Performance and Production Awards | Design Exhibition and Competition Awards

Over 600 people participated in this American Association of Community Theatre Flagship event, with performances, workshops and exhibitions open to the public.

The Geva Theatre Center was the venue where 12 performing companies (see below) presented their work. There were six performance sessions, and a Tony-style awards show (see awards listing, below) that closed the festivities. Geva also housed the National Design Exhibition and Competition, which  featured work by lighting, sound, costume, web and set designers.

Nearby, Roberts Wesleyan College was the venue for a three-day Pre-Festival Theatre Conference offering sessions on lighting, stage design, costuming techniques, sound, makeup and other theatre disciplines. 

A three-day Pre-Festival Theatre Management Conference was held at the Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside, the official AACTFest11 hotel.

There also were three mornings of workshops covering a variety of topics; exhibits by theatre supply vendors, playwrights and publishers; and evening social events that provided networking opportunities.

AACTFest11 was hosted by the Theatre Association of New York State (TANYS) and its member companies and individuals. Volunteers from these member companies, plus those from the Eastern States Theatre Association, were involved in planning and implementing AACTFest11 activities.

Productions by Performing Companies

• The Bear - Arlekin Studio (Newton, MA)

• Hauptmann - SHAPE (Mons, Belgium)

• The Gin Game – Broken Arrow Community Playhouse (Broken Arrow, OK)

• Sunday in the Park with George – Manatee Players (Bradenton, FL)

• 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – Spokane Civic Theatre (Spokane, WA) 

• Wiley and the Hairy Man – County Seat Theatre Company (Cloquet, MN)

• The Zoo Story – Chapel Street Players (Newark, DE)

• Parallel Lives – Evergreen Players (Evergreen, CO)

• Second Samuel – Wetumpka Depot Players (Wetumpka, AL)

• Check, Please – Chino Community Theatre (Chino, CA)

• Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead - Ohlook Performing Arts Center (Grapevine, TX)

• Urinetown - The Musical – CenterStage–Midland Center for the Arts (Midland, MI)

AWARDS

Backstage Award -- Musical -- Sunday in the Park with George
Backstage Award -- Play -- Wiley and the Hairy Man

Overall Best Production -- Dog Sees God -- Ohlook Performing Arts Center, Grapevine, TX
Runner-Up: Urinetown: the Musical -- Center Stage -- Midland Center for the Arts, Midland, MI
2nd Runner-up: Sunday in the Park With George -- Manatee Players, Bradenton, FL

Lead Actor
Nominations:
From The Zoo Story, Patrick Cathcart (Jerry)
From Second Samuel, Jonathan Conner (B-Flat)
From Dog Sees God, Evan Spreen (C.B.)
From The Bear, Gene Ravvin (Smirnov)
Winner: Patrick Cathcart

Lead Actress
Nominations:
From The Bear, Alana Kumalagova (Popova)
From Sunday in the Park With George, Dianne Dawson (Dot)
From Parallel Lives, Gail Montgomery
Winner: Dianne Dawson

Director:
From Dog Sees God, Jill Blalock
From Urinetown, Bill Anderson, Jr.
From The Bear, Igor Golyak
From Wiley & the Hairy Man, Cheryl Kramer-Milder
Winner: Jill Blalock

Supporting Actor
From The Bear, Eduard Snitkovsky (Luka)
From Spelling Bee, Mark Pleasant (Lief)
From Second Samuel, Steve Mitchell (U.S.)
From Dog Sees God, Lloyd Harvey (Beethoven)
From Urinetown, Paul Yakuber (Lockstock)
Winner: Lloyd Harvey

Supporting Actress
From Sunday in the Park with George, Grace Gibbs, Yvonne
From Spelling Bee, Lacey Bohnet, Olive
From Dog Sees God, Lacey Jane Smith, C.B.'s Sister
From Urinetown, Carol Rhumba, Pennywise
Winner: Lacey Bohnet

Costume Design:
From Sunday in the Park with George, David Walker
From Wiley and the Hairy Man, Cheryl Kramer-Milder
From Urinetown, Laurelei Horton
Winner: David Walker

Lighting Design
From The Bear, Mike McTeague
From Hauptmann, Dan LaMorte
From Spelling Bee, Bryan Durbin
From Wiley & the Hairy Man, Frank Milder
Winner: Frank Milder

Sound Design
From The Bear, Igor Golyak & Mike McTeague
From Wiley & the Hairy Man, Frank Milder
From Dog Sees God, Jill Blalock
Winner: Jill Blalock

Best Ensemble
Spelling Bee
Parallel Lives
Dog Sees God
Winner: Dog Sees God

Featured Actor
From Sunday in the Park With George, Ken Basque (Mister)
From Second Samuel, Brad Moon (Doc)
From Dog Sees God, Matt Purvis (Van)
Winner, Matt Purvis

Featured Actress
From Sunday in the Park With George, Ellie Pattison (Nurse, Peaches)
From Dog Sees God, Heather Biddle, Van's Sister
From Urinetown, R. Jeanne Gilbert, Josephine Strong
Winner: Josephine Strong

Scenic Design
From Hauptmann, Dan LaMorte
From Sunday in the Park with George, Mark Lalosh
From Urinetown, Bill Anderson, Jr.
Winner: Urinetown

Discretionary Awards
Scenery & Projections: Mark Lalosh, Sunday in the Park With George
Choreography, Kelli Jolly, Urinetown
Musical Accompaniment, Spelling Bee
Outstanding Choral Ensemble, Urinetown
.

Design Exhibition and Competition Awards
June 20 -26, 2011

Judges
Gretchen Bye, Creative Supervisor, partners + napier, Rochester, NY
Czerton Lim, Set Designer, Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Auburn, based out of NYC

Best of Show

Alice in Wonderland - Joseph McWilliams, SHAPE Performing Arts Center, Mons, Belgium

Costume Design

• Best - Peter Pan - Kristen Lences, Laurelie Horton, Midland Center for the Arts, Midland MI

• Special Merit - Best Craftsmanship - The King and I - Nick Hartman, Venice Theatre, Venice, FL

• Special Merit - Innovative Use of Materials - The Reptile Woman - Sugar Bean Sisters - Sherida Black, Wetumpka Depo Theatre, Wetumpka, AL

Graphic Design

• Best - Alice in Wonderland - Joseph McWilliams, SHAPE Performing Arts
  Center, Mons, Belgium

• Special Merit -Integrated Marketing - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Randall Hartzog,
  Theatre Memphis, Memphis, TN

Set Design

• Best - Sunday in the Park with George - Marc Lalosh - Manatee Players,
  Bradenton, FL

• Special Merit - Innovative Use of Space - Diary of Anne Frank - John & Kathy
  Campbell, Monroe Actors Stage Company, Columbia, IL

Sound Design

• Best - The Pillowman - Corey Neale, Bootless Arts Works, Wilmington, DE

Special Effects 

• Best - Seussical, Jr. - Black Light Fish - Aerin Lanphear, Geneva Theatre Guild,
  Geneva, NY