Jessie Award Winners 2019
The 37th annual Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards were held on Monday, July 15th at Bard on the Beach in the BMO Mainstage in Vanier Park, an amazing theatrical venue in a magnificent setting. The awards celebrate excellence in professional theatre and salutes all the talent who contribute to Vancouver’s fantastic theatre scene. Fifty theatrical productions were nominated from last years’ dynamic theatre season.
The Jessie Awards are divided into three categories –Small Theatre, Large Theatre and Theatre for Young Audiences – along with a variety of special awards and prizes.
There were five shows awarded Jessies in the Small Theatre category, two of which tied with 4 Jessies each. Both were musicals, one a Stephen Sondheim show and the other, a new work locally conceived, written and produced. The Snapshots Collective’s production of Sondheim’s musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Fleet Street garnered its 4 Jessies by saluting the exhilarating performances of Warren Kimmel and Colleen Winton, along with supporting actor Oliver Castillo, and also nabbed the award for Outstanding Musical Production. The cutting edge new Canadian musical, Les Filles du Roi, produced by Fugue Theatre/Raven Theatre/Urban Ink/The Cultch, garnered 4 Jessies. The designers nabbed 3 of those awards: Marshall McMahen for Set Design, Marshall McMahen and Konwahonwá:wi Stacey for Costume Design, Corey Payette and Kyra Soko for Sound Design or Original Composition and Corey Payette winning for Outstanding Direction.
The remaining awards in this category the frank theatre company/Queer Arts Festival’s production of Camera Obscura (hungry ghosts) nabbed Outstanding Production with James Proudfoot winning for Lighting Design. Alannah Ong received a nod for her outstanding performance in The Ones We Leave Behind by Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre and Delinquent Theatre’s production of Never the Last, gave Molly MacKinnon and Christine Quintana a Jessie for Significant Artistic Achievement for outstanding interdisciplinary collaboration involving the imaginative integration of dance, live musical performance and theatre.
In the Large Theatre category Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival took the lead with 5 Jessies divided between three productions. Timon of Athens won 2 of these with lead actor Colleen Wheeler winning for her performance along with interminable award winner, Drew Facey for his set design. Their production of Lysistrata nabbed the Critic’s Choice Innovation Award along with Barbara Clayden garnering a Jessie for her imaginative costumes. Bard on the Beach’s joyous adaptation of the Beatles inspired version of As You Like it won for Outstanding Production of a Musical. Théâtre la Seizième’s production followed with 4 Jessies for Le Soulier (The Shoe) that included actor Félix Beauchamp winning for his outstanding performance along with David Paquet acknowledged for Outstanding Original Script.
The remaining awards in this category were given to the Arts Club Theatre Company garnering two nods: one to Nora McLellan for her supporting role performance in The Matchmaker and the other to Itai Erdal for Lighting Design in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The Outstanding Production and Significant Artistic Achievement Jessies were given to Kamloopa by The Cultch (in partnership with Western Canada Theatre, Persephone Theatre and Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre, and in collaboration with National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre). Adam Grant Warren nabbed the Jessie for Outstanding Performance in a Supportive Role for his heart wrenching work in Touchstone Theatre’s production of Kill Me Now.
The Theatre for Young Audiences category recognized Carousel Theatre for Young People’s delightful new musical, Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play” for Outstanding Production with Kayla Dunbar getting a nod for Outstanding Artistic Creation. Jake Walker was awarded Outstanding Performance for his portrayal in Jack and the Magic Bean by Presentation House Theatre. This clever storytelling work with theatrical magic was also recognized for Significant Artistic Achievement for outstanding risky and improvised audience engagement. A Jessie was given to Shizuka Kai, Jessica Oostergo and Brad Trenaman for Outstanding Design for Raven Spirit Dance’s Salmon Girl for ensemble design (set, costume, lighting).
There were also a number of additional awards. The Vancouver Now Representation and Inclusion Award was given to Heather Redfern and The Cultch, Grant Burnyeat received the Patron of the Arts Award and Stephanie Kirkland was acknowledged for her untiring work by receiving the Mary Phillips Prize for Behind the Scenes Achievement. Andrew Wheeler was awarded the John Moffat & Larry Lilo Prize and David Diamond received the GVPTA Career Achievement Award.
Holding Space Productions produced this year’s ceremony that was fun, and moved quickly and effortlessly. Here’s to another extraordinary year of a dynamic theatre season presented by our talented and rich community of artists. Bravo to all!
Below is a complete list of all winners.
