THEATER DEPARTMENT Cornish College of the Arts
www.cornish.edu/theater Phone: (206) 726-5042
CORNISH ON STAGE WINTER 2016 THEATER HIGHLIGHTS AWARDS AND COMMENDATIONS Seattle Times Footlight Awards for Excellence in Theater in 2015: Times theatre writers identified the following Cornish alumni and faculty for recognition for their work in 2015: Acting: Anna Kasabyan ‘13 was praised for her performance in Bad Jews at the Seattle Public Theatre, as was the cast of New Century Theatre Company’s production of Festen, which included faculty member Amy Thone, and alumni Emily Chisholm ‘04, Connor Toms ‘01, Peter Dylan O’Connor ‘94, MJ Sieber ‘01, and Conner Nedderson ‘10. Samie Spring Detzer ‘10 won praise for her comic performance in Seattle Shakespeare Company’s The Comedy of Errors, while Sydney Tucker ‘12 was noted for her work in Book-It Repertory Theatre’s Slaughterhouse-Five. Great Acting Duos included Kevin McKeon and alumna Hannah Mootz ‘13 for Seattle Public’s Slowgirl.
Seattle Theatre Writers 2015 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards. Nominees and winners included the following Cornish Theater community members: • Excellence in Direction of a Play: Nominees included MJ Sieber ‘01 for New Century’s The Flick and Theater faculty member Desdemona Chiang for her co-direction of Sound for Azeotrope Theatre. Winning was Theater faculty member Kelly Kitchens for The Art of Bad Men for MAP Theatre. • Excellence in Performance in a Play as a Lead Actor (Female) nominees included faculty member Amy Thone for Strawberry Theatre Workshop’s Our Town and Anna Kasabyan ‘13 for SPT’s Bad Jews. • Excellence in Performance in a Musical as a Supporting Actor (Male): Winning was William A. Williams ‘04 for his performance in Lizard Boy at Seattle Repertory Theatre. • Excellence in Performance in a Play as a Supporting Actor (Female): Nominees included Theater alumni/faculty members Rhonda J. Soikowski ‘00 and Sarah Harlett ‘93. The award winners were Emily Chisholm ‘04 for NCTC’s The Flick and Rose Cano ‘83 for Theatre 22’s Water by the Spoonful. • Excellence in Performance as an Ensemble nominees included the cast of Festen (see above), Water by the Spoonful including Rose Cano ‘83 and Jake Ynzunza ‘12, and Washington Ensemble Theatre’s The Tall Girls, featuring Chelsea Callahan ‘14 and Leah Salcido Pfenning ‘13 in the company. Winning was the cast of The Art of Bad Men, featuring Ben Burris ‘08, Ben McFadden ‘08, Grace Carmack ‘14 and Sean Schroeder ‘14 in the 6-person cast. • Nominated for Excellence in Playwriting was Caitlin Gilman ‘04 for her play Dear Miss Chancellor at Annex Theatre. • Winning recognition for Excellence in Sound Design was Andre Nelson ‘11 (with Evan Mosher) for SPT’s Slowgirl. • Alumna Opal Peachey ‘04 was nominated for Excellence in Composition for her collaboration on the book, lyrics and score for the cabaret musical Bohemia at Café Nordo. Theater blog Eruditorium identified Festen, alumni troupe A Little Burlesque’s show Moonlight Curiosities, Zapoi by Quinn Armstrong ‘12 and Dragon Lady by Sara Porkalob ‘12 among the top 10 local theater events of 2015. 21St Century Burlesque selected Cornish faculty member Marc Kenison (AKA Waxie Moon) as one of the Top 50 American Burlesque Acts of 2015. Marc is directing our 2016 Sophomore Ensemble Generative Project. Back east, New York-based playwright William Burke’s play Comfort Dogs was in some heady company (Hamilton, Spring Awakening), in BroadwayWorld’s 11 Awesome Theatre Happenings of 2015.