Arts Spotlight: 2014 Theater Year in Review

At the end of each year, John Townsend compiles his list of the “Bests” in the theater arts. Congratulations to all the people and companies for your successes, and thank you for making our scene so rich.

Best Productions
1. Colossal, Mixed Blood Theatre
2. The Duchess of Malfi, Classical Actors Ensemble
3. Rapture, Blister, Burn, 20% Theatre Company Twin Cities
4. Rocket to the Moon, Gremlin Theatre
5. Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet, Pillsbury House Theatre and Mount Curve Company
6. Dogwood, Candid Theater Company
7. The Beaux’ Stratagem, Theatre in the Round Players
8. Orpheus Descending, Six Elements Theatre
9. Crimes of the Heart, Guthrie Theater
10. (three-way tie) If We Were Birds, 20% Theatre Company Twin Cities
One Flea Spare, Theatre Coup d’Etat
Vanya and Sonja and Masha and Spike, Guthrie Theater

Best Revival of a Queer Classic (tie)
The Heidi Chronicles, Guthrie Theater & Next Fall, Boom! Theatre

Best Productions of New Queer Plays:
Colossal, Mixed Blood Theatre
The Whale, Walking Shadow Theatre Company

Theater Artist of the Year and Best Large Theater Costume Designer:
Rich Hamson for Cabaret, Theater Latté Da & Hennepin Theatre Trust, Shrek the Musical, Children’s Theatre Company, The Little Mermaid & Hello Dolly!, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres

Best Direction: Joseph Papke, The Duchess of Malfi, Classical Actors Ensemble

Best Choreography: Angharad Davies, Colossal, Mixed Blood

Best Musical Actress: Sally Ann Wright, Gypsy!, Bloomington Civic Theatre
Best Dramatic Actress: Jane Froiland, Rocket to the Moon, Gremlin Theatre
Best Comedic Actress:  Charity Jones, Sexy Laundry, Park Square Theatre
Best Classical Actress: Ellen Apel, One Flea Spare, Theatre Coup d’Etat

Best Musical Actor: Jeff McCarthy, My Fair Lady, Guthrie Theater
Best Dramatic Actor: (tie) Patrick Scully, Leaves of Grass Uncut & Grant Henderson, 1984, Theatre Pro Rata
Best Comedic Actor: John Middleton, Sexy Laundry, Park Square Theatre
Best Classical Actor: Stephen Yoakam, Othello, Guthrie Theater

Best Solo Performance:
Sha Cage, Grounded, Frank Theatre

Best Cross-gender Performance:
Sonja Parks, Seedfolks, Children’s Theatre Company

Best Musical Supporting Actress: (tie) Cat Brindisi, Hello Dolly!, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres & Sally Wingert, Cabaret, Theatre Latté Da/Hennepin Theatre Trust
Best Dramatic Supporting Actress: Katherine Ferrand, The New Electric Ballroom, Frank Theatre
Best Comedic Supporting Actress: Rachel Finch, Rapture, Blister, Burn, 20% Theatre Company Twin Cities
Best Classical Supporting Actress: Brie Roland, Miss Julie, Theatre Coup d’Etat

Best Musical Supporting Actor: Gregory Adam, Eating Raoul, Minneapolis Musical Theatre
Best Dramatic Supporting Actor: (tie) Craig Johnson, Rocket to the Moon, Gremlin Theatre & Brian Columbus, 1984, Theatre Pro Rata
Best Comedic Supporting Actor: Randall J. Funk, Rapture, Blister, Burn, 20% Theatre Company Twin Cities
Best Classical Supporting Actor: (tie) Lucas Gerstner & Daniel Joeck, The Duchess of Malfi, Classical Actors Ensemble

Best Chemistry Between Actors:
Laura Esping & Aditi Kapil, Gidion’s Knot, Pillsbury House

Large Theater Artistic Director of the Year: Joe Dowling, Guthrie Theater
Small Theater Artistic Director of the Year: Claire Avitabile, 20% Theatre Company Twin Cities
Best Stage Combat Direction: Mike Lubke, The Beaux’ Stratagem, Theatre in the Round Players

Best Music Direction: Dennis Curley, Ring of Fire: The Life and Music of Johnny Cash, Plymouth Playhouse
Best Lighting: Dietrich Poppen, The Duchess of Malfi, Classical Actors Ensemble
Best Set Design Large Theater: James Youmans, Crimes of the Heart, Guthrie Theater
Best Set Design Small Theater: (tie) Justin Hooper, The Duchess of Malfi, Classical Actors Ensemble & Geoffrey M. Curley, Lake Untersee, Workhaus Collective
Best Costume Design Small Theater: Lori Opsal, Schiller’s Mary Stuart, Walking Shadow Theatre Company

Best Wig & Hairstyles: Laura Adams, The Heidi Chronicles, Guthrie Theater

Best Sound Design: C. Andrew Meyer, Lake Untersee, Workhaus Collective
Best Original Music:  Charlie McCarron, Ghost Sonata, Nimbus Theatre

Outstanding New Playwriting: Seraphina Nova, Dogwood, Candid Theatre
Outstanding New Musical Collaboration: Christina Campanella & Stephanie Fleischmann, The Secret Lives of Coats
Outstanding New Political Playwriting: Marisa Carr, Reconciliation, Intermedia Arts & Pangea World Theater
Outstanding New Children’s Playwriting: Jeffrey Hatcher, The Scarecrow and His Servant, Children’s Theatre Company

Best Shows from Out of Town:
Tristan & Yseult, Kneehigh Theatre, UK at the Guthrie Theater
The Room Nobody Knows, Niwa Gekidan Penino, Japan at Walker Art Center
The Gershwins’ “Porgy and Bess” & Nice Work If You Can Get It , National Tours, Ordway Center

Best Performances from Out of Town:
Thomas Vincent Kelly & Sal Viscuso, A Steady Rain, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble of Los Angeles at the Guthrie