This year's Artie Awards nominations were announced Monday. The Arties began in 1991 and are held each year to celebrate Western New York's theatre community.
To be eligible for an Artie, an artist must live and work in the Buffalo area, while a theater must produce work locally, primarily with local artists.
The Artie Awards Ceremony is a benefit, with all proceeds from the evening (along with proceeds from area theatres' participation in the Red Ribbon Campaign) going to an HIV/AIDS related charity. Over the years, through contributions from theatre audiences and proceeds from red ribbon sales, the Arties have raised over $500,000 for AIDS-related charities. This year, the proceeds will go to the HIV/AIDS & Immunodeficiency Clinic at ECMC.
The Artie Awards Ceremony will take place Monday, June 4 at 8:00 p.m. at Shea’s 710 Theatre. Admission is $15/person, at the door only.
In a Facebook Live broadcast Monday morning from WBFO's digital studio, the nominations were announced by actors Charmagne Chi and Amy Jakiel, who were joined by Theater Talk co-host Anthony Chase.
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
The Christians, Road Less Traveled Productions
Disgraced, Road Less Traveled Productions
The Night Alive, Irish Classical Theatre Company
Sight Unseen, Jewish Repertory Theatre of WNY
Skeleton Crew, Paul Robeson Theatre
Stupid F***ing Bird, American Repertory Theatre of WNY
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, Paul Robeson Theatre
The Full Monty, Subversive Theatre Collective
Once, MusicalFare
Peter and the Starcatcher, MusicalFare
The Producers, Kavinoky Theatre
Stellaluna, Theatre of Youth
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE OF A PLAY
Desde el Puente: Christmas Edition, RAICES Theater Company
Desdemona: A Play about a Handkerchief, Brazen-faced Varlets
Design For Living, Irish Classical Theatre
Hellcab, ART/Polyanna Productions
Significant Other, BUA
That Championship Season, New Phoenix
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE OF A MUSICAL
Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, Paul Robeson Theatre
Killer Rack, Alleyway Theatre
Once, MusicalFare
Smokey Joe’s Cafe, MusicalFare
Stellaluna, Theatre of Youth
The Producers, Kavinoky Theatre
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Susan Drozd, Violet, MusicalFare
Susan Forbes, The Full Monty, Subversive Theatre Collective
Carlos R.A. Jones, Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, Paul Robeson Theatre
Chris Kelly, Peter and the Starcatcher, MusicalFare
Matthew LaChiusa, Jesus Christ Superstar, American Repertory Theatre of WNY
Kyle LoConti, Stellaluna, Theatre of Youth
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Brian Cavanagh, The Night Alive, Irish Classical Theatre
Lara Haberberger, ’night, Mother, Brazen-Faced Varlets
Paulette D. Harris, Skeleton Crew, Paul Robeson Theatre
Willie Judson, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Paul Robeson Theatre
Chris Kelly, Significant Other, BUA
Michael Lodick, Stupid F***ing Bird, American Repertory Theatre of WNY
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
Kristy Cavanagh, Violet, MusicalFare
Carlos R.A. Jones, Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, Paul Robeson Theatre
Nancy Hughes, The Full Monty, Subversive Theatre Collective
John Fredo, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, MusicalFare
Michael Walline, Once, MusicalFare
Doug Weyand, Pretty Funny, MusicalFare
OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Anthony Alcocer, The Full Monty
Steve Copps, Peter and the Starcatcher
Fisher, Blackberry Daze
Dudney Joseph, Violet
Brian Mysliwy, The Producers
Norm Sham, The Producers
OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Kevin Craig, The Foreigner
Matthew DiVita, Significant Other
David Hayes, The Christians
John Profeta, How I Learned to Drive
Nick Stevens, Visiting Mr. Green
Roosevelt Tidwell, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Danielle Green, Blackberry Daze
Renee Landrigan, Once
MaryKate O’Connell, Dear World
Debbie Pappas Sham, Mamma Mia!
Michele Marie Roberts, Violet
Emily Yancey, Killer Rack
OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Caitlin Baumler Coleman, Sons & Lovers
Heather Fangsrud, 'night Mother
Kristen Tripp Kelley, Disgraced
Kate LoConti, The Constant Wife
Verniece Turner, Skeleton Crew
Priscilla Anker Young, 'night Mother
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Joey Bucheker, Killer Rack
Jeffrey Coyle, The Full Monty
Philip Farugia, Once
Gregory Gjurich, The Producers
Ben Michael Moran, Smokey Joe's Café
Roger Van dette, Dear World
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Mark Donahue, That Championship Season
Chris Evans, Ben Butler
David Lundy, Sight Unseen
Dave Marciniak, The Nether
Aaron Moss, The Christians
Adam Yellen, The Night Alive
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Ariane Davidow, The Producers
Amy Jakiel, Once
Pamela Rose Mangus, The Full Monty
Katy Miner, Dear World
Zoe Scruggs, Smokey Joe's Café
Maggie Zindle, Violet
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Melinda Capeles-Rowe, Desde el Puenta: Christmas Edition
Christina Foster, Skeleton Crew
Cassie Gorniewicz, The Night Alive
Candice Kogut, Stupid F***ing Bird
Bonnie Jean Taylor, Far Away
Lisa Vitrano, The Christians
OUTSTANDING CHARACTER PERFORMANCE
Sandra Gilliam, Blackberry Daze
Ellen Horst, The Awful Truth
Jordan Levin, Peter and the Starcatcher
Eric Rawski, Cinderella
Christopher Standart, It Can’t Happen Here
Todd Benzin, The Producers
EMANUEL FRIED AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY
Philip Farugia, the score for Pretty Funny
Donna Hoke, Sons & Lovers
Neal Radice, Killer Rack
Kelli Bocock-Natale, Cinderella
Mark Humphrey, Roommates
Grant Golden and Rebecca Ritchie, Way Back When
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
Paul Bostaph, The Night Alive
Dyan Burlingame, The Nether
David King, The Producers
Lynne Koscielniak, Disgraced
Kristina Siegel, Far Away
Chris Wilson, My Old Lady
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
George Grace, Graphic/Scenic/Illustrations/Projections, The Full Monty
Adam Kreutinger, Puppet Design, Stellaluna
John Rickus, Lighting Design, The Nether
Justin Rowland, Sound Design, Far Away
John Shotwell, Sound Design, The Christians
Todd Warfield, Special Effects, Killer Rack
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Kari Drozd, Peter and the Starcatcher
Ann Emo, Design for Living
Elaine Heckler, The Full Monty
Bethany Kasperek, The Awful Truth
Maura Simmonds-Price, It's a wonderful Life
Jessica Wegrzyn, Far Away
KATHARINE CORNELL AWARD FOR VISITING ARTISTS
Afrim Gjonbalaj for his performance in Disgraced
Diane Curley for her performance in The Awful Truth
Harlan Penn for set design at the Paul RobesonTheatre
Candace Whitfield for her performance in Disgraced
Marisa Guida, for her musical play, Pretty Funny
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT
Darleen Pickering Hummert