And the Award Goes To... the Winners of the 2019 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards

The Last World Octopus Wresting Champion (courtesy ArtsWest)

The winners of the 2019 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards are announced by the Seattle theater reviewers circle, Seattle Theater Writers!

This year, several productions were clear critical favorites, with multiple nominations and multiple wins. Gaining the most recognition among the winners were Indecent at Seattle Repertory Theatre and Village Theatre’s The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time in the Large theater division, and Sound Theatre Company and The Hansberry Project’s Citizen and Sheathed by Macha Theatre Works in the Small division.

The musical with the most notice was the charming and unusual The Last World Octopus Wrestling Champion by ArtsWest! Technical excellence was focused on Washington Ensemble Theatre’s Feathers and Teeth.

I should note that talented Jocelyne Fowler competed against herself with three nominations for costume design in what must have been an extremely busy year!

The Gypsy Rose Lee Awards of 2019 go to:

(some categories have more than one winner)

Excellence in Production of a Play:

(Large ​Theaters): 

Indecent - Seattle Repertory Theatre

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time - Village Theatre

(Small​ Theaters): 

Citizen - Sound Theatre Company

Sheathed - Macha Theatre Works

Excellence in Production of a Musical:

The Last World Octopus Wrestling Champion - ArtsWest

Excellence in Direction of a Play:

(Large​ Theaters): 

Sheila Daniels - Indecent (Seattle Repertory Theatre)

Jerry Dixon - The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (Village Theatre)

(Small Theaters): 

Jay O'Leary - Citizen (Sound Theatre Company and The Hansberry Project)

Excellence in Direction of a Musical:

Mathew Wright - Head Over Heels (ArtsWest)

Excellence in Performance in a Play as a Lead Actor:

(Large Theaters): 

Michael Krenning - The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (Village Theatre)

Shontina Vernon - Nina Simone: Four Women (Seattle Repertory Theatre)

(Small Theaters): 

Sunam Ellis - Sheathed (Macha Theatre Works)

Kathryn Van Meter - Fire Season (Seattle Public Theater)

Excellence in Performance in a Musical as a Lead Actor:

Corinna Lapid Munter - The Last World Octopus Wrestling Champion (ArtsWest)

Excellence in Performance of a Play as a Supporting Actor - any non-lead:

(Large Theaters):

Monika Jolly - People of the Book (ACT Theatre)

Peter Sakowicz - Everything Is Illuminated (Book-It Repertory Theatre)

(Small Theaters): 

Shanna Allman - The Revolutionists (Theatre22)

Kathy Hsieh - Washer/Dryer (Pratidhwani and SiS Productions)

Suzy Hunt - John (ArtsWest)

Excellence in Performance of a Musical as a Supporting Actor - any non-lead:

Arika Matoba - Urinetown (The 5th Avenue Theatre and ACT Theatre)

Excellence in Performance as an Ensemble:

(Large Theaters):

Nina Simone: Four Women - Seattle Repertory Theatre (Shontina Vernon, Shaunyce Omar, Britney Nicole Simpson, Porscha Shaw)

(Small Theaters):

Citizen - Sound Theatre Company and The Hansberry Project (Shermona Mitchell, Allyson Lee Brown, Naa Akua, Nicholas Japaul Bernard, Rebecca Cort, Richard Sean Glen)

Excellence in Scenic Design:

(Large Theaters): 

Matthew Smucker - Dracula (ACT Theatre)

(Small Theaters): 

Pete Rush - Feathers and Teeth (Washington Ensemble Theatre)

Excellence in Costume Design:

(Large Theaters):

Melanie Taylor Burgess - Urinetown (The 5th Avenue Theatre and ACT Theatre)

(Small Theaters): 

Jocelyne Fowler - Head Over Heels (ArtsWest)

Excellence in Lighting Design:

(Large  Theaters): 

Robert J. Aguilar - Indecent (Seattle Repertory Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

Ryan Dunn - Feathers and Teeth (Washington Ensemble Theatre)

Excellence in Sound Design:

(Large Theaters): 

Brent Warwick - The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (Village Theatre)

(Small Theaters):

Maggie Rogers - Feathers and Teeth (Washington Ensemble Theatre)

Excellence in Musical Direction:

Alexander Sovronsky - Indecent (Seattle Repertory Theatre)

Excellence in Choreography or Movement:

(Large Theaters):

Sonia Dawkins - The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (Village Theatre)

(Small Theaters): UJ Mangune - Head Over Heels (ArtsWest)

Excellence in Local Playwriting:

Maggie Lee - Sheathed (Macha Theatre Works)

Excellence in Local Composing:

Justin Huertas - The Last World Octopus Wrestling Champion (ArtsWest)

Robertson Witmer and Rachael Beaver - Dracula (ACT Theatre)

Excellence in Video Design:

Gregory W. Towle - The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (Village Theatre)

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees for their wonderful contributions to the great theater scene in the Seattle area!

For more information, go to www.facebook.com/SeattleTheaterWriters.