CCC Awards 2009-2010
Capital Critics Circle Announces Eleventh Annual Theatre Awards
John Koensgen wins the Audrey Ashley award for outstanding contribution to the theatre…
OTTAWA, November 15, 2010 – The Capital Critics Circle today announced the winners of the eleventh annual theatre awards for plays presented in English in the National Capital Region during the 2009-2010 season. The winners are:
Best professional production:
A Christmas Carol, directed and adapted by Peter Hinton from the book by Charles Dickens; a production of the National Arts Centre English Theatre.
Best community theatre production:
The Orpheus Musical Theatre Society production of The Producers adapted by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, with music and lyrics by Mel Brooks, directed by Richard Elichuk, with musical direction by Brian Boggs and choreography by Joan Scarcella-Kovacs.
Best director (professional):
Peter Hinton for A Christmas Carol, directed and adapted by Peter Hinton, a production of the National Arts Centre English Theatre.
Best director (community):
Jim Holmes for The Underpants by Carl Sternheim, adapted by Steve Martin, Kanata Theatre.
Best actor (professional):
Emmanuelle Zeesman as the Mother in Blood Brothers by Willy Russell, directed by Charles McFarland, Gladstone Productions
Best actor (community):
Nicholas Miller as Jack Point in the Savoy Society of Ottawa The Yeomen of the Guard, directed by Pat MacDonald, with musical direction by Allison Woyiwada and choreography by Merle Adam.
Best design (professional):
Jock Munro for his lighting design of the NAC English Theatre production of Mother Courage and her Children by Bertolt Brecht, in a new version by Peter Hinton, directed by Peter Hinton
Best design (community):
Jennifer Donnelly for her set design for The Producers, Orpheus Musical Theatre Society.
The Audrey Ashley Award for a major contribution to theatre:
John Koensgen, for his extensive, excellent and varied body of work.
The Audrey Ashley Award is named for the late Audrey Ashley, the Ottawa Citizen’s longest serving theatre reviewer, and sponsored by theatre producer Barbara Crook, a former theatre critic at the Ottawa Citizen and the Vancouver Sun.
Special jury awards go to two trios of actors whose equally excellent performances could not be separated.
Professional:
For their performances in the Great Canadian Theatre Company’s production of Heroes by Gérald Sibleyras, translated by Tom Stoppard, directed by Lise Ann Johnson:
Peter Froehlich, John Koensgen and Paul Rainville.
Community:
For their performances in the Orpheus Musical Theatre Company production of The Producers:
Kodi Cannon, Réjean Dinelle-Mayer and Shaun Toohey.
Winners receive cash awards or equivalents, plaques and commemorative certificates.
The CCC instituted the awards in 2000 to honour the best in theatre on stages in the National Capital Region. The members of the selection committee for the 2009-2010 season English theatre awards were: Alvina Ruprecht (CBC radio), Denis Armstrong (Ottawa Sun), Patrick Langston (Ottawa Citizen), Jamie Portman (Postmedia News), Barbara Gray (CKCU) and Iris Winston (Variety).
The 2010 CCC awards are sponsored by the Ottawa Citizen, Barbara Crook Greenberg, Alan Dean Photography, Laurie Dickson, the Ottawa Bagelshop and Deli, and OYP Theatre School. The Herb & Spice Shop, Wellington Street, West Village, supplied some refreshments and Ottawa Little Theatre hosted the 2009-2010 awards.