Time for the 12th annual Most Impressive Theatre Awards! The Mittys! Every year for the past 11 I have named the most impressive designs and performances I personally have seen in the past calendar year.
Here are 2022’s Mitty Award winners in the Community Theatre Division:
Most Impressive Costume Design for a Play: Anthony Sirk – Arts for Lawrence’s Benjamin Harrison Chased a Goat
Most Impressive Costume Design for a Musical: Adrienne Conces for Civic Theatre’s YAP production of 42nd Street
Most Impressive Newcomer: Young actor Noah Ebeyer plays Christopher, a teen boy who is somewhere on the autism spectrum in Carmel Community Players’ The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.
Most Impressive Male Performer in a Supporting Role in a Drama: Chris Otterman shines as Candy in Main Street Productions’ Of Mice and Men.
Most Impressive Female Performer in a Supporting Role in a Drama: Audrey Duprey is striking as the tragically misunderstood Curley’s Wife in Main Street Productions’ Of Mice and Men.
Most Impressive Male Performer in a Supporting Role in a Comedy: John Johnson is a standout as Master Ford in Bard Fest’s offering of one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Most Impressive Female Performer in a Supporting Role in a Comedy: Bard Fest’s summer production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was highlighted by Kelsey VanVoorst’s characterization of Bottom.
Most Impressive Performers in Supporting Roles in a Musical: In Carmel Community Players’ The Fantasticks, Kevin Shadle and Kevin Caraher play the two fathers – Hucklebee and Bellomy, respectively – with an energetic comedic approach.
Most Impressive Ensemble in a Play: Joe Wagner, Lucar Felix Schooler, and Eva Patton in American Lives Theatre’s The Lifespan of a Fact
Most Impressive Duo in Lead Roles: In Carmel Community Players’ The Fantasticks, Theodore Curtis and Brook-Glen Gober play the romantic young neighbors.
Most Impressive Actress in a Lead Role in a Play: In Westfield’s Main Street Productions’ The Curious Savage, Tanya Haas stars as Ethel Savage.
Most Impressive Actress in a Lead Role in a Musical: Olivia Broadwater wows as Maureen in Civic Theatre’s production of RENT.
Most Impressive Actor in a Lead Role in a Drama and in a Comedy: One actor, two awards. Thomas Sebald peopled two very diverse characters with aplomb – Steven, an evil SOB in Theatre Unchained’s Coping with Autumn and the jolly, lecherous drunkard Sir Flastaff in Bard Fest’s The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Most Impressive Actors in Lead Roles in a Musical: In Civic Theatre’s dynamic production of RENT, Joseph Massingale and Austin Stodghill are brilliant in the lead roles of roommates, Roger and Mark, respectively.
Most Impressive Performers in a Musical Youth Production: Two young ladies, both from Civic’s Young Artists Program’s 42nd Street: Mary Kate Tanselle is an inspired Peggy Sawyer. Jilayne Kistner takes the role of Broadway diva Dorothy Brock and makes it her own.
Most Impressive Direction of a Drama: The Carmel Community Players’ The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time was Larry Adams’ dynamic directorial debut.
Most Impressive Direction of a Drama: Playwright Megan Jacobs directs her own work, Theatre Unchained’s Coping with Autumn, with a certain keen edginess.
Most Impressive Direction, Musical Direction, and Choreography of a Musical: Three prizes for the same show – Civic Theatre’s highly polished RENT. Michael Lasley takes the award for his thoughtful direction, Brent Marty for the sublime vocalizations in the piece, and choreographer Anne Beck for her vision of free and blissful movement for her cast.
Most Impressive Youth Production of a Musical: Civic Theatre’s Young Artists Program (YAP) takes the award for their sparkling production of 42nd Street.
Most Impressive Production of a Comedy: The Carmel Community Players’ production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is likely the best community theatre show I have ever seen.
Most Impressive Production of a Drama: Theatre Unchained’s Coping with Autumn was an amazingly expressive undertaking by all involved.
Most Impressive Production of a Musical: It has to be Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre’s RENT, a record-setting production brim-full of superior performances.
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As is usual, I use a special section to honor performers in areas that are not normally covered:
Most Impressive Original Play: Local actress and director Megan Jacob’s play is an astonishing original work. Coping with Autumn conveys the inner story of a sensitive young woman who gets caught up in an abusive relationship with strong images.
Now for some picks from my ASOTA associates. They see and review shows that I cannot cover and I’ve requested a limited number of choices from each of them:
Larry Adams: Most Impressive Male Performer in a Supporting Role in a Drama: Matt Anderson gives an enlightened performance in the relatively small role of the scheming Cardinal Pandulph in Bard Fest’s The Life and Death of King John.
Carrie Neal: Most Impressive Newcomer: from Bard Fest’s Lysistrata, Missy Waaland was completely captivating in her dual roles of the granddaughter and Ismenia.
Daniel Shock: Most Impressive Production of a Play: Southbank Theatre Company’s Natural Shocks – is simultaneously the funniest and most shocking thing I’ve seen all year.
Daniel Shock: Most Impressive Female Performer in a Play: Carrie Schlatter for her phenomenal performance in Natural Shocks.
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That’s it for another year. Congrats to all those who were included. Congratulations to all our wonderful theatres for making such an amazing comeback in 2022. I know this has been a better year for all theatre lovers. Please continue to support our wonderfully talented theatre community.
Read more great play reviews from A Seat on the Aisle at asota.wordpress.com.