From tales of the Marquis de Sade to a groundbreaking production of Tennessee Williams' rarely performed early work, Stairs to the Roof, 2014 was an exciting year for St. Louis-area theater. Although the town lost one of its best theater companies when HotCity Theatre called it quits, several new companies have rushed in to fill the void. Stalwarts like St. Louis Shakespeare's Donna Northcott and Prison Performing Arts' Agnes Wilcox announced they were stepping down, while newcomers like Sarah Porter and Caroline Amos brought exciting new energy to St. Louis stages. Through it all, there have been some marvelous ensemble performances -- everything from the St. Louis Actors' Studio production of Pinter's masterpiece, The Homecoming, to new plays like Rebecca Gilman's Soups, Stews and Casseroles: 1976.
The best in St. Louis theater will be honored at the 2105 St. Louis Theater Circle Awards ceremony on Monday, March 23 at the COCA auditorium (for those who can't make the event, the ceremony will also be televised on HEC-TV).
Here, then, is a list of the nominees:
Search riverfronttimes.com for reviews of many of these productions.
Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy All in the Timing, St. Louis Actors' Studio Blithe Spirit, St. Louis Actors' Studio The Liar, St. Louis Shakespeare Noises Off, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis One Man, Two Guvnors, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Caroline Amos, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Nancy Lewis, Blithe Spirit, St. Louis Actors' Studio Ruth Pferdehirt, Noises Off, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Jamie Pitt, The Liar, St. Louis Shakespeare Donna Weinsting, Chancers, Max & Louie Productions
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Paul Cereghino, The Little Dog Laughed, Stray Dog Theatre Joneal Joplin, Noises Off, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Michael James Reed, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Ben Ritchie, The Liar, St. Louis Shakespeare Evan Zes, One Man, Two Guvnors, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Sarajane Alverson, The Little Dog Laughed, Stray Dog Theatre Nicole Angeli, The Liar, St. Louis Shakespeare Nancy Bell, Blithe Spirit, St. Louis Actors' Studio Teresa Doggett, Shirley Valentine, Dramatic License Productions Dale Hodges, Noises Off, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Ted Gregory, Quills, Max & Louie Productions Raymond McAnally, One Man, Two Guvnors, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Ben Nordstrom, Reality, HotCity Theatre Michael James Reed, Blithe Spirit, St. Louis Actors' Studio Jared Sanz-Agero, The Liar, St. Louis Shakespeare
Outstanding Director of a Comedy Paul Mason Barnes, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Elizabeth Helman, All in the Timing, St. Louis Actors' Studio Bobby Miller, Blithe Spirit, St. Louis Actors' Studio Suki Peters, The Liar, St. Louis Shakespeare Edward Stern, Noises Off, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Outstanding Production of a Comedy All in the Timing, St. Louis Actors' Studio Blithe Spirit, St. Louis Actors' Studio The Liar, St. Louis Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis One Man, Two Guvnors, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Death of a Salesman, Insight Theatre Company The Diary of Anne Frank, New Jewish Theatre Eat Your Heart Out, R-S Theatrics The Normal Heart, HotCity Theatre The Price, New Jewish Theatre Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Katie Donnelly, Eat Your Heart Out, R-S Theatrics Amy Loui, The Diary of Anne Frank, New Jewish Theatre Susan Pellegrino, A Kid Like Jake, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Susie Wall, Death of a Salesman, Insight Theatre Company Sharisa Whatley, A Raisin in the Sun, The Black Rep
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Jason Contini, Death of a Salesman, Insight Theatre Company Gregory Fenner, The Whipping Man, New Jewish Theatre Bobby Miller, The Price, New Jewish Theatre Tim Schall, The Normal Heart, HotCity Theatre Eric Dean White, The Normal Heart, HotCity Theatre Outstanding Actress in a Drama Andrea Frye, A Raisin in the Sun, The Black Rep Linda Kennedy, Windmill Baby, Upstream Theater Kate Levy, The Other Place, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Samantha Moyer, The Diary of Anne Frank, New Jewish Theatre Em Piro, The K of D: An Urban Legend, Blue Rose Stage Collective Outstanding Actor in a Drama Jim Butz, Henry V, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis John Contini, Death of a Salesman, Insight Theatre Company John Flack, The Normal Heart, HotCity Theatre Bobby Miller, The Diary of Anne Frank, New Jewish Theatre Jerry Vogel, Forget Me Not, Upstream Theater
Outstanding Director of a Drama Fred Abrahamse, Stairs to the Roof, Sudden View Productions Gary Wayne Barker, The Diary of Anne Frank, New Jewish Theatre Bruce Longworth, Henry V, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Wayne Loui, Death of a Salesman, Insight Theatre Company Marty Stanberry, The Normal Heart, HotCity Theatre
Outstanding Production of a Drama Death of a Salesman, Insight Theatre Company The Diary of Anne Frank, New Jewish Theatre Eat Your Heart Out, R-S Theatrics The Normal Heart, HotCity Theatre The Price, New Jewish Theatre
