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Barrymore nominations are in!

Posted August 13th, 2008

Each year the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia sends scores of volunteer nominators and judges to watch and rate hundreds of performances in Philadelphia and the surrounding area. You could call the Barrymore Awards “Philadelphia’s Tony Awards,” “The Oscars in Philadelphia,” or even “The Philadelphia Theater Community’s Prom.”

At a glitzy ceremony hosted by Philly’s finest (this year at the Crystal Tea Room), artists and audiences will gussy up to celebrate the vibrancy of Philly theater and cheer for the winners!

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We want to tip our hats to those Festival artists who have been recognized for their outstanding work this year. They include (but are not limited to):

Jeb Kreager, who will play the anthropologist in the world premiere of The European Lesson at this year’s Festival, was nominated for two Barrymores—one for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play for his chilling performance in Frozen (Interact Theatre Company), and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play and as the harried imaginary best friend of a little girl in the dark comedy Mr. Marmalade (Theatre Exile). He is also one of ten semi-finalists for the F. Otto Haas Award for Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist.

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Manuel Dominguez, Jr.

The European Lesson boasts two more nominees in its five-member ensemble: Sarah Sanford, also a semi-finalist for the F. Otto Haas Award for Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist, and Catherine Slusar, Outstanding Supporting Actress for her work in Mr. Bailey’s Minder. Interact Theatre Company’s Frozen was also nominated for Best Overall Production of a Play, and for Outstanding Director, Whit MacLaughlin.

Whit’s work with New Paradise Laboratories frequently appears at the Live Arts Festival. His groundbreaking PROM, remounted this year by NPL in collaboration with students from Drexel University, was also nominated for Best Ensemble and Outstanding Choreography/Movement.

Other Festival names you might have heard round the water cooler include Matt Saunders (Outstanding Supporting Actor in Play for Theatre Exile’s Bug), James Sugg (Outstanding Sound Design for Bug and Outstanding Supporting Actor in Arden Theatre Company’s Assassins), and Dito van Reigersberg (Outstanding Leading Actor in Azuka Theatre’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch).

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Matt Clowney/Mime Boy Design

Nominations also went to Grace Gonglewski and Karen Getz, both of whom star in the Philly Fringe radio show Martha Manning: Microwave Mambo! produced by Azuka Theatre this year. Grace’s stunning performance as Agnes in Bug nabbed her an Outstanding Leading Actress nomination, and Karen Getz’s delightful choreography for Suburban Love Songs (remounted by 1812 Productions after its sold out world premiere at the 2006 Live Arts Festival) earned nods for both Outstanding Ensemble and Outstanding Choreography/Movement. Watch that same outstanding ensemble do the hustle in Disco Descending, the sequel to Suburban Love Songs that will premiere in just two weeks at the 2008 Live Arts Festival!

Curious to know more? Click here for the full list of nominees.