BWW EXCLUSIVE: Colorado Theatre Guild's 2012 HENRY AWARD WINNERS!

The Colorado Theatre Guild's 7th Annual Henry Awards took place on Monday, July 16, 2012 at the L2 Arts & CultureCenter in Denver, Colorado. Congratulations to all of the winners and nominees on an amazing theater season. For more information of theater in Colorado and this amazing company, check them out online at www.coloradotheatreguild.org.

Established in 2006, the Henry Awards honor outstanding achievements during the past season and serves as the Colorado Theatre Guild's annual fundraising event. The awards are named for longtime local theatre producer Henry Lowenstein. Nominations are determined through a judging process conducted by more than 30 local theatre reporters, reviewers and assigned judges.

Our nominees and winners for the 2011- 2012 7th Annual Colorado Theatre Guild Henry Awards are:

Outstanding Season for a Theatre Company
Arvada Center
Buntport Theater Company
Curious Theatre Company
Denver Center Theatre Company
Town Hall Arts Center

Outstanding Production of a Play
"9 Circles," Curious Theatre Company, Christy Montour-Larson, Director
"American Night," Denver Center Theater Company, Sam Woodhouse, Director
"Clybourne Park," Curious Theatre Company, Chip Walton, Director
"Red," Curious Theatre Company, Christy Montour-Larson, Director
"Tommy Lee Jones Goes to the Opera Alone," Buntport Theater Company, Direction by ensemble

Outstanding Production of a Musical
"Avenue Q," Vintage Theatre, Bernie Cardell, Director; Marsha Whitaker, Musical
“The Drowsy Chaperone," Boulder’s Dinner Theatre, Michael Duran, Director; Neal Dunfee, Musical
“The Producers,” Town Hall Arts Center, Robert Wells, Director; Donna K. Debreceni, Musical
“Ragtime,” Arvada Center, Rod Lansberry, Director; David Nehls, Musical
“The Who's Tommy,” Town Hall Arts Center, Nick Sugar, Director; Donna K. Debreceni, Musical

Outstanding Direction of a Play
Buntport Theater ensemble, "Tommy Lee Jones Goes to the Opera Alone"
Jamie Horton, Creede Repertory Theatre, "Unnecessary Farce"
Christy Montour-Larson, Curious Theatre Company, "9 Circles"
Christy Montour-Larson, Curious Theatre Company, "Red"
Sam Woodhouse, Director Denver Center Theater Company, "American Night"

Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Bernie Cardell, Vintage Theatre Productions, "Avenue Q"
Michael Duran, Boulder’s Dinner Theatre, “The Drowsy Chaperone"
Rod Lansberry, Arvada Center, “Ragtime”
Nick Sugar, Town Hall Arts Center, “The Who's Tommy”
Robert Wells, Town Hall Arts Center, “The Producers”

Outstanding Musical Direction
Donna K. Debreceni, Town Hall Arts Center, “The Who's Tommy”
Neal Dunfee, Boulder’s Dinner Theatre, “The Drowsy Chaperone"
David Nehls, Arvada Center, “The 1940's Radio Hour”
David Nehls, Arvada Center, “Hairspray”
David Nehls, Arvada Center, “Ragtime”

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Michael Bouchard, Miners Alley Playhouse, "A Touch of Spring"
David DeSantos, Denver Center Theatre Company, "American Night"
Lawrence Hecht, Curious Theatre Company, "Red"
Michael Kingsbaker, Curious Theatre Company, "On An Average Day"
Sean Scrutchins, Curious Theatre Company, "9 Circles"

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Christy Brandt, Creede Repertory Theatre, "The Road to Mecca"
Lise Bruneau, Denver Center Theatre Company, "Heartbreak House"
Emily Paton Davies, Paragon Theatre, "A Lie of the Mind"
Marcia Ragonetti, Miners Alley Playhouse, "Master Class"
Caitlin Wise, Creede Repertory Theatre, "Unnecessary Farce"

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Wayne Kennedy, Arvada Center, "Ragtime"
Russell Mernagh, Town Hall Arts Center, "The Who's Tommy"
Brian Norber, Boulder's Dinner Theatre, "The Drowsy Chaperone"
Tyrone Robinson, Arvada Center, "Ragtime"
Tally Sessions, Arvada Center, "Chess"

