New Berkshire Theatre Awards Program Names Winners

PITTSFIELD, Mass. - The winners of the First Annual Berkshire Theatre Awards have been announced. Seventeen arts journalists voted on 120 nominees in 25 categories chosen from artists in the 75 live theatre productions mounted in Berkshire County and adjacent areas between October 1, 2015, and September 30, 2016.

The winner of the special Larry Murray Award, to be given to a person or theater project that advances social, political or community issues, will not be announced until the Winners’ Celebration at 5 p.m. on Nov. 13 at Mr. Finn’s Cabaret in Pittsfield. Nominees for the Larry Murray Award are Kristen van Ginhoven, co-founder and artistic director of WAM Theatre, and Julianne Boyd, artistic director of Barrington Stage; and the three Vermont theater companies that teamed up to produce all three plays in Alan Ayckbourn's "The Norman Conquests" this past summer – the Dorset Theatre Festival, Northern Stage Company, and the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company.

"If these awards indicate who is doing the best work in the Berkshires, then Barrington Stage and Shakespeare & Company have to be at the top of anyone's list," said awards organizer Larry Murray of BerkshireOnStage.com. "Those two companies received the majority of wins, with WAM Theatre and Berkshire Theatre Group also receiving recognition of their work. That the Williamstown Theatre Festival came close in many categories without securing its own place in the awards will undoubtedly be cause for speculation. It seems the critics have spoken."

There were tie votes in both the male and female Outstanding Support Performance categories, and many of the votes were extremely close.

Outstanding Production of a Play - Large Theatre: "American Son" (Barrington Stage Company)

 
Outstanding Production of a Play - Intimate Theatre: "Cry Havoc" (Shakespeare & Company)


Outstanding Production of a Musical - Large Theatre: "The Pirates of Penzance" (Barrington Stage Company)


Outstanding Production of a Musical - Intimate Theatre: "Broadway Bounty Hunter" (Barrington Stage Company)

 
Outstanding Production of a New Play: "American Son" (Barrington Stage Company)

Outstanding Production of a New Musical: "Broadway Bounty Hunter" (Barrington Stage Company)


Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor - Large Theatre: Will Swenson in "The Pirates of Penzance" (Barrington Stage Company)

 
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor - Intimate Theatre: Stephan Wolfert in "Cry Havoc" (Shakespeare & Company)

 
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor - Large Theatre: Tamara Tunie in "American Son" (Barrington Stage Company)

 
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor - Intimate Theatre: Debra Jo Rupp in "Kimberly Akimbo" (Barrington Stage Company)

 
Outstanding Supporting Performance by a Male Actor - Large Theatre (tie): John Hadden in "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" (Shakespeare & Company) and Andre Ware in "American Son" (Barrington Stage Company)

Outstanding Supporting Performance by a Female Actor - Large Theatre (tie): Nehassiu De Gannes in "Or," (Shakespeare & Company) and Scarlett Strallen in "The Pirates of Penzance" (Barrington Stage Company)

 
Outstanding Supporting Performance by a Female Actor - Intimate Theatre: Dana Harrison in "Holy Laughter" (WAM Theatre)

 
Outstanding Direction of a Play - Large Theatre: Julianne Boyd for "American Son" (Barrington Stage Company)

 
Outstanding Direction of a Play - Intimate Theatre: Eric Tucker for "Cry Havoc" (Shakespeare & Company)

 
Outstanding Direction of a Musical - Large Theatre: John Rando for "The Pirates of Penzance" (Barrington Stage Company)

 
Outstanding Direction of a Musical - Intimate Theatre: Julianne Boyd for "Broadway Bounty Hunter" (Barrington Stage Company)


Outstanding Choreography - Large Theatre: Joshua Bergasse for "The Pirates of Penzance" (Barrington Stage Company)

 
Outstanding Choreography - Intimate Theatre: Jeffrey Page for "Broadway Bounty Hunter" (Barrington Stage Company)

 
Outstanding Scenic Design for Play or Musical: Beowulf Borritt for "The Pirates of Penzance" (Barrington Stage Company)

 
Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play or Musical: Jason Lyons for "The Pirates of Penzance" (Barrington Stage Company)

 
Best Costume Design for a Play or Musical: Jess Goldstein for "The Pirates of Penzance" (Barrington Stage Company)

Outstanding Sound Design for Play or Musical: Scott Killian for "Constellations" (Berkshire Theatre Group)

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