The 38th annual  Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards announced its 2020 nominees virtually, in a year like no other.

With stages shuttered indefinitely by COVID-19 restrictions, mother-daughter duo Amanda Sum and Linda Leung hosted the announcements online, as a celebration of the art form in the face of an industry struggling in a pandemic.

The nominations of works that played earlier this season, before it was halted unexpectedly in mid-March, were widely spread out. Twenty-three productions were named in the large-theatre category. Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre’s Kuroko leads the way with nine nominations, including one for outstanding production, one for Tetsuro Shigematsu for his script, and nods to Amiel Gladstone for direction and Lou Ticzon for supporting role; the show, which played at the Cultch Historic Theatre last fall, is also up for the Critics’ Choice Innovation Award.

In the same category, the Arts Club Theatre Company received 12 nominations overall for four productions, with Noises Off seeing eight nods (including outstanding production and outstanding direction for Scott Bellis). The Arts Club partnered  with other theatre companies for five productions that have acquired a further 11 nominations, including nods to Matilda, in partnership with the Citadel Theatre and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre; A Thousand Splendid Suns, in partnership with Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre; Cost of Living, in partnership with the Citadel Theatre; Cipher, in partnership with Vertigo Theatre; and The Wedding Party, in partnership with Prairie Theatre Exchange. 

Elsewhere in large theatre, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival also made a big impact, pulling in 12 nominations. Coriolanus led the way with five, including one for Moya O’Connell for outstanding lead performance. All’s Well That Ends Well garnered four nods. Shakespeare in Love's Charlie Gallant got named for acting, as he did for his performance in Noises Off.

Pacific Theatre’s Best of Enemies earned seven of the company’s nine nominations; Inheritance: A Pick-The-Path Experience by Alley Theatre and Touchstone Theatre (in association with Vancouver Moving Theatre and community partnership with the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre) received three nods

In the small-theatre category, two shows tied for the lead with eight nominations: The Sea by Slamming Door Artist Collective, and the Search Party’s production of The Father. Ensemble Theatre Company's summer series at Jericho Beach received eight nominations for three productions, including Superior Donuts. Patrick Street Production’s solo musical cabaret Herringbone nabbed five nominations, with Peter Jorgensen and Luisa Jojic, who alternated performances in the lead role, each receiving an acting nod.

Raincity Theatre’s production of Sondheim’s Company  earned four nods, with the entire cast nominated for significant artistic achievement and Chris Adams for his direction. Rice & beans theatre's Chicken Girl (produced in partnership with Playwrights Theatre Centre), Saint FiFi Collective’s Lungs,Third Wheel Productions' Deep into Darkness, and Sol Theatre Collective's Anna Bella Eema each received three nominations.  

In the Theatre for Young Audiences category, Carousel Theatre for Young People garnered four nominations for its production of Bad Hats Theatre’s critically lauded Peter Pan.

With theatres shut down, the awards will be broadcast online as well. The Art Left will be producing the first livestream Jessie Awards from the Firehall Arts Centre on June 29^th from 7 to 9 p.m. 

There will also be a number of additional awards and prizes presented at the award ceremony.  The list includes:  the Vancouver Now Representation and Inclusion Award, the Patron of the Arts Award, the Mary Phillips Prize for Behind the Scenes Achievement, the Ray Michal Prize for Emerging Director, the Sam Payne Award for the Most Promising Newcomer, the John Moffat & Larry Lillo Award, the Critics’ Choice Innovation Award, and the GVPTA Career Achievement Award.

See the entire list of nominations below and for more information visit www.jessieawards.com.

