Theatre Philadelphia proudly announces the 2018 nominees for the Barrymore Award for Excellence in Theatre. Celebrating the rich, diverse professional theatre scene in the Greater Philadelphia region, the Barrymore Ceremony will be held on Monday, November 5, 2018 at 7:00pm at the Bok Building at 1901 S. 9th Street in South Philadelphia. Guests will continue the festivities with an after-party Celebration at the same location. Tickets for artists, supporters, and the general public start at $50 and are now on sale at www.theatrephiladelphia.org.

In addition to awarding excellence in performance, design, and direction from the past theatre season, the Barrymore Awards also re-grants $75,500 to artists and organizations through the generous support of local philanthropists CHG Charitable Trust, the June and Steve Wolfson Family Foundation, the Virginia Brown Martin Fund, and the Victory Foundation.

The long