Diversity and inclusion highlighted at 36th annual Jessie Awards
Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards | Bard on the Beach BMO Mainstage in Vanier Park | July 16, 2018
After many years at the Commodore Ballroom, the Jessie Awards returned to a theatre setting to celebrate the best of Vancouver’s thriving theatre scene. Hosted by the fabulous drag duo and Zee Zee Theatre directors Peach Cobblah (Dave Deveau) and Isolde N. Barron, the Queen of East Van (Cameron Mackenzie), the evening was diverse, inclusive, and vibrant — an apt reflection of Vancouver’s tight-knit theatre community. The Queertet (a three-piece band) were on hand to provide background and your-time-is-up music.
Rohit Chokhani, recipient of the Vancouver Now Representation and Inclusion Award, took some time in his thank you remarks to talk about the importance of including diverse stories in our performing arts. While he discussed creative freedom and art that transcends gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation, one audience member stood up and began shouting that Chokhani’s definition of diversity does not include him and his views as he believes in a heterosexual binary of male and female. Chokhani briefly addressed him by saying that he also includes him and welcomes him before moving on to finish his remarks. It was a strange, surprising moment that seemed to stun the crowd. Happily, it was over quickly and there were no more outbursts for the rest of the evening.
The Arts Club led the large theatre category with Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika, Misery, and Hand to God all picking up awards. Rumble Theatre’s The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius dominated the small theatre category with six awards, including Outstanding Production and Outstanding Ensemble. Drew Facey picked up two Jessies for this production for set and costume design, and Stephen Drover won for Outstanding Direction. Drover, recently appointed Associate Artistic Director of the Arts Club Theatre Company, also won the directing award in the large theatre category for Hand to God.
The Jessies, and Vancouver’s theatre community, have come a long way. As Arts Club Artistic Director Bill Millerd explained, when he moved to Vancouver in the late 1960s, there were only a handful of professional theatre companies. Today there are 66 companies registered with the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance (GVPTA). While the new venue may mark a new era for the Jessie awards, there was also the sense that there is a passing of the torch to a new generation. Chokhani mentioned that it’s up to millennials to pave the way for further diversity and inclusion. John Wright (recipient of the GVPTA Career Achievement Award) talked about the next generation carrying on the legacy of Ms. Richardson who he can remember stitching him into a costume during his first professional show. And Millerd was honoured as he finishes up his final season after over 45 years leading the Arts Club and Ashlee Corcoran begins her tenure. Some things may be changing, but what remains the same is the dedication and temerity of Vancouver’s theatre artists.
36th Annual Jessie Award Winners
Small Theatre
Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Small Theatre
Omari Newton - The Shipment - SpeakEasy Theatre
Outstanding Performance by an Actress – Small Theatre
Shayna Jones - Ruined - Dark Glass Theatre
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble – Small Theatre
Sarah Afful, Peter Anderson, Craig Erickson, Pippa Mackie, Naomi Wright - The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius - Rumble Theatre
Outstanding Lighting Design – Small Theatre
Sophie Tang - The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius - Rumble Theatre
Outstanding Set Design – Small Theatre
Drew Facey - The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius - Rumble Theatre
Outstanding Costume Design – Small Theatre
Drew Facey - The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius - Rumble Theatre
Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition – Small Theatre
Daniel Deorksen & Kurt Schindelka - A Steady Rain - Seven Tyrants Theatre
Outstanding Direction – Small Theatre
Stephen Drover - The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius - Rumble Theatre
Outstanding Production – Small Theatre
The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius - Rumble Theatre
Significant Artistic Achievement – Small Theatre
Tetsuro Shigematsu, Jamie Nesbitt & Susan Miyagishima - 1 Hour Photo - Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre - Outstanding technical design and execution for the purpose of historical storytelling
Large Theatre
Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Large Theatre
Andrew McNee – Misery - Arts Club Theatre Company
Outstanding Performance by an Actress – Large Theatre
Lucia Frangione - Misery - Arts Club Theatre Company
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble – Large Theatre
Amber Funk Barton, Andrew Gordon, Nathan Kay, Tiffany King, Billy Marchenski, Niall McNeill, Lucy McNulty, Kerry Sandomirsky, Matthew Tom-Wing, Marcus Youssef and Lucy Cairns - King Arthur's Night - Neworld Theatre
Outstanding Lighting Design – Large Theatre
Jeff Harrison - Hand to God - Arts Club Theatre Company
Outstanding Set Design – Large Theatre
Lauchlin Johnston – Misery - Arts Club Theatre Company
Outstanding Costume Design – Large Theatre
Christine Reimer - Much Ado About Nothing - Bard on the Beach
Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition – Large Theatre
Torquil Campbell and Alessandro Juliani - Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika - Arts Club Theatre Company
Georgia Straight Outstanding Direction – Large Theatre
Stephen Drover - Hand to God - Arts Club Theatre Company
Outstanding Production – Large Theatre
Outside Mullingar - Pacific Theatre
Significant Artistic Achievement – Large Theatre
Jeny Cassady - Hand to God - Outstanding Puppet Design and Coaching - Arts Club Theatre Company
Theatre for Young Audiences
Outstanding Performance – Theatre for Young Audiences
Parmiss Sehat - Jabber - Green Thumb Theatre and Neworld Theatre
Outstanding Design – Theatre for Young Audiences
Shizuka Kai, Joel Grinke, and Mishelle Cuttler - Set/Projection/Sound - Jabber - Green Thumb Theatre and Neworld Theatre
Outstanding Artistic Creation – Theatre for Young Audiences
Chelsea Haberlin – Directing - Jabber - Green Thumb Theatre and Neworld Theatre
Outstanding Production – Theatre for Young Audiences
The Code - Green Thumb Theatre
Significant Artistic Achievement – Theatre for Young Audiences
Green Thumb Theatre - The Code - Outstanding Artistic Achievement for exceptional presentation of contemporary, far reaching teen issues
Special Awards
Outstanding Original Script
Jovanni Sy - Nine Dragons - Vertigo Theatre, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, & Gateway Theatre
Critic’s Choice Innovation Award
Japanese Problem - Universal Limited
Multiple Organism - Mind of a Snail
Vancouver Now Representation and Inclusion Award
Rohit Chokhani
Patron of the Arts Award
Bonnie Mah
Mary Phillips Prize for Behind the Scenes Achievement
Ruth McIntosh
Sam Payne Award for the Most Promising Newcomer
Tai Amy Grauman
John Moffat & Larry Lilo Prize
John Patterson
GVPTA Career Achievement Award
John Wright
Sydney Risk Prize
Rachel Aberle
Colin Campbell Award for Excellence in Technical Theatre
Bruce Kennedy
Ray Michal Prize for Most Promising New Director
Genevieve Fleming
Gordon Armstrong Playwright's Rent Award
Devon More