LARGE THEATRE

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE – LARGE THEATRE
Darrell Dennis, Inheritance: A Pick-The-Path Experience, Alley Theatre and Touchstone Theatre (in association with Vancouver Moving Theatre and Community Partnership with Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre)
Charlie Gallant, Noises Off, Arts Club Theatre Company
Charlie Gallant, Shakespeare in Love, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Robert Salvador, Best of Enemies, Pacific Theatre
Todd Thomson, The Wedding Party, Arts Club Theatre Company (in partnership with Prairie Theatre Exchange)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEAD ROLE – LARGE THEATRE

Celia Aloma, Best of Enemies, Pacific Theatre
Deena Aziz, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Arts Club Theatre Company (in partnership with Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)
Erla Faye Forsyth, The Cake, Pacific Theatre
Moya O’Connell, Coriolanus, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Anita Wittenberg, Mother of the Maid, Pacific Theatre

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – LARGE THEATRE

Sebastien Archibald, House and Home, Firehall Arts Centre
Andrew McNee, Noises Off, Arts Club Theatre Company
Anthony Santiago, Best of Enemies, Pacific Theatre
Lou Ticzon, Kuroko, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre
John Ullyatt, Matilda, Arts Club Theatre Company (in partnership with Citadel Theatre & Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – LARGE THEATRE

Rebecca deBoer, Best of Enemies, Pacific Theatre
Tess Degenstein, Noises Off, Arts Club Theatre Company
Veenesh Dubois, All’s Well That Ends Well, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Emma Slipp, Noises Off, Arts Club Theatre Company
Colleen Wheeler, Coriolanus, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN – LARGE THEATRE
Alan Brodie, Coriolanus, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Itai Erdal, Skyborn: A Land Reclamation Odyssey, Savage Society (presented by The Cultch)
Gerald King, Kuroko, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre
Parjad Sharifi, Cipher, Arts Club Theatre Company (in partnership with Vertigo Theatre)
Robert Wierzel & Andrew F. Griffin, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Arts Club Theatre Company (in partnership with Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN – LARGE THEATRE
Drew Facey, Cost of Living, Arts Club Theatre Company (in partnership with Citadel Theatre)
Ted Roberts, Noises Off, Arts Club Theatre Company
Ted Roberts, Birds and the Bees Arts Club Theatre Company
Cory Sincennes Matilda Arts Club Theatre Company (in partnership with Citadel Theatre & Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)
Sophie Tang Kuroko Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN – LARGE THEATRE
Carmen Alatorre, All’s Well That Ends Well, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Mara Gottler, Taming of the Shrew, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Christine Reimer, Kuroko, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre
Christine Reimer, Noises Off, Arts Club Theatre Company
Cory Sincennes, Shakespeare in Love, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN OR ORIGINAL COMPOSITION – LARGE THEATRE
Rick Colhoun, Best of Enemies, Pacific Theatre
Sammie Hatch, Kuroko, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre
Alessandro Juliani, Coriolanus, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Alessandro Juliani, The Great Leap, Arts Club Theatre Company
Ruby Singh, All’s Well That Ends Well, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION – LARGE THEATRE

Scott Bellis, Noises Off, Arts Club Theatre Company
Ashlie Corcoran, Cost of Living, Arts Club Theatre Company (in partnership with Citadel Theatre)
Ian Farthing, Best of Enemies, Pacific Theatre
Dean Paul Gibson, Coriolanus, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Amiel Gladstone, Kuroko, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION – PLAY – LARGE THEATRE

A Thousand Splendid Suns, Arts Club Theatre Company (in partnership with Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)
Best of Enemies, Pacific Theatre
Inheritance: A Pick-The-Path Experience, Alley Theatre and Touchstone Theatre (in association with Vancouver Moving Theatre and Community Partnership with Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre)
Kuroko, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre
Noises Off, Arts Club Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION – MUSICAL – LARGE THEATRE

Holiday at the Elbow Room Café, Zee Zee Theatre & The Cultch
Matilda, Arts Club Theatre Company (in partnership with Citadel Theatre & Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)
Sound of Music, Arts Club Theatre Company
Talking Sex on Sunday, Firehall Arts Centre

SIGNIFICANT ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT – LARGE THEATRE

