Shakespeare in the Bar at Wild Detectives in Oak Cliff. ~Christopher Dontrell Piper and Abel Flores in Love’s Labour’s Lost
Another year of outstanding D/FW thespian endeavor rolls by. Herein I post the decisions arrived at by the Dallas-Fort Worth Theatre Critics Forum after three hours of deliberation, negotiation, advocacy and munching David Novinski’s delicious gluten-free brownies to finish our potluck meal at Martha’s. I’m stoked by the diversity and quality of performance art in the region. Happy as a clam (Are clams happy? How would one know?) to put this out today….
I don’t know why, but we considered shows that opened between September 1, 2014 and August 31, 2015. Selections listed in alphabetical order.
Outstanding Direction/Productions:
Akín Babatundé, Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope and The Color Purple, Jubilee Theatre
Bruce R. Coleman, The Nance, Uptown Players
Cheryl Denson, Catch Me If You Can, Uptown Players
Jeremy Dumont, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Uptown Players
Blake Hackler, The Flick, Undermain Theatre
Katherine Owens, Tomorrow Come Today and The Testament of Mary, Undermain Theatre
Matthew Posey, The Egg Salesman, The Ochre House
vickie washington, Mississippi Goddamn, South Dallas Cultural Center
Outstanding New Play/Musical:
The Show About Men Danielle Georgiou Dance Group (DGDG)
Mississippi Goddamn by Jonathan Norton, South Dallas Cultural Center
The Show About Men by Danielle Georgiou, Justin Locklear and Trey Pendergrass, DGDG, Festival of Independent Theatres; NICE at the AT&T Elevator Project at the Wyly Theatre
Standing Eight Count by Van Quattro, Rite of Passage Theatre Company, Out of the Loop Fringe Festival and Dallas Solo Fest
Outstanding Acting Performance:
Stephanie Cleghorn Jasso, Lydia, Cara Mía Theatre Company
B.J. Cleveland, The Nance, Uptown Players
David Coffee, King Lear, Trinity Shakespeare Festival
David Coffee as Lear in King Lear at Trinity Shakespeare
Hassan El-Amin, Radio Golf and A Soldier’s Play, African American Repertory Theater
Anthony Fortino, Catch Me If You Can, Uptown Players
Kyle Igneczi, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Uptown Players
Kyle Igneczi as Hedwig in Uptown Players’ Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Shannon Kearns, The Testament of Mary, Undermain Theatre
Jenny Ledel in:
Emilia confronts Iago (Jenny Ledel, Alex Organ)
- The Arsonists, Kitchen Dog Theater
- Belleville, Second Thought Theatre
- Othello, Second Thought Theatre
- Wilde/Earnest, Kitchen Dog Theater
David Lugo, Catch Me If You Can, Uptown Players
Janelle Lutz, Lady in the Dark and South Pacific, Lyric Stage
Janelle Lutz in South Pacific at Lyric Stage with Sonny Franks
Ebony Marshall Oliver, In Real Life and The Color Purple, Jubilee Theatre
Sally Nystuen Vahle, Medea, Dallas Theater Center
Allison Pistorius, The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence, Stage West
Paul Taylor, Mr. Burns, a post-electric play, Stage West; and The Hot Mikado, Theatre
Three
Paul Taylor, center, in Mr. Burns at Stage West
Lulu Ward, The Two-Character Play, WingSpan Theatre Company
Sherry Jo Ward, Precious Little, Echo Theatre
Pat Watson, Streamers, L.I.P. Service at The Firehouse Theatre
Pat Watson in L.I.P.Service’s Streamers at The Firehouse Theatre
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble:
B.J. Cleveland and Bob Hess in The Nance at Uptown Players
The Brothers Size, Jubilee Theatre
The Egg Salesman, The Ochre House
The Flick, Undermain Theatre
Hands on a Hardbody, Theatre Three
Mississippi Goddamn, South Dallas Cultural Center
Mr. Burns, a post-electric play, Stage West
The Nance, Uptown Players
Outstanding Achievement in Design or Creative Contribution:
Robin Armstrong, fight choreography, Lovers and Executioners, Circle Theatre
Clare Floyd DeVries, set design, The Explorers Club, Stage West and WaterTower Theatre
Dana Schultes and Michael Ulrie in The Explorers’ Club at Stage West
Danielle Georgiou, choreography, NICE and The Show About Men, DGDG
Bob Lavallee, set design, The Rocky Horror Show, Dallas Theater Center
Joshua L. Peugh, choreography/movement, Colossal, Dallas Theater Center
Adam C. Wright, original composition, The Nance, Uptown Players
Outstanding touring production:
Buyer & Cellar, AT&T Performing Arts Center
Endurance, Split Knuckle Theatre, The Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts
The Last Two People on Earth: An Apocalyptic Vaudeville, The Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts
Once, AT&T Performing Arts Center and Performing Arts Fort Worth
Pippin, Dallas Summer Musicals and Performing Arts Fort Worth
Special Citations:
To Lyric Stage and musical director Jay Dias for their contributions to the musical restoration of The Golden Apple and Lady in the Dark, and for the first cast recording of the complete score of The Golden Apple.
To Audacity Theatre Lab and Brad McEntire for bringing quality local and national performances to the second annual Dallas Solo Fest at the Margo Jones Theatre, and for advancing the art of solo performance in North Texas.
To the producers of Shakespeare in the Bar for attracting new and large audiences to non-traditional spaces and reminding us that Shakespeare can be unexpected and fun. A video clip: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/65550556
Participating Critics:
Alexandra Bonifield, CriticalRant.com
Nancy Churnin, The Dallas Morning News
Jan Farrington, TheaterJones.com
Martha Heimberg, The Dallas Weekly and TheaterJones.com
Arnold Wayne Jones, Dallas Voice
Elaine Liner, The Dallas Observer
Mark Lowry, TheaterJones.com and Fort Worth
criticalrant.com Alexandra Bonifield 
In a blog post touching on the Emmys a few days ago, I spoke in favor of the approach that the DFW theater critics are applying: announcing a handful of outstanding performances (or what have you) and stopping short of choosing one so-called best. It may be that I contributed to your group’s method: in the 80s, when I was writing for Dallas Observer, I helped establish a set of theater awards that worked that way. Whether or not there’s a connection between then and now, I like the idea. Keep it up!
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Thank you, Alexandra and DFW Theater Critics Forum! Ochre House Theater is honored to be in the mix!
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