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Mikhail Roberts (left) and Steve Copps in Know Theatre’s Thrill Me.
Christopher Guthrie (left) and Jeremy Dubin in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The words that best describe Cincinnati’s 2007-08 theater scene are “balance” and “breadth,” which the 12th annual Cincinnati Entertainment Awards (CEAs) will celebrate. So many outstanding productions and performances were presented on local stages this season that the 20 award categories have been expanded from four to five nominees. That means 20 percent more recognition.
It’s at least by that factor that local theaters have stepped up to entertain audiences during the past 12 months. In fact, the CEA nominations encompass more than 40 productions this year — nearly 30 plays and more than a dozen musicals.
Because the Cincinnati Playhouse produces more shows than any other local theater company, it typically lands a lot of recognition. That’s true again this year: Playhouse productions picked up 19 nominations, including multiple citations for productions including Altar Boyz, Around the World in 80 Days, Othello, Doubt, A Sleeping Country and The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead.
But three other theaters had comparable numbers, working on smaller stages and with fewer productions and lesser resources: Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati each picked up 14, and the fledgling New Stage Collective had 18, including a flurry from its just-opened production of Jerry Springer: The Opera (see Tom McElfresh’s review here).
CEA nominations are determined by a panel of local theater critics who see a lot of onstage work over the course of a season. They identify candidates for 12 categories voted publicly (see the ballot at citybeat.com to vote online).
The winners in another eight categories are determined by the critics panel — technical theater categories, plus awards for an alternative show, outstanding premiere, outstanding drama and outstanding musical.
Ensemble Theatre’s staging of David Lindsay-Abaires Rabbit Hole was a serious drama about a family grappling with the tragedy of a child’s death and the spiraling effect of that event on a family. It’s nominated for outstanding play and scenic design and for performances by Annie Fitzpatrick, Drew Fracher, Sara Mackie and visiting actress Lourlene Snedeker. In addition, all are recognized together as an acting ensemble.
ETC had several strong productions: The Great American Trailer Park Musical is a multiple nominee and candidate for outstanding musical, and August Wilson’s Radio Golf is vying for outstanding premiere.
Cincinnati Shakespeare’s staging of Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night had a powerhouse cast, with individual nominations going to leading actress Dale Hodges and visiting actor Joneal Joplin. Long Day’s Journey was further recognized for its scenic and lighting design.
The company’s stagings of Romeo & Juliet, Cymbeline, Frankenstein, The Glass Menagerie and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (nominated for outstanding play) earned additional recognition.
New Stage Collective produced two big-cast musicals that scored multiple nominations. Caroline, or Change by Jeanine Tesori and Tony Kushner has several candidates in acting categories — Taylore Mahogany Scott in the title role, plus Aretta Baumgartner, Piper Davis and Connor M. Muething — as well as recognition as one of the season’s outstanding musical productions.
Jerry Springer: The Opera snagged five more nominations for acting — Nick Rose as the notorious talk-show host, with Beth Kirkpatrick and Michael Shawn Starks — plus recognition for the show’s large ensemble and a nod as an outstanding premiere.
New Stage earned additional recognition for its powerfully acted production of Tracy Lett’s Bug, featuring Sherman Fracher and Chris Guthrie; an unusual holiday musical, Striking 12; and Richard Greenberg’s fantasia on baseball themes, Take Me Out.
These theaters weren’t the only ones worth visiting during the just-concluded season. UC’s College-Conservatory of Music presented many excellent productions: Sondheim’s Passion is up for outstanding musical, and a brief run of Craig Wright’s Recent Tragic Events is under consideration as one of five local premieres.
Know Theatre has nominees in the same two categories for Martin McDonagh’s dark drama The Pillowman (local premiere) and the small-cast musical about a murder, Thrill Me (outstanding musical).
Memorable performances could be found all over town: New Edgecliff Theatre’s staging of Glengarry Glen Ross featured Michael Shooner as a motor-mouth real-estate guy, while Ovation Theatre Company’s This Is How It Goes offered Michael Monks as a thoroughly untrustworthy narrator.
The area’s excellent community theaters — where musicals like Cincinnati Music Theatre’s Beauty and the Beast and Footlighters’ Children of Eden and plays including Stagecrafters’ The Retreat from Moscow and two productions at Mariemont Players, Weekend Comedy and a one-man show, Give ‘Em Hell, Harry — showcased talent and entertained audiences immensely.
For a full list of CEA nominees, go to CityBeat‘s A&E blog. And don’t forget to vote by Aug. 4. How about a few huzzahs for nearly 100 nominations?
This article appears in Jul 2-8, 2008.