Outstanding Set Design in a Play Jim Burwinkel, The Diary of Anne Frank, New Jewish Theatre Michael Ganio, Other Desert Cities, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Rob Lippert, And Then There Were None, Stray Dog Theatre Marcel Meyer, Stairs to the Roof, Sudden View Productions Mark WIlson, The Price, New Jewish Theatre
Outstanding Costume Design in a Play Eileen Engel, And Then There Were None, Stray Dog Theatre Jennifer "JC" Krajicek, The Liar, St. Louis Shakespeare Marcel Meyer, Stairs to the Roof, Sudden View Productions Michele Friedman Siler, Blithe Spirit, St. Louis Actors' Studio Susan Branch Towne, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Patrick Huber, Stairs to the Roof, Sudden View Productions John Lasiter, The Other Place, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Bess Moynihan, Mary Shelley Monster Show, Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble John Wylie, Henry V, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
Outstanding Sound Design in a Play Justin Been, And Then There Were None, Stray Dog Theatre Barry G. Funderburg, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Fitz Patton, The Other Place, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Rusty Wandall, Henry V, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Rusty Wandall, Opus, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Outstanding Set Design in a Musical Rob Lippert, Bonnie & Clyde, New Line Theatre Robert Mark Morgan, Seussical, The Muny Michael Schweikardt, The Addams Family, The Muny James Wolk, Fiddler on the Roof, Stages St. Louis James Wolk, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Stages St. Louis
Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical Amy Clark, Hello, Dolly!, The Muny Leon Dobkowski, Seussical, The Muny Andrea Lauer, The Addams Family, The Muny Sarah Porter and Marcy Wiegert, Bonnie & Clyde, New Line Theatre Alexandra Scibetta Quigley, Cabaret, Stray Dog Theatre
Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical Rob Denton, Seussical, The Muny Tyler Duenow, Cabaret, Stray Dog Theatre Rob Lippert, Bonnie & Clyde, New Line Theatre Matthew McCarthy, Fiddler on the Roof, Stages St. Louis Matthew McCarthy, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Stages St. Louis Outstanding Musical Director Jeffrey Richard Carter, Bonnie & Clyde, New Line Theatre Valerie Gebert, Seussical, The Muny James Moore, Hello, Dolly!, The Muny Chris Petersen, Cabaret, Stray Dog Theatre Justin Smolik, Rent, New Line Theatre
Outstanding Choreographer Stephen Bourneuf, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Stages St. Louis Denis Jones, Grease, The Muny Gary John LaRosa, Fiddler on the Roof, Stages St. Louis Ralph Perkins, Hello, Dolly!, The Muny Zachary Stefaniak, Cabaret, Stray Dog Theatre
Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical Cabaret, Stray Dog Theatre Fiddler on the Roof, Stages St. Louis Hands on a Hardbody, New Line Theatre How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Stages St. Louis Seussical, The Muny Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical Rachel Hanks, First Lady Suite, R-S Theatrics Sara Kapner, The Addams Family, The Muny Teressa Kindle, Grease, The Muny Mamie Parris, Hello, Dolly!, The Muny Sarah Porter, Bonnie & Clyde, New Line Theatre Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical Patrick Kelly, Assassins, November Theater Company Rob McClure, Hello, Dolly!, The Muny Joseph Medeiros, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Stages St. Louis Whit Reichert, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Stages St. Louis Luke Steingruby, Rent, New Line Theatre Outstanding Actress in a Musical Lavonne Byers, Cabaret, Stray Dog Theatre Kari Ely, Fiddler on the Roof, Stages St. Louis Abigail Isom, Seussical, The Muny Beth Leavel, Hello, Dolly!, The Muny Larissa White, Bonnie & Clyde, New Line Theatre
Outstanding Actor in a Musical Rob McClure, The Addams Family, The Muny Ben Nordstrom, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Stages St. Louis Matt Pentecost, Bonnie & Clyde, New Line Theatre Bruce Sabath, Fiddler on the Roof, Stages St. Louis John Tartaglia, Seussical, The Muny
Outstanding Director of a Musical Justin Been, Cabaret, Stray Dog Theatre Michael Hamilton, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Stages St. Louis Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy, Hands on a Hardbody, New Line Theatre Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy, Bonnie & Clyde, New Line Theatre Rob Ruggiero, Hello, Dolly!, The Muny Outstanding Production of a Musical Bonnie & Clyde, New Line Theatre Cabaret, Stray Dog Theatre Hands on a Hardbody, New Line Theatre How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Stages St. Louis Seussical, The Muny Outstanding New Play Jennifer Blackmer, Human Terrain, Mustard Seed Theatre Rebecca Gilman, Soups, Stews and Casseroles: 1976, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Nick Otten, Mary Shelley Monster Show, Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble Stephen Peirick, Four Sugars, Stray Dog Theatre Lia Romeo, Reality, HotCity Theatre Special Awards Donna Northcott, St. Louis Shakespeare Agnes Wilcox, Prison Performing Arts