Outstanding Innovative and Immersive Storytelling, Alley Theatre and Touchstone Theatre, Inheritance: A Pick-The-Path Experience Alley (in association with Vancouver Moving Theatre and Community Partnership with Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre)
Outstanding Projection Design, Chimerik 似不像, The Great Leap, Arts Club Theatre Company
Outstanding Video and Projection Design Emily Soussana, Chief Lady Bird, Chrystal Sparrow, & Carrielynn Victor, Skyborn: A Land Reclamation Odyssey, Savage Society (presented by The Cultch)
Outstanding Choreography Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg, Cipher, Arts Club Theatre Company (in partnership with Vertigo Theatre)
Outstanding Audience Engagement Through the Use of Technology, Théâtre la Seizième, Le NoShow, Vancouver Théâtre la Seizième (in partnership with Théâtre DuBunker and le Collectif Nous Sommes ici (Québec)

SMALL THEATRE

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE – SMALL THEATRE
Paul Herbert, Born Yesterday, Ensemble Theatre Company
Peter Jorgensen, Herringbone, Patrick Street Productions
Kevin McNulty, The Father, The Search Party
David Nykl, Superior Donuts, Ensemble Theatre Company
Alec Santos, Lungs, Saint FiFi Collective

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEAD ROLE – SMALL THEATRE

Lois Anderson, Anna Bella Eema, Sol Theatre Collective
Jillian Fargey, The Father, The Search Party
Genevieve Fleming, The Sea, Slamming Door Artist Collective
Luisa Jojic, Herringbone, Patrick Street Productions
Fei Ren, Lungs, Saint FiFi Collective

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – SMALL THEATRE

Stephen Aberle, The Sea, Slamming Door Artist Collective
Chris Francisque, Superior Donuts, Ensemble Theatre Company
Massimo Frau, Zastrozzi: The Master of Discipline, Star & Moon Productions
Darcey Johnson, The Drawer Boy, Ensemble Theatre Company
John Murphy, Body Awareness, Mitch and Murray Productions

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – SMALL THEATRE

Eileen Barrett, Escaped Alone, Western Gold Theatre
Bethany Brown, Disgraced, Vagrant Players Theatre Society
Alexis Kellum-Creer, Born Yesterday, Ensemble Theatre Company
Elizabeth Kirkland, The Sea, Slamming Door Artist Collective
Adriana Ravalli, The Great Canadian Porno: The Musical, Frenzied Millennial Collective

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN – SMALL THEATRE

Celeste English, The Sea, Slamming Door Artist Collective
Itai Erdal, The Father, The Search Party
Neil Griffith, Deep into Darkness, Third Wheel Productions
Sophie Tang, Chicken Girl, rice & beans theatre (in partnership with Playwrights Theatre Centre)
John Webber, Escaped Alone, Western Gold Theatre

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN – SMALL THEATRE

Shizuka Kai, Chicken Girl, rice & beans theatre (in partnership with Playwrights Theatre Centre)
Amir Ofek, The Father, The Search Party
Sandy Margaret, The Sea, Slamming Door Artist Collective
Ariel Slack, Superior Donuts, Ensemble Theatre Company
John R. Taylor, Deep into Darkness, Third Wheel Productions

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN – SMALL THEATRE

C.S. Fergusson-Vaux, Mx, Lili Robinson (in partnership with Playwrights Theatre Centre)
Hilary Jardine, Zastrozzi: The Master of Discipline, Star & Moon Productions
Jessica Oostergo, The Father, The Search Party
Cheyenne Mabberley & Chantal Short, The Sea, Slamming Door Artist Collective
Christina Sinosich & Donnie Tejani, Company, Raincity Theatre

OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN OR ORIGINAL COMPOSITION – SMALL THEATRE

Owen Belton, The Father, The Search Party
Rick Colhoun, Frankenstein: Lost in Darkness, Wireless Wings Radio Ensemble
Rick Colhoun, Superior Donuts, Ensemble Theatre Company
Angelo Moroni, Hello, Theatre Terrific Society
Joelysa Pankanea, Anna Bella Eema, Sol Theatre Collective

