAMU HOUSE

COLLEEN LONGSHAW JACKSON, THE EXONERATED, BECK

                 CENTER FOR THE ARTS

                        

Best Choreographer:  MARTIN CÉSPEDES, ALTAR BOYZ, PORTHOUSE THEATRE

                                      KATIE GIBSON, CABARET, BLANK CANVAS THEATRE                       

Honorable Mention

KEVIN MARR II, BLACK NATIVITY, KARAMU HOUSE

 

Best Musical Direction: JONATHAN SWOBODA, ALTAR BOYZ, PORTHOUSE THEATRE

Honorable Mention

ANTHONY TRIFILETTI, CABARET, BLANK CANVAS THEATRE

 

Best Scenic Design:  CHERI DEVOL, BROADWAY BOUND, BECK CENTER FOR THE

                                                 ARTS

Honorable Mention               

                        SEAN DERRY, SMALL ENGINE REPAIR, NONE TOO FRAGILE THEATRE

 

Best Lighting Design: TIM CRISMON, THE EXONERATED, BECK CENTER FOR THE

                                                 ARTS

            Honorable Mention

            WES CALKIN, AIRNESS, DOBAMA THEATRE

 FRANKIE CASTROVILLARI, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, MAGICAL THEATRE

             COMPANY

            

Best Projection DesignT. PAUL LOWRY, BLACK NATIVITY, KARAMU HOUSE

Honorable Mention

T. PAUL LOWRY, AIRNESS, DOBAMA THEATRE

 

Best Costume Design:  HELEN Q. HUANG, THE TEMPEST, GREAT LAKES THEATER

Honorable Mention

           INDA BLATCH-GEIB, BROADWAY BOUND, BECK CENTER FOR THE ARTS

INDA BLATCH-GEIB, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM,KARAMU HOUSE    

 

Best Sound Design   RICHARD B. INGRAHAM, AIRNESS, DOBAMA THEATRE

      MATTHEW WEBB, THE TEMPEST, GREAT LAKES THEATER

Honorable Mention

STEVE SHACK, ELF THE MUSICAL, BECK CENTER FOR THE ARTS

            

Best Touring Production:  THE PROM, PLAYHOUSE SQUARE 

 

Best New Play by a Local Playwright:  LOVE IN RESERVE, ERIC MANSFIELD, RUBBER

                                                                         CITY THEATRE

 

Best Overall Ensemble (Unified Cast) in a Musical

            QUILTERS, PORTHOUSE THEATRE

 

Best World Premiere in the Cleveland area:  HEARTBREAKERS IN HELL, JOEY CONTRERAS & BENJAMIN HALSTEAD, RUBBER CITY THEATRE

 

Special Mention

 

DOROTHY SILVER – A LIFE OF LOVE FOR THE THEATER-- THE DEPARTURE OF THE GRANDE DAME OF CLEVELAND THEATER PROVOKED A SEA OF TEARS.  GOOD NIGHT SWEET DOROTHY, AND, MAY THE FLIGHTS OF ANGELS SING THEE TO THY REST.  

 

ALL OF THE LOCAL THEATER PERSONNEL AND BOARDS WHO FOUND WAYS TO KEEP THEIR THEATERS ALIVE AND FINANCED DURING THE ON-GOING ANGST OF COVID.

 

PLAYHOUSE SQUARE FOR HIRING EXTRA STAFF TO CHECK THE COVID CARDS BEFORE EACH PERFORMANCE WHICH REASSURED AND ALLEVIATED FEAR FOR THE AUDIENCE.

 

END OF AN ERA IN AKRON: "ACROSS THE RIVER," AN ORIGINAL ONE-MAN SHOW BY JOSY JONES FEATURING JAIRO CUESTA, WAS THE CURTAIN CLOSER FOR NEW WORLD PERFORMANCE LAB IN THE UNITED STATES.