Thanks to Harry Duke, theatre writer for the North Bay Bohemian and member of both the SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle and the Marquee Theatre Journalists Association, for compiling this list of nominations. See his article HERE.
Theatre Bay Area, the largest organization of its kind nationally, announced the nominees, AKA “Finalists,” for its 6th Annual TBA Awards (for the 2018-19 season), and North Bay artists and companies have garnered a respectable 52 nominations. The awards will be presented on Monday, November 4, at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco.
The TBA Awards strive to honor excellence in professionally oriented theatre through a peer-based, Bay Area-wide adjudication process, observing artists and productions from companies who are Theatre Bay Area members and pay a small fee to participate in the awards program. Participating companies also commit a specific number of their production team personnel to be adjudicators, attending other theaters’ productions.
Participating North Bay companies include 6th Street Playhouse, Cinnabar Theater, Left Edge Theatre, Lucky Penny Productions, Marin Musical Theatre Company, Marin Shakespeare Company, Marin Theatre Company, Mountain Play Association, Novato Theater Company, Ross Valley Players, Sonoma Arts Live and Spreckels Theatre Company.
TBA divides its awards into three tier categories with the intent to create an equitable system of evaluation for production aspects that can be influenced by levels of professional development and/or available resources. The tiers are based on the following criteria:
Tier I: Productions in this tier operate under LORT or BAT contracts with Actors Equity Association (AEA). Companies operating with LORT or BAT contracts and annual budget in excess of $1M must participate in Tier I. Companies operating with LORT or BAT contracts but an annual budget below $1M may choose to participate in Tier I or Tier II. Tier I productions must be seen by a minimum of 12 adjudicators.
Tier II: Productions in this tier operate under some AEA contracts and/or an annual operating budget of $400K or above. Companies operating under an AEA contract and an annual operating budget of below $400K may choose to participate in Tier II or Tier III. Tier II productions must be seen by a minimum of 9 adjudicators.
Tier III: Productions in this tier have no AEA requirement and operate on an annual budget below $400K. Tier III productions must be seen by a minimum of 6 adjudicators.
Here are the North Bay-related nominations:
Design Awards
Properties Design
Tier II – Elizabeth Bazzano for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time at Spreckels Theatre Company
Costume Design
Tier III – Adrianna Gutierrez for Uncle Vanya at Birdbath Theatres
Lighting Design
Tier II – Eddy Hansen for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time at Spreckels Theatre Company
Sound Design
Tier II – Jessica Johnson for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time at Spreckels Theatre Company
Tier III – Joe Winkler for The Nether at Left Edge Theatre
Creative Specialties
Tier II – Richard Turtletaub for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time at Spreckels Theatre Company
Performance in a Play Awards
Ensemble
Tier II – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time at Spreckels Theatre Company
Tier III – Drumming with Anubis at Left Edge Theatre
Hand to God at Left Edge Theatre
The Nether at Left Edge Theatre
Rapture, Blister, Burn at Lucky Penny Productions
Performance in a Featured Role
Tier I – Alfredo Huereca for The Who & The What at Marin Theatre Company
Denmo Ibrahim for The Who & The What at Marin Theatre Company
Tier II – Gina Alvarado for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time at Spreckels Theatre Company
Bronwen Shears for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time at Spreckels Theatre Company
David L. Yen for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time at Spreckels Theatre Company
Tier III – Pilar Gonzales for Rapture, Blister, Burn at Lucky Penny Productions
Tim Setzer for Arsenic and Old Lace at Sonoma Arts Live
Performance in a Principal Role
Tier I – Steven A. Jones for How I Learned What I Learned at Marin Theatre Company
Tier II – Elijah Pinkham for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time at Spreckels Theatre Company
Tier III – Dean Linnard for Hand to God at Left Edge Theatre
Chris Schloemp for Drumming with Anubis at Left Edge Theatre
Michael Ray Wisely for Rapture, Blister, Burn at Lucky Penny Productions
David L. Yen for The Nether at Left Edge Theatre
Performance in a Musical Awards
Ensemble
Tier II – Million Dollar Quartet at 6th Street Playhouse
Tier III – Bingo! The Winning Musical at Lucky Penny Productions
Legally Blonde at Marin Musical Theatre
My Fair Lady at Sonoma Arts Live
Performance in a Featured Role
Tier III – Dani Beem for Legally Blonde at Marin Musical Theatre
Emily Dwyer for Spring Awakening at Marin Musical Theatre Company
Tim Setzer for My Fair Lady at Sonoma Arts Live
Performance in a Principal Role
Tier II – Nick Kenrick for Million Dollar Quartet at 6th Street Playhouse
Tier III – Jake Gale for You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown at Novato Theater Company
Sarah Wintermeyer for My Fair Lady at Sonoma Arts Live
Choreography and Direction Awards
Choreography
Tier III – Staci Arriaga for My Fair Lady at Sonoma Arts Live
Katie Wickes for Legally Blonde at Marin Musical Theatre
Fight Choreography
Tier II – Marty Pistone for Hamlet at Spreckels Theatre Company
Marty Pistone for Moon Over Buffalo at 6th Street Playhouse
Tier III – Richard Squeri for Deathtrap at Ross Valley Players
Richard Squeri for Uncle Vanya at Birdbath Theatres
Music Direction
Tier II – Cesar Cancino for Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter at Cinnabar Theater
Tier III – Jake Gale for Spring Awakening at Marin Musical Theatre
Direction of a Play
Tier I – Margo Hall for How I Learned What I Learned at Marin Theatre Company
Tier II – Elizabeth Craven for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time at Spreckels Theatre Company
Tier III – David Abrams for Uncle Vanya at Birdbath Theatres
Production Awards
Outstanding Production of a Musical
Tier II – Million Dollar Quartet at 6th Street Playhouse
Tier III – My Fair Lady at Sonoma Arts Live
Outstanding Production of a Play
Tier I – How I Learned What I Learned at Marin Theatre Company
Tier II – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time at Spreckels Theatre Company
Tier III – Drumming with Anubis at Left Edge Theatre
Hand to God at Left Edge Theatre
Outstanding World Premiere Play
David Templeton for Drumming with Anubis at Left Edge Theatre.
Congratulations to all the North Bay nominees! So much great theatre in this region!
— Jeanie Smith
Critic At Large 2.0 