Robert Benz in The Society For The Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius, Theatre Network. Photo by Ian Jackson, Epic Photography.

Helen Belay, Nicole St. Martin, Isaac Andrew in The Blue Hour, SkirtsAfire Festival.

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca

Two high-contrast shows, one a subterranean prairie slow-burn tragedy and the other a riotous blood-spattered revenge comedy of the Shakespearean persuasion, proved the top choices of jurors as the 33rd annual Sterling Award nominations were announced Monday — from theatrical exile online.

Michele Vance Hehir’s The Blue Hour, which premiered at the 2020 SkirtsAfire Festival, and Colleen Murphy’s The Society For The Destitute Present Titus Bouffonius, produced at Theatre Network, each received nominations in nine of the 24 categories, in Monday’s COVID edition of the annual preface to the Sterling Awards.

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The Sterlings, which get presented June 29 — also online — exist to celebrate the season just past on Edmonton stages. And it was, in the end, the strangest of theatre seasons, in an arts industry that has suffered devastating blows in the pandemic lockdown. A season truncated like no other, in which the curtain abruptly, unseasonably, came crashing down in mid-March two and a half months early — sometimes mid-rehearsal, with a dozen shows at least left to open. It invited (and got)  endless repetitions of the word “unprecedented.”

The Society For The Destitute Present Titus Bouffonius, a go-for-the-gusto bouffon version of Shakespeare’s gruesome Titus Andronicus, picked up nominations for director Bradley Moss and four of his five-member ensemble of actors playing amateur thesps playing characters in the lurid story: Helen Belay’s leading performance and Hunter Cardinal, Marguerite Lawler and Bobbi Goddard in the supporting-role (drama) category. Moss’s gleefully macabre production got nods as well for Tessa Stamp’s dumpster salvage set and her costumes (barraged by the season’s biggest hits in ketchup), and Scott Peters’ lighting.

Annette Loiselle’s production of The Blue Hour, one of five contenders in both the new play and independent production categories, has acting nominations for Ian Leung’s star performance as a morally conflicted preacher, and for two of his supporting-role cast-mates, Nicole St. Martin as a beleaguered single mother and Robert Benz as a conciliatory small-town mayor.

Named for formidable theatre pioneer Elizabeth Sterling Haynes, the Sterlings have continued the innovation of last year, gender-neutral leading and supporting actor  categories — the gender divide replaced by the designation of comedy or drama as determined by the jury. Last year, some 14 of 20 performance nominations went to women; this year 13.

The Invisible – Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Catalyst Theatre. Photo by dbphotographics

The other big nomination draws are two “musicals” that rattle the usual expectations about that form. Of seven Sterling nominations for Catalyst Theatre’s compelling original all-female espionage musical The Invisible – Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare, inspired by real-life World War II history, two are for the score and musical direction by playwright/composer/lyricist/director Jonathan Christenson in collaboration with Matthew Skopyk. Laura Krewski’s choreography received a nod, too. And three nominations are for the stunningly theatrical, graphic novel-esque contributions, in costume, lighting, and multi-media invention, of designer Bretta Gerecke.

As You Like It. Photo by Dylan Hewlett.

The Invisible is in the running for outstanding musical, a category it shares with Daryl Cloran’s playful Citadel/ Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre version of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, a musical collaboration between the Bard and the Fab Four, with a score of some 25 Beatles hits. It’s the recipient of six of the Citadel’s 26 Sterling nominations — including a best director nod for Cloran and a fight direction nomination for Jonathan Hawley Purvis, who provided the E-town season with its only body-slamming wrestling match

Six The Musical: Divorced. Beheaded. Live In Concert. Photo by Liz Lauren.

The five-show outstanding musical category is occupied, as well, by the clever, snazzy pop-rock musical that arrived onstage at the Citadel from the West End and Chicago Shakespeare Theater en route to Broadway. Six, which turned an Edinburgh Fringe success into something an awful lot bigger, conceives of the wives of Henry VIII as pop stars in concert. It received five nominations. And so did Kimberley Rampersad’s fiercely moving Citadel/ Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre production of The Color Purple. The outstanding musical contender received Sterling nods for the director and for Tara Jackson’s deeply affecting star performance, in addition to contributions from musical director Floydd Ricketts.

Mr. Burns, A Post Electric Play. Photo by BB Collective.s

A funny, frightening play that speaks, with maximum originality and force, to the mythologizing of pop culture and the prospect of connection in a post-apocalyptic world was produced jointly by two leading Edmonton indies: Blarney Productions and You Are Here. Andrew Ritchie’s inventively immersive production of the Anne Washburn hit Mr. Burns, A Post Electric Play, which led the audience through three specially created “theatres” fashioned from the Westbury Theatre, received five nominations. 