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Lisa Finnerty, Town Hall Arts Center, "The Who's Tommy"
Carolyn Lohr, Vintage Theatre Productions," Avenue Q"
Shannan Steele, Denver Center Attractions, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change"
Megan Van de Hey, Arvada Center, "Chess"
Megan Van de Hey, Arvada Center, "Ragtime"

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play
Richard Azurdia, Denver Center Theatre Company, "American Night"
Benjamin Bonenfant, Curious Theatre Company, "Red"
Mario Cabrera, Creede Repertory Theatre, "Unnecessary Farce"
Erik Edborg, Buntport Theater Company, "The Roast Beef Situation"
Bill Hahn, Curious Theatre Company, "Becky Shaw"

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play
Hannah Duggan, Buntport Theater Company, "Tommy Lee Jones Goes to the Opera Alone"
Dena Martinez, Denver Center Theatre Company, "American Night"
Theresa Reid, Spark Theater, "Three Sisters"
Erin Rollman, Buntport Theater Company, "The Roast Beef Situation"
Caitlin Wise, Arvada Center, "The Importance of Being Earnest"

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical
Seth Caikowski, Boulder's Dinner Theatre, "The Drowsy Chaperone"
Stephen Day, Arvada Center, "Chess"
Rob Janzen, Town Hall Arts Center, "The Who's Tommy"
Matt LaFontaine, Town Hall Arts Center, "The Who's Tommy"
Brian Norber, Boulder's Dinner Theatre, "Phantom"

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical
Joanie Brosseau, Boulder's Dinner Theatre, "Phantom"
Ashlie-Amber Harris, Town Hall Arts Center, "The Who's Tommy"
Arlene Rapal, Vintage Theatre Productions, “Avenue Q"
Shannan Steele, Arvada Center, "The 1940's Radio Hour"
Gayle Turner, Arvada Center, "The 1940's Radio Hour"

Outstanding Ensemble Performance
"American Night," Denver Center Theatre Company, Sam Woodhouse, Director
“Ragtime,” Arvada Center, Rod Lansberry, Director; David Nehls, Musical Direction

"Red," Curious Theatre Company, Christy Montour-Larson, Director
"The Roast Beef Situation," Buntport Theater, Direction by ensemble
"Tommy Lee Jones Goes to the Opera Alone," Buntport Theater, Direction by ensemble
“The Who's Tommy,” Town Hall Arts Center, Nick Sugar, Director; Donna K. Debreceni, Musical Direction

Outstanding New Play
"Date," by Luciann Lajoie, Denver Center Theatre Company's Off-Center @ the Jones
"My Hideous Progeny" by Buntport Theater Company
"Tommy Lee Jones Goes to the Opera Alone," by Buntport Theater Company
"The Roast Beef Situation," by Buntport Theater Company
"The Whale" by Samuel D. Hunter, Denver Center Theatre Company

Outstanding Sound Design
Buntport Theater Ensemble, "The Roast Beef Situation," Buntport Theater Company
Will Burns, Curious Theatre Company, "Red"
Will Burns, Denver Center Theatre Company, "American Night"
Steve Stevens, Arvada Center, "Ragtime"
Steve Stevens, Arvada Center, "The 1940's Radio Hour"

Outstanding Lighting Design
Gail J. Gober, Arvada Center, "Ragtime"
Gail J. Gober, Arvada Center, "The 1940's Radio Hour"
Charles MacLeod, Denver Center Theatre Company, "American Night"
Jon Scott-McKean, Town Hall Arts Center, "The Who's Tommy"
Shannon McKinney, Curious Theatre Company, "Red"

Outstanding Costume Design
Buntport Theater Ensemble, Buntport Theater, "The Roast Beef Situation"
Sally Burke, Arvada Center, "The Importance of Being Earnest"
Claire Henkel, Arvada Center, "Ragtime"
Melinda Lacy, Spark Theater, "Three Sisters"
Christina Wright, Denver Center Theatre Company, "American Night"

Outstanding Scenic Design
Susan Crabtree, Curious Theatre Company, "Red"
Brian Mallgrave, Arvada Center, "The 1940's Radio Hour"
Jen Orf, Aurora Fox, "Rashomon"
Sanford Roberts, Denver Center Theatre Company, "American Night"
Susan Crabtree, Curious Theatre Company, "Clybourne Park"

