Portland Playhouse, Oregon Children's Theatre Win Big at Drammy Awards

Portland Playhouse's The Light in the Piazza
Portland Playhouse won big at Monday’s Drammy Awards
best musical (The Light in the Piazza) and best play (A Christmas Carol)

The next most lauded company was Oregon Children’s Theatre, which won six Drammys, four of them for Zombie in Love. Portland’s biggest theater companies, Portland Center Stage and Artists Repertory Theatre, took him one Drammy each.

The event, in its 26th year, shook things up by announcing nominees for the first time since 1999. (In previous years, the Drammy committee—made up of 17 members—would just dole out awards, sometimes up to four in a category.) The ceremony itself featured an opening number a la The Lion King’s “Circle of Life,” with a wailing Chris Murray and Isaac Lamb summoning a motley menagerie of costumed performers (think butterflies, teapots and dodo birds). Lamb’s  fiancée Amy Beth Frankel provided occasional tap-dance breaks, and four artistic directors—Scott Yarbrough, Sharon Maroney, Dámaso Rodriguez and Brian Weaver—staged a pretty stale bit about theater rivalries. The night was, as ever, boozy and filled with insider-y jokes.

Full results are below.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY

Michael Fisher-Welsh
The Quality of Life
Artists Repertory Theatre

 

BEST SCENIC DESIGN

Kristeen Willis Crosser
Gidion’s Knot
Third Rail Repertory Theatre


 BEST PROPERTIES DESIGN

Drew Dannhorn
The Giver
Oregon Children’s Theatre


BEST DESIGN AND FABRICATION AWARD

John Ellingson

James and the Giant Peach

Northwest Children’s Theater


SPECIAL THEATRICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Atomic Arts

Trek in the Park

2009-2013


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Jennifer Goldsmith
The Light in the Piazza
Portland Playhouse


BEST SOUND DESIGN

Annalise Albright Woods
pool (no water)
Theatre Vertigo

 

BEST YOUNG PERFORMER

Blake Peebles
Zombie in Love
Oregon Children’s Theatre

 BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

David Meyers
The Light in the Piazza
Portland Playhouse

 

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY 

Dan Murphy
Plaid Tidings
Broadway Rose Theatre Company


 BEST PIT ENSEMBLE

9 to 5: The Musical
Stumptown Stages


PATA SPOTLIGHT AWARDS


-Stage Manager: Emma Lewins

-Crew Member: Don Crossley

-Ballyhoo (formerly known as “Other”): Val and Jim Liptak

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Jen LaMastra
James and the Giant Peach
Northwest Children’s Theater

 

BEST MAKE UP DESIGN


Caitlin Fisher-Draeger

The Revenants

The Reformers


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Meghan Chambers
Crooked
CoHo Productions / Philip Cuomo and Maureen Porter


 BEST PROJECTION DESIGN

Jeff Kurihara

The Giver

Oregon Children’s Theatre




BEST LIGHTING DESIGN


Kristeen Willis Crosser
A Bright New Boise
Third Rail Repertory Theatre


BEST MOVEMENT DESIGN


Catherine Egan

Nighthawks

Push Leg


BEST DEVISED WORK

Nighthawks
Push Leg


 SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD


Grant Turner
Founding Artistic Director
Northwest Classical Theatre Company

 

BEST MUSIC DIRECTION

Eric Nordin

The Light in the Piazza

Portland Playhouse

 

BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL

Marcella Crowson
Zombie in Love
Oregon Children’s Theatre


BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL


David Studwell
Fiddler on the Roof
Portland Center Stage

 

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Merideth Kaye Clark
The Light in the Piazza
Portland Playhouse


BEST ENSEMBLE IN A MUSICAL

Plaid Tidings
Broadway Rose Theatre Company


BEST SOLO PERFORMANCE


Damon Kupper

A Night in November

corrib theatre


BEST ENSEMBLE IN A PLAY


A Christmas Carol
Portland Playhouse


BEST ORIGINAL SCRIPT

Michelle Elliott

Zombie in Love

Oregon Children’s Theatre

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE     

                      
Danny Larsen, Music

Michelle Elliott, Lyrics

Zombie in Love

Oregon Children’s Theatre


PORTLAND CIVIC THEATRE GUILD AWARDS 

Mary Brand Award $2000

Recipient: Well Arts Institute


Portland Civic Theatre Award in Support of Theatre $3000

Recipient: Action/Adventure Theatre


The Leslie O. Fulton Fellowship $5000

Recipient: Jill Westerby Gonzales

 

BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY

Cristi Miles
A Christmas Carol
Portland Playhouse


BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY


Allen Nause
The Caretaker
Imago Theatre


BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY (tied)


Amy Newman
Gidion’s Knot
Third Rail Repertory Theatre


Maureen Porter
Crooked
CoHo Productions / Philip Cuomo and Maureen Porter

 

BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL

The Light in the Piazza
Portland Playhouse


BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY

A Christmas Carol
Portland Playhouse

WWeek 2015

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.