So did the Citadel/Arts Club Theatre production of the challenging Pulitzer Prize-winner Cost of Living, which conflates economic privation with our conventional notions of disability. It’s one of two Citadel productions (along with Every Brilliant Thing) nominated for outstanding production, along with two from Theatre Network (…Titus Bouffonius and Bed and Breakfast), and Northern Light Theatre’s premiere production of Everybody Loves Robbie.

Richard Lee Hsi and Jayce McKenzie in Everybody Loves Robbie. Photo supplied.

The outstanding new play category is particularly competitive, with nominations spread among big and small stages. Fellow contenders alongside Nicole Moeller’s new thriller The Ballad of Peachtree Rose (which premiered at Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre), and Michele Vance Hehir’s The Blue Hour include the Citadel’s new 1940s adaptation of A Christmas Carol by David van Belle, Jason Chinn’s E Day produced by the indie Serial Collective (which takes us backstage at the actual Alberta election the NDP won in a landslide), and Everybody Loves Robbie, Ellen Chorley’s coming-of-age comedy. 

The nomination list even includes a production specially created in and for this isolating world we inhabit: Mac Brock’s Tracks, directed by Beth Dart, an immersive live event about storytelling from nine artists, in nine different home “theatres.” Techno whiz Bradley King had to figure that out, in order to get his Sterling nomination in multi-media design. 

The special Sterling awards, for outstanding lifetime contributions to Edmonton theatre,  and for career achievement in production and administration, are on hold till 2021 and the return of in-person celebration.  

And here they are, the Sterling Award nominees for 2019-2020

Outstanding Production of a Play: Cost of Living (Citadel Theatre/Arts Club Theatre); Bed and Breakfast (Theatre Network); Everybody Loves Robbie (Northern Light Theatre); The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius (Theatre Network); Every Brilliant Thing (Citadel Theatre)

Timothy Ryan Award For Outstanding Production of a Musical: As You Like It (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre), The Color Purple (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); Baroness Bianka’s Bloodsongs (Northern Light Theatre); Six (Citadel Theatre); The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Catalyst Theatre)

Outstanding New Play (award to playwright): The Ballad of Peachtree Rose by Nicole Moeller (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre); A Christmas Carol by David van Belle (Citadel Theatre); Everybody Loves Robbie by Ellen Chorley (Northern Light Theatre); The Blue Hour by Michele Vance Hehir (SkirtsAfire Festival); E Day by Jason Chinn (Serial Collective)

Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role – drama: Tara Jackson, The Color Purple (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); Alex Dawkins, The Ballad of Peachtree Rose (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre); Ashley Wright, Cost of Living (Citadel Theatre/Arts Club Theatre); Ian Leung, The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire Festival); Christopher Imbrosciano, Cost of Living (Citadel Theatre/Arts Club Theatre)

Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role – comedy: Patricia Cerra, Happy Birthday Baby J (Shadow Theatre); Jayce Mckenzie, Everybody Loves Robbie (Northern Light Theatre); Mathew Hulshof, Bed and Breakfast (Theatre Network); Kristin Johnston, Baroness Bianka’s Bloodsongs (Northern Light Theatre); Helen Belay, The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius (Theatre Network)

Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role – drama: Bahareh Yaraghi, Cost of Living (Citadel Theatre/Arts Club Theatre); Robert Benz, The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire Festival); Nadien Chu, The Winter’s Tale (Freewill Shakespeare Festival); Janelle Cooper, The Color Purple (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); Nicole St Martin, The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire Festival)

Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role – comedy: Hunter Cardinal, The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius (Theatre Network); Marguerite Lawler, The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius (Theatre Network); Oscar Derkx, As You Like It (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); Bobbi Goddard, The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius (Theatre Network); Andrea House, The Bad Seed (Teatro La Quindicina)

Outstanding Director: Kimberley Rampersad, The Color Purple (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); Bradley Moss, The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius (Theatre Network); Daryl Cloran, As You Like It (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); Trevor Schmidt, Everybody Loves Robbie (Northern Light Theatre); Ashlie Corcoran, Cost of Living (Citadel Theatre/Arts Club Theatre)

Outstanding Independent Production: The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire Festival); Mr Burns, a Post Electric Play (Blarney Productions/You Are Here Theatre); Girl in the Machine (Bustle & Beast Theatre); Betrayal (Broken Toys Theatre); E Day (Serial Collective)

Outstanding Set Design: Tessa Stamp for The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius (Theatre Network); Brianna Kolybaba for Mr. Burns, a Post Electric Play (Blarney Productions/You Are Here Theatre); John Dinning for Sleuth (Mayfield Dinner Theatre); Megan Koshka for The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire Festival); Pam Johnson for As You Like It (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)