Outstanding Choreography
Alicia Dunfee, Boulder's Dinner Theatre, "The Drowsy Chaperone"
Kelly Kates, Town Hall Arts Center, "The Producers"
Kitty Skillman Hilsabeck, Arvada Center, "Ragtime"
Kitty Skillman Hilsabeck, Arvada Center, "The 1940's Radio Hour"
Nick Sugar, Town Hall Arts Center, "The Who's Tommy"

The Colorado Theatre Guild is also honored to announce its special awards for 2012:

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Tom McNally, Professor of Theatre Arts at the University of Northern Colorado, where he serves as artistic director of the Little Theatre of the Rockies and coordinator of the school’s Acting Program. He has directed and acted in more than 120 productions, including off-Broadway, repertory and university theatre, and is the author of the textbook Acting: The Active Process. Last year, he was named Higher Education Educator of the Year by the Alliance for Colorado Theatre and serves on the board of the Higher Education Council of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and Alliance for Colorado Theatre. Professor McNally is a member of Actors' Equity.

Our first Journalistic Excellence in the Arts award went to John Moore, who was named one of the 12 most influential theater critics in the United States by American Theatre Magazine in 2011. As the Denver Post Theatre Reporter from 2001 to 2011, Moore wrote more than 2,500 theater reviews, feature stories, columns and breaking news stories, winning numerous awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, Best of the West, Colorado Press Association, Society of Black Journalists, Denver Press Club and more. But it was his online innovations that prompted the Chicago Tribune to suggest that The Denver Post‘s multimedia theater coverage was the best in the nation.

A special Henry Award was given to the National Theatre Conservatory. The 28-year old master's program in acting, under the umbrella of the Denver Center Theatre Company, consistently ranked as one of the top 10 schools of its kind in the United States. Admitting only eight students per year, its mission was to provide gifted students from across the nation the opportunity to develop their skills within the challenging environment of a performing-arts center, and to prepare them for active careers in the American theatre and in the film and television industries. A total of 255 students were afforded full scholarships, earning Master of Fine Arts degrees in Acting and membership in Actor's Equity. The final eight students were graduated in April 2012.

The Colorado Theatre Guild has chosen Thunder River Theatre Company of Carbondale, Colorado as the recipient of this year's Outstanding Regional Theatre Award. Thunder River Theatre Company was founded in 1995. For the first 11 years their theatre home was an 18-wheeler, and they performed wherever they could in the Roaring Fork Valley. In 2004, TRTC raised $1.25 million in 11 months; bought land, designed and built a beautiful theatre, and opened on New Year’s Eve of 2005 with the building paid for. The Glenwood Post Independent wrote, "TRTC, a repertory company whose innovation and talent would do credit to any big-city troupe, and whose community spirit exemplifies small-town conviviality, trades a nomadic existence for a venue to match the quality of its performances." TRTC has many free outreach programs: A New Play Development Series supporting promising playwrights, Literary Nights, Educational Outreach, and a Latino Theatre Initiative. TRTC is partners with the Roaring Fork Cultural Council that brings distinguished luminaries to the theatre to speak, including Madeleine Albright and Thomas Friedman. TRTC's successful After-School Programs and Summer Drama Camps awards many scholarships. Reduced ticket prices for teachers and students are offered for all productions. TRTC donates hundreds of tickets to nonprofits each year for their fund-raising efforts. http://www.thunderrivertheatre.com/

The Henry Award for Outstanding Multimedia Presentation has been awarded to Charlie Miller. Charlie is entering his fifth season as Multimedia Specialist for the Denver Center Theatre Company (DCTC), one of the first regional theatres in the country to create a multimedia department, which Charlie leads. As Resident Projection Designer, Charlie has designed 10 productions in four seasons, including American Night, Tom Sawyer, and Ring of Fire this past season. Charlie also serves as Co-Curator of Off-Center @ The Jones, DCTC's new initiative dedicated to experimenting with new theatrical forms and creating interactive theatrical experiences. He designs and creates all of the multimedia for Off-Center as well, including this past season's Cult Following, The L&J&J Project, Square of Ice, and DATE*. Charlie is a sixth generation Denverite, Colorado Academy graduate, with a BA from Harvard in Visual and Environmental Studies (film, video, and multimedia production).

A Henry Award went to Actors' Equity Association in honor of 100 years of representation. Actors' Equity Association ("AEA" or "Equity"), founded in 1913, is the labor union that represents more than 49,000 Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions and provides a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans, for its members. Actors' Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions.