A scene from Merry Wives of Windsor from the 2012 season of Bard on the Beach in Vancouver
A Windsor, Ontario-set production of William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor was the big winner at the 31st annual Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards in Vancouver Monday night, taking home a total of four Jessies in the large-theatre category, including outstanding production, and direction (Johanna Wright). The Bard on the Beach production also won for costume design (Drew Facey) and significant artistic achievement, for Benjamin Elliott's musical direction.
The Arts Club Theatre's production of Boeing-Boeing won three awards in the large theatre category: outstanding lead actor – Andrew McNee, outstanding supporting actress – Nicola Lipman, and outstanding set design – Amir Ofek.
Also in the large theatre category, Gina Chiarelli won best lead actress for the Arts Club's Master Class, and Gerald King won for lighting design, for Bard's Macbeth.
In the small theatre category, Pi Theatre's Terminus led with three Jessies, including outstanding production, actor (John Emmet Tracy), and lighting design (Alan Brodie). Erla Faye Forsyth won best actress for Pacific Theatre's How to Write a New Book for the Bible. Brett Harris won for supporting actor for ITSAZOO Productions' Mojo; and Francis Perras for supporting actress for Théâtre La Seizième's Porc-Épic, which also won for outstanding direction (Craig Holzschuh).
The Virtual Stage's Broken Sex Doll also won two Jessies – for costume design (Facey again) and outstanding sound design or original composition (Anton Lipovetsky). Pam Johnson won for set design for Touchstone Theatre's Shelter from the Storm.
Boca Del Lupo's Photog. won for significant artistic achievement in the small theatre category for artistic achievement in technical integration.
Yvette Nolan won for Outstanding Original Script for The Arts Club's The Unplugging, and Theatre Replacement and Neworld Theatre in association with Crow's Theatre won the Critics' Choice Innovation Award for Winners and Losers, written and performed by James Long and Marcus Youssef.
And the Theatre for Young Audiences category was swept by Presentation House's Where the Wild Things Are (produced in association with Manitoba Theatre for Young Audiences), which won for best performance, design, artistic creation and significant artistic achievement.
Marsha Lederman