Black is the Colour

No production dominated this year’s Jessies Award ceremony at the Commodore Ballroom, although black was a common theme in the outstanding production categories.

In addition to winning for Outstanding Production in the Small Theatre category for The Triumph of Love, Blackbird Theatre also won for Outstanding Direction (Johnna Wright), and Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Marie Stillin). Blackbird has now won Outstanding Production two years in a row; last year they won in the Large Theatre category for Peer Gynt. Quite an accomplishment for a still very young company.

Also in small theatre, two awards were given to the Presentation House production of The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?: Jay Brazeau for Outstanding Performance by an actor in a Lead Role and Kevin McNulty for Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role. Outstanding Set and Sound Design awards were won by Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Theatre for 4.48 Psychosis.

The black in Large Theatre belonged to November Theatre’s adventurous The Black Rider, which won for Outstanding Production. The story of The Black Rider is an inspiring one of a show evolving from a fringe hit to mainstage triumph, winning out against productions from Bard on the Beach, Touchstone and the Playhouse. Intriguingly, although nominated for the Innovation Award, The Black Rider was only nominated in one other category, Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role (Kevin Corey, who was phenomenal). Bob Fazer won for taming a shrew last summer at Bard.

The Innovation Award went – fittingly – to Clark and I Somewhere in Connecticut, James Long’s exhilarating one man show which was a co-production between Theatre Replacement and Rumble Productions.

The winner in the Theatre for Young Audiences category was Carousel Theatre’s production of Seussical The Musical which received 3 awards – Outstanding Production, Outstanding Artistic Creation, and the always brilliant Allan Zinyk for Outstanding Performance. Carousel also received the Canada Council for the Arts $10,000 prize. The ensemble involved in Green Thumb’s Steel Kiss was recognized with a Significant Achievement Award in Large Theatre.

Earlier in the evening, Johanna Wright also won the Ray Michal Award for Outstanding Work or Body of Work by an Emerging Director. The Sydney Risk Prize for Outstanding Original Script by an Emerging Playwright went to James Long; the GVPTA Career Achievement award was won jointly by Glynis Leyshon and Del Surjik and Daniel MacIvor won Outstanding Original Script for His Greatness. In addition, Norman Armour was recognized for his work on the PuSh Festival with an award for Outstanding Contribution to Vancouver Theatre.

Josh Epstein deserves a special mention for reinventing quite possibly the dreariest song of the last ten years – Hey there Delilah by the Plain White T’s – and in the process name-checking all the titles of the nominated shows this year. A real highlight!

A list of all the winners can be found at the Jessie website, which is right here.