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION – SMALL THEATRE

Chris Adams, Company, Raincity Theatre
Kayla Dunbar, Herringbone, Patrick Street Productions
Tamara McCarthy, The Sea, Slamming Door Artist Collective
Mindy Parfitt, The Father, The Search Party
Christy Webb, Lungs, Saint FiFi Collective

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION – PLAY – SMALL THEATRE

Anna Bella Eema, Sol Theatre Collective
Superior Donuts, Ensemble Theatre Company
The Father ,The Search Party
The Sea, Slamming Door Artist Collective

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION – MUSICAL – SMALL THEATRE

Company, Raincity Theatre
Herringbone, Patrick Street Productions

SIGNIFICANT ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT – SMALL THEATRE

Outstanding ensemble performance: Caitlin Clugston, Graham Coffeng, Nick Fontaine, Janet Gigliotti,Alex Gullason, Warren Kimmel, Steve Maddock, Jennie Neumann, Anthony Santiago, Madeleine Suddaby, Jennifer Suratos, Lindsay Ann Warnock, Jonathan Winsby, Katey Wright; Company, Raincity Theatre
Outstanding transformation of space and audience immersion: Deep into Darkness, Third Wheel Productions
Outstanding musical direction: Sean Bayntun, Herringbone, Patrick Street Productions
Outstanding integrity in casting: Transcripts, Part I: The Women, Zee Zee Theatre and The Frank Theatre, (in partnership with Firehall Arts Centre)

THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

Scott Button, New Canadian Kid, Green Thumb Theatre
Paige Fraser, What If, Green Thumb Theatre
Marlene Ginader, Bad Hats Theatre’s Peter Pan, Carousel Theatre for Young People
Kelli Ogmundson, Bad Hats Theatre’s Peter Pan, Carousel Theatre for Young People
Chelsea Rose, Th’owxiya: The Hungry Feast Dish, Axis Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING DESIGN – THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

Jay Dodge, Video Design, Iron Peggy, Vancouver International Children’s Festival and Boca del Lupo
Jay Havens, Set Design, Th’owxiya: The Hungry Feast Dish, Axis Theatre Company
Shizuka Kai, Set Design, Bad Hats Theatre’s Peter Pan, Carousel Theatre for Young People
Shizuka Kai, Set Design, Iron Peggy, Vancouver International Children’s Festival and Boca del Lupo
Kiara Lawson, Costume Design, Bad Hats Theatre’s Peter Pan, Carousel Theatre for Young People

OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CREATION – THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

Ian Harmon, Direction, Love You Forever and More, Munsch Beach House Theatre
Sherry Yoon, Direction, Iron Peggy, Vancouver International Children’s Festival and Boca del Lupo

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION – THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

Love You Forever and More, Munsch Beach House Theatre
Iron Peggy, Vancouver International Children’s Festival and Boca del Lupo
Th’owxiya: The Hungry Feast Dish, Axis Theatre Company

SIGNIFICANT ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT – THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

Outstanding stage managemen, Jillian Perry, Th’owxiya: The Hungry Feast Dish, Axis Theatre Company

OTHER

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SCRIPT

Jan Derbyshire, Certified, Touchstone Theatre
Derek Chan, Chicken Girl, rice & beans theatre (in partnership with Playwrights Theatre Centre)
Tetsuro Shigematsu, Kuroko, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre
Deborah Vogt, Big Sister, Rapid Pitch Productions

CRITICS’ CHOICE INNOVATION AWARD

All’s Well That Ends Well, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Anywhere But Here, Electric Company Theatre (in association with Playwrights Theatre Centre)
Certified, Touchstone Theatre
Kuroko, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre
Take D Milk, Nah? Rumble Theatre and Pandemic Theatre