Barrymore Haas Nominees Announced; Awards Set for 10/4

The Theatre Alliance announced the finalists for the prestigious F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist at a press conference today at New Freedom Theatre. This year's nominees are actors James Ijames, Steve Pacek, Sarah Sanford, Amanda Schoonover, and designer Thom Weaver. The recipient will be awarded at the Barrymore Awards Ceremony on October 4 at the Walnut Street Theatre.

Funded by Carole Haas Gravagno through The CHG Charitable Trust, this award comes with a $10,000 cash prize for the recipient and $1,000 for each finalist. The only one of its kind in the nation, the F. Otto Haas Award is intended to support the artist's living expenses so that they can focus on their craft as well as to encourage theatre artists to remain in the Philadelphia community. An "emerging artist" is one who has worked for at least three years and for no more than ten years in the professional theatre.

Previous award winners include Jennifer Childs, actress, director and Artistic Director of 1812 Productions, which is nominated for the Theatre Education and Community Service Award; composer and sound designer Jorge Cousineau, nominated this year for his sound design for The History Boys at Arden Theatre Company; actor Ben Dibble, nominated for his performance in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Walnut Street Theatre; and Scott Greer, who is nominated this year for his performance in Shining City at Theatre Exile.

James Ijames has performed extensively with several local theatre companies, including Gossamer at The People's Light & Theatre Company, Romeo & Juliet and James & The Giant Peach, both at Arden Theatre Company, Angels in America at BCKSEET Productions, and Grey Gardens at Philadelphia Theatre Company. He recently developed The Threshing Floor, a solo performance piece he wrote about James Baldwin at Mauckingbird Theatre Company. His work at Glouchester Stage Company in Massachusetts earned him an Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Ponies.

Steve Pacek is nominated for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play for the title role in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie at Arden Theatre Company and for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical for Little Shop of Horrors at 11th Hour Theatre Company & Theatre Horizon. He previously received two other nominations, winning for Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical for The Bomb-itty of Errors with 11th Hour Theatre Company. As a co-founder and Artistic Associate of 11th Hour Theatre Company he has helped the young organization garner 20 Barrymore Award nominations, taking home 6 awards. He has also performed at the Walnut Street Theatre in Les Miserables and Man of La Mancha, The Pirate at Prince Music Theater, Pacific Overtures at Arden Theatre Company, and Miss Saigon at Lenape Regional Performing Arts Center.

Sarah Sanford, a Haas finalist for the last three years, is also nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play for Hunter Gatherers at Theatre Exile. This past season, she also appeared in Arden Theatre Company's Peter Pan and co-created and performed in Pig Iron Theatre Company's Live Arts hit, Welcome to Yuba City, nominated for 6 Barrymore Awards. She was seen last in the 2008-2009 season in The European Lesson at the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival, The Government Inspector at Lantern Theater Company, and Mauckingbird Theatre's production of Hedda Gabler. She has appeared in several productions at Pig Iron Theatre Company including Hell Meets Henry Halfway which won an Obie Award. She appeared as Emilia in Lantern Theater's critically acclaimed production of Othello and was winner of the Best Emerging Director Award at Summerworks Festival in Canada for Appetite, an original dance-theatre work she conceived, directed and produced. Appetite then moved to the mainstage season of the Theatre Passe Muraille and later to Philadelphia in March 2009. She will be a teacher at Pig Iron Theatre Company's soon-to-open School of Advanced Performance Training.

Amanda Schoonover has received six Barrymore Award nominations, winning two awards for Killer Joe at Theatre Exile (Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play and Outstanding Ensemble in a Play). She appeared this past season in Theatre Exile's Hunter Gatherers and A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking at New City Stage. She has also originated roles for productions at Arden Theatre Company, Azuka Theatre Company, Brat Productions, Pig Iron Theatre Company, Lantern Theater Company and Fictitious Theatre.

Thom Weaver is nominated for Outstanding Lighting Design for Blue Door at Arden Theatre Company, The Breath of Life at Lantern Theater Company, and The Foocy at Delaware Theatre Company. The recently-appointed Artistic Director of Flashpoint Theatre Company, he has also designed lights locally for several productions at InterAct Theatre Company, Theatre Exile, New Paradise Laboratories, The Wilma Theater, and The People's Light & Theatre Company. Honored with Barrymore Awards nominations for American Buffalo and Scorched and a Helen Hayes nomination for Arcadia, he has received the 2009 Philadelphia City Paper Best of the Year Lighting Design for Scorched and the 2007 Audelco "VIV" Award for King Hedley II at Signature Theatre.

Major support for the Barrymore Awards is provided by Actors' Equity Association, The Charlotte Cushman Foundation, The CHG Charitable Trust, Clear Sound, CRW Graphics, Drucker & Scaccetti, P.C., Earl Girls Theatrical Equipment, Garfield Refining Company, Independence Foundation, PECO, The Virginia Brown Martin Fund, William Penn Foundation, and The Wyncote Foundation.

The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia strengthens and leads the region's richly diverse theatre community, by promoting awareness and serving as a resource for information, professional development and advocacy. Tickets for the Barrymore Awards Ceremony and more information are available online at www.phillytheatretix.com or by calling (215) 413-7150.

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