31st Annual Jessie Awards-6

Last night, the Commodore Ballroom was bathed in colourful lighting as the Vancouver theatre community gathered to celebrate the best in the industry for the 31st time, with the Jessie Richardson Awards. This is one hugely supportive and passionate community that both cheered and admired nominees and winners throughout the awards ceremony and after-party.

31st Annual Jessie Awards-10 31st Annual Jessie Awards-8 Bard on the Beach crew on stage to accept Outstanding Production/Large Theatre for The Merry Wives of Windsor
[Bard on the Beach crew on stage to accept Outstanding Production/Large Theatre for The Merry Wives of Windsor]

This year’s theatre season was both incredibly rich and varied, with over 72 productions registered from 41 companies, including 25 new scripts. Once again, Vancouver Theatresports produced the evening’s ceremony, moving the award announcements along with their trademark humour.

Three cheers for John Moffat and Larry Lillo Prize winner Christine Hackman
[Three cheers for John Moffat and Larry Lillo Prize winner Christine Hackman]

Brett Harris winning Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role/Small Theatre Jessie Award
[Brett Harris wins Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role/Small Theatre Award]

31st Annual Jessie Awards-13 Guided by four directors

The Jessies are divided into three categories – Large Theatre, Small Theatre and Theatre for Young Audiences – along with a variety of special awards.

Andrew McNee accepts Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role/Large Theatre Jessie Award for Boeing-Boeing
[Andrew McNee accepts Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role/Large Theatre Jessie Award for Boeing-Boeing]

In the Large Theatre category, Arts Club Theatre Company garnered a total of six Jessies. Boeing-Boeing won a total of three awards – Andrew McNee for Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role, Nicola Lipman for Actress in a Supporting Role, and Amir Ofek for Set Design.

The Unplugging, a new work by Yvette Nolan, received a Jessie for Outstanding Original Script. Bard on the Beach won a total of five Jessies: four for Outstanding Direction and Production in Merry Wives of Windsor and one to Gerald King for Lighting Design in Macbeth.

31st Annual Jessie Awards-23

The Small Theatre category had awards spread out among seven productions with Pi Theatre’s powerful play Terminus topping the count with three Jessies, including Outstanding Production. The Virtual Stage followed with two awards for Broken Sex Doll, and Théâtre la Seizième received two awards for Porc-épic with Craig Holzschuh acknowledged for Outstanding Direction and France Perras for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role.

The innovative Boca Del Lupo company received a Jessie for Significant Artistic Achievement for Photog.

Where the Wild Things Are (produced by Presentation House in association with Manitoba Theatre for Young Audiences) swept the Theatre for Young Audiences category with a total of four Jessie Awards, winning in all categories.

John Moffat and Larry Lillo Prize winner Christine Hackman
[John Moffat and Larry Lillo Prize winner Christine Hackman]

A little Jessie Awards entertainment
[A little Jessie Awards entertainment]

Anna Hagan and Terence Kelly accepting GVPTA Career Achievement Jessie Award
[Anna Hagan and Terence Kelly accepting GVPTA Career Achievement Jessie Award]

More of my Jessie Awards night photos can be found here.

And the winners are:

Large Theatre
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role – Large Theatre:
Andrew McNee, Boeing-Boeing – Arts Club Theatre Company

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role – Large Theatre:
Gina Chiarelli, Master Class – Arts Club Theatre Company

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Large Theatre:
Robert Moloney, Clybourne Park – Arts Club Theatre Company

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Large Theatre:
Nicola Lipman, Boeing-Boeing – Arts Club Theatre Company

Outstanding Lighting Design – Large Theatre:
Gerald King, Macbeth – Bard on the Beach

Outstanding Set Design – Large Theatre:
Amir Ofek, Boeing-Boeing – Arts Club Theatre Company

Outstanding Costume Design – Large Theatre:
Drew Facey, The Merry Wives of Windsor – Bard on the Beach

Outstanding Direction – Large Theatre:
Johanna Wright, The Merry Wives of Windsor – Bard on the Beach

Outstanding Production – Large Theatre:
The Merry Wives of Windsor – Bard on the Beach

Significant Artistic Achievement – Large Theatre:
Benjamin Elliott, The Merry Wives of Windsor – Bard on the Beach/Outstanding Musical Direction

Pacific Theatre's Erla Faye Forsyth wins Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role/Small Theatre for How to Write a New Book for the Bible
[Pacific Theatre’s Erla Faye Forsyth wins Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role/Small Theatre]

Small Theatre
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role – Small Theatre:
John Emmet Tracy, Terminus – Pi Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role – Small Theatre:
Erla Faye Forsyth, How to Write a New Book For the Bible – Pacific Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Small Theatre:
Brett Harris, Mojo – ITSAZOO Productions

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Small Theatre:
France Perras, Porc-épic – Théâtre la Seizième

Outstanding Lighting Design – Small Theatre:
Alan Brodie, Terminus – Pi Theatre

Outstanding Set Design – Small Theatre:
Pam Johnson, Shelter from the Storm – Touchstone Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design – Small Theatre:
Drew Facey, Broken Sex Doll – The Virtual Stage

Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition – Small Theatre:
Anton Lipovetsky, Broken Sex Doll – The Virtual Stage

Outstanding Direction – Small Theatre:
Craig Holzschuh, Porc-épic – Théâtre la Seizième

Significant Artistic Achievement – Small Theatre:
Colin Decker, Carey Dodge, Tara Cheyenne Friedenburg, Brae Norwiss, Sean Tyson, John Webber, Jay Dodge, Sherry Yoon, Boca Del Lupo – Photog/Artistic Achievement in Technical Integration

Linda Leon's Jessie for Set, Props, and Costume Design/Theatre for Young Audiences
[Linda Leon’s Jessie for Set, Props, and Costume Design/Theatre for Young Audiences]

Theatre for Young Audiences
Outstanding Performance – Theatre for Young Audiences:
Raes Calvert and Linda Carson, Where the Wild Things Are – Presentation House

Outstanding Design – Theatre for Young Audiences:
Linda Leon, Set, Props, and Costume Design, Where the Wild Things Are – Presentation House

Outstanding Artistic Creation – Theatre for Young Audiences:
Kim Selody, Direction, Where the Wild Things Are – Presentation House

Significant Artistic Achievement – Theatre for Young Audiences:
Where the Wild Things Are, Outstanding Production – Presentation House

Outstanding Original Script:
Yvette Nolan, The Unplugging – Arts Club Theatre Company

Critics’ Choice Innovation Award:
Winners and Losers – Theatre Replacement and Neworld Theatre (in association with Crow’s Theatre)

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