Outstanding Costume Design: Cory Sincennes, A Christmas Carol (Citadel Theatre); Bretta Gerecke, The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Catalyst Theatre); Gabriella Slade, Six (Citadel Theatre); Tessa Stamp, The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius (Theatre Network); Megan Koshka, The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire Festival)

Outstanding Lighting Design: Tim Deiling, Six (Citadel Theatre);
Scott Peters, The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Buuffonius (Theatre Network); Elise Jason, Baroness Bianka’s Bloodsongs (Northern Light Theatre); Bretta Gerecke, The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Catalyst Theatre); Leigh Ann Vardy, A Christmas Carol (Citadel Theatre)

Outstanding Multi-Media Design: Bretta Gerecke, The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Catalyst Theatre); Bradley King, Tracks (Vena Amoris Projects); Sean Nieuwenhuis, Girl in the Machine (Bustle & Beast Theatre); Matt Schuurman, The Blank Who Stole Christmas (Rapid Fire Theatre)               

Outstanding Score of a Play or Musical: Aaron Macri, The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire Festival); Darrin Hagen, Bed and Breakfast (Theatre Network); Jonathan Christenson & Matthew Skopyk, The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Catalyst Theatre); Mhairi Berg, Mr Burns, a Post Electric Play (Blarney Productions/You Are Here Theatre); Binaifer Kapadia, The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire Festival)

Outstanding Musical Director: Roberta Duchak, Six (Citadel Theatre); Floydd Ricketts, The Color Purple (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); Jonathan Christenson & Matthew Skopyk, The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Catalyst Theatre); Mishelle Cuttler, A Christmas Carol (Citadel Theatre); Ben Elliott, As You Like It (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)

Outstanding Fight Direction or Choreography: Samantha Jeffery, Mr Burns, a Post Electric Play (Blarney Productions/You Are Here Theatre); Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, Six (Citadel Theatre); Ainsley Hillyard, Mr Burns, a Post Electric Play (Blarney Productions/You Are Here Theatre); Jonathan Hawley Purvis, As You Like It (Citadel Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); Laura Krewski, The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Catalyst Theatre)

Outstanding Individual Achievement in Production: Brad Fischer, technician/operator; Tessa Stamp, production manager; Alana Rice, technician/operator; Nicole Diebert, scenic painter; Meghan Wearne, technician/operator

Outstanding Production for Young Audiences: Sleeping Beauty (Alberta Musical Theatre Company): Safe & Fair: Scene At Work (Alberta Workers’ Health Centre); Cinderella (Capitol Theatre)

Outstanding Artistic Achievement, Theatre For Young Audiences: Deanna Finnman, costume design, Sleeping Beauty (Alberta Musical Theatre Company); Gina Puntil, director, Safe & Fair: Scene at Work (Alberta Workers’ Health Centre); Kate Ryan, director, Cinderella (Capitol Theatre)

Outstanding Fringe Production: Queen Lear is Dead (Fox Den Collective); The Green Line (In Arms Theatre Collective); Boy Trouble (Vena Amoris Projects); Hack (Get off the Stage Productions; Reality Crack (Vibrate Productions)

Outstanding Fringe New Work (award to playwright): Hack by Dylan Rosychuk (Get off the Stage Productions); Reality Crack by Candace Berlinguette and Laura Raboud (Vibrate Productions); 5 South by Rebecca Merkley (Dammitammy Productions);The Green Line by Makram Ayache (In Arms Theatre Collective); Queen Lear is Dead by Jessy Ardern (Fox Den Collective)

Outstanding Fringe Director: Taylor Chadwick, The Flying Detective (Accidental Humour Co.); Dave Horak, The Bald Soprano (Bright Young Things); Valerie Planche, Queen Lear is Dead (Fox Den Collective); Kenneth Brown, Look at the Town (Poeima Productions); Leah Paterson, Swipe (Synaethesis Dance Theatre)

Outstanding Fringe Performance – drama: Amena Shehab, Hagar (Alma Theatre); Michael Peng, Red (Wishbone Theatre); Max Hanic, Boy Trouble (Vena Amoris Projects); Rebecca Merkley, 5 South (Dammitammy Productions); Candace Berlinguette, Reality Crack (Vibrate Productions)

Outstanding Fringe Performance – comedy: Mark Meer, Fear and Loathing and Lovecraft (Rapid Fire Theatre); Jenny McKillop, You Are Happy (Blarney Productions/ Dogheart Theatre); Elena Eli Belyea, Gender? I Hardly Know Them (Tiny Bear Jaws/Rapid Fire Theatre); Ruth Alexander, Two (Atlas Theatre); Cody Porter, The Flying Detective (Accidental Humour Co.)