Blue Barn, playhouse win theater awards
SNAP! gets 4 Awards
By Bob Fischbach
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
The Blue Barn Theatre and the Omaha Community Playhouse shared top honors Sunday night at the annual Theatre Arts Guild Awards.

While the playhouse's “Fiddler on the Roof” won best musical and its quirky romance “Almost, Maine” was chosen best comedy, the Blue Barn's Pulitzer-winning show about grief, “Rabbit Hole,” took the best-drama plaque.

The playhouse's “Death of a Salesman” notched the most wins among dramas, including Kevin Lawler as best director, Bernie Clark (Willie Loman) as best actor, Anthony Clark-Kaczmarek (Biff) as best supporting actor and Jonathan Wilhoft (Charley) as best featured actor, all in comedy-drama categories. Amy Reiner won for the show's props design.

“Rabbit Hole” won comedy-drama awards for Amy Lane as lead actress and MaryBeth Adams as supporting actress. They played a mother, Becca, and grandmother, Nat.

The Blue Barn's “Reefer Madness — the Musical” was the most honored musical, winning for Roxanne Nielsen's choreography, Mitch Fuller's music direction, Jennifer Pool's costumes, Martin Scott Marchitto's set design and musical supporting actress Theresa Sindelar as Mae.

Best actor in a musical went to Mark Thornburg as Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof,” and Susan Baer Collins won best director of a musical for “Fiddler.”

The Blue Barn's “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” got two awards, for Carol Wisner's lighting design and Martin Magnuson's sound design.

Overall, the Blue Barn won 10 awards and the playhouse nine, from among 30 handed out Sunday.
Audrey Fisher won lead actress in a musical for her portrayal of Mimi in SNAP's production of “Rent.” Wayne Moore, who played Tom Collins in the same show, won supporting actor. Featured actor and actress winners for musicals were Connie Jo Podendorf as the Widow Corney in Bellevue Little Theatre's “Oliver,” and Joe Blackstad as King Herod in the Chanticleer Theater's “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

Ashley Spessard won featured actress in a comedy-drama as Lady Anne in the Brigit St. Brigit Theatre's production of “Richard III.”

Youth acting awards went to Ashton Taylor for the title role in the Rose Theater's production of “Annie” and to Noah Diaz as Howie in SNAP's sex comedy “Speech & Debate.”

“Speech & Debate” also won the ensemble award for a hilarious interpretive dance scene.
“Mrs. Jennings' Sitter,” a new play by Ellen Struve staged by the Shelterbelt Theatre, was named outstanding one-act. The Blue Barn's Witching Hour won best new script for “Sex — the Musical.” Outstanding special event went to the Children's Respite Care Center for its production of “Ain't Misbehavin' ”

Special honors chosen by TAG's board included a lifetime achievement award for Collins, associate artistic director at the playhouse; a backstage award to the playhouse's sound designer, John Gibilisco; and an educator award to Bill Hutson, longtime theater professor at Creighton University. Volunteer awards went to Dan and Roxanne Wach and Anne Shaughnessy.

The 30 other awards were voted on by members of the guild for shows that opened between late June 2009 and mid-June 2010. Going into award night, top nominated shows were “Rent,” with 20; “Reefer Madness,” with 14; and “Fiddler on the Roof,” with 13. “Rabbit Hole” and “Death of a Salesman” had eight nominations each.

Here is a complete list of Theatre Arts Guild awards handed out Sunday night in ballot categories. The awards cover community theater shows in the metro area that opened from late June 2009 to mid-June 2010.

BEST SHOW
Musical: “Fiddler on the Roof,” Omaha Community Playhouse
Drama: “Rabbit Hole,” Blue Barn Theatre
Comedy: “Almost, Maine,” playhouse
One-act: “Mrs. Jennings' Sitter,” Shelterbelt Theatre
Special event: “Ain't Misbehavin',” Children's Respite Care Center

DIRECTION
Stage director, musical: Susan Baer Collins, “Fiddler on the Roof,” playhouse
Music director, musical: Mitch Fuller, “Reefer Madness — the Musical,” Blue Barn
Stage director, comedy or drama: Kevin Lawler, “Death of a Salesman,” playhouse
Choreographer: Roxanne Nielsen, “Reefer Madness — the Musical,” Blue Barn

ACTING, COMEDY-DRAMA
Lead actress: Amy Lane, Becca, “Rabbit Hole,” Blue Barn
Lead actor: Bernie Clark, Willy Loman, “Death of a Salesman,” playhouse
Supporting actress: MaryBeth Adams, Nat, “Rabbit Hole,” Blue Barn
Supporting actor: Anthony Clark-Kaczmarek, Biff, “Death of a Salesman,” playhouse
Featured actress: Ashley Spessard, Lady Anne, “Richard III,” Brigit St. Brigit Theatre
Featured actor: Jonathan Wilhoft, Charley, “Death of a Salesman,” playhouse

ACTING, MUSICALS:
Lead actor: Mark Thornburg, Tevye, “Fiddler on the Roof,” playhouse
Lead actress: Audrey Fisher, Mimi, “Rent,” SNAP! Productions
Supporting actor: Wayne Moore, Tom Collins, “Rent,” SNAP!
Supporting actress: Theresa Sindelar, Mae, “Reefer Madness — the Musical,” Blue Barn
Featured actor: Joe Blackstad, King Herod, “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Chanticleer Theater
Featured actress: Connie Jo Podendorf, Widow Corney, “Oliver,” Bellevue Little Theatre

ACTING, OTHER
Youth actress: Ashton Taylor, Annie, “Annie,” the Rose
Youth actor: Noah Diaz, Howie, “Speech & Debate,” SNAP!
Ensemble: “Speech & Debate,” interpretive dance scene, SNAP!

THEATRE ARTS
Scenic design: Martin Scott Marchitto, “Reefer Madness — the Musical,” Blue Barn
Costume design: Jennifer Pool, “Reefer Madness — the Musical,” Blue Barn
Lighting design: Carol Wisner, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Blue Barn
Sound design: Martin Magnuson, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Blue Barn
Props design: Amy Reiner, “Death of a Salesman,” playhouse
Original script: Cast, Blue Barn's Witching Hour, “Sex — the Musical”

Honors chosen by the TAG board and presented Sunday:
Lifetime achievement award: Susan Baer Collins, associate artistic director at the playhouse
Backstage award: John Gibilisco, sound designer at the playhouse
Theater educator award: Bill Hutson, longtime theater professor at Creighton University
Volunteer recognition awards: Dan and Roxanne Wach, Anne Shaughnessy