37th Annual JESSIE AWARD WINNERS
Small Theatre
Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Small Theatre
Warren Kimmel – Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Fleet Street – The Snapshots Collective
Outstanding Performance by an Actress – Small Theatre
Colleen Winton – Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Fleet Street – The Snapshots Collective
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Small Theatre
Oliver Castillo – Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Fleet Street – The Snapshots Collective
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Small Theatre
Alannah Ong – The Ones We Leave Behind – Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre
Outstanding Lighting Design – Small Theatre
James Proudfoot – Camera Obscura (hungry ghosts) – the frank theatre company/Queer Arts Festival
Outstanding Set Design – Small Theatre
Marshall McMahen – Les Filles du Roi – Fugue Theatre/Raven Theatre/Urban Ink/The Cultch
Outstanding Costume Design – Small Theatre
Marshall McMahen & Konwahonwá:wi Stacey – Les Filles du Roi – Fugue Theatre/Raven Theatre/Urban Ink/The Cultch
Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition – Small Theatre
Corey Payette & Kyra Soko – Les Filles du Roi – Fugue Theatre/Raven Theatre/Urban Ink/The Cultch
Outstanding Direction – Small Theatre
Corey Payette – Les Filles du Roi – Fugue Theatre/Raven Theatre/Urban Ink/The Cultch
Outstanding Production – Small Theatre
Camera Obscura (hungry ghosts) – the frank theatre company/Queer Arts Festival
Outstanding Production – Musical – Small Theatre
Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Fleet Street – The Snapshots Collective
Significant Artistic Achievement – Small Theatre
Molly MacKinnon & Christine Quintana – Never the Last – Delinquent Theatre – Outstanding interdisciplinary collaboration involving the imaginative integration of dance, live musical performance and theatre
Large Theatre
Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Large Theatre
Félix Beauchamp- Le Soulier – Théâtre la Seizième
Outstanding Performance by an Actress – Large Theatre
Colleen Wheeler – Timon of Athens – Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Large Theatre
Adam Grant Warren – Kill Me Now – Touchstone Theatre
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Large Theatre
Nora McLellan – The Matchmaker – Arts Club Theatre Company
Outstanding Lighting Design – Large Theatre
Itai Erdal – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Arts Club Theatre Company
Outstanding Set Design – Large Theatre
Drew Facey – Timon of Athens – Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Outstanding Costume Design – Large Theatre
Barbara Clayden – Lysistrata – Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition – Large Theatre
Malcolm Dow – Le Soulier – Théâtre la Seizième
Georgia Straight Outstanding Direction – Large Theatre
Esther Duquette & Gilles Poulin-Denis – Le Soulier – Théâtre la Seizième
Outstanding Production – Large Theatre
Kamloopa – The Cultch – (in partnership with Western Canada Theatre, Persephone Theatre and Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre, and in collaboration with National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre)
Outstanding Production – Musical – Large Theatre
As You Like it – Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Significant Artistic Achievement – Large Theatre
Kim Senklip Harvey & Lindsay Lachance – Kamloopa – The Cultch – (in partnership with Western Canada Theatre, Persephone Theatre and Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre, and in collaboration with National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre) Outstanding decolonization of theatre spaces and practices.
Theatre for Young Audiences
Outstanding Performance – Theatre for Young Audiences
Jake Walker – Jack and the Magic Bean – Presentation House Theatre
Outstanding Design – Theatre for Young Audiences
Shizuka Kai, Jessica Oostergo, Brad Trenaman – Salmon Girl – Raven Spirit Dance – Ensemble Design (set, costume, lighting)
Outstanding Artistic Creation – Theatre for Young Audiences
Kayla Dunbar – Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play” – Carousel Theatre for Young People
Outstanding Production – Theatre for Young Audiences
Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play” – Carousel Theatre for Young People
Significant Artistic Achievement – Theatre for Young Audiences
Jack and the Magic Bean – Presentation House Theatre – Outstanding risky and improvised audience engagement
ADDITIONAL AWARDS
Outstanding Original Script
David Paquet – Le Soulier (The Shoe) – Théâtre la Seizième
Critic’s Choice Innovation Award
Lysistrata – Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Vancouver Now Representation and Inclusion Award
Heather Redfern and The Cultch
Patron of the Arts Award
Grant Burnyeat
Mary Phillips Prize for Behind the Scenes Achievement
Stephane Kirkland
Sam Payne Award for the Most Promising Newcomer
Taran Kootenhayoo
John Moffat & Larry Lilo Prize
Andrew Wheeler
GVPTA Career Achievement Award
David Diamond
Sydney Risk Prize
Kim Senklip Harvey for Kamloopa
Colin Campbell Award for Excellence in Technical Theatre
Adrian Muir
Ray Michal Prize for Most Promising New Director
Marie Farsi
For further information visit – www.jessieawards.com
Media release and images provided by Bonnie Allan, Bonnie Allan PR. Feature image: Critic’s Innovation Award – photo included 4 theatre critics and their winner – Lysistrata – Bard on the Beach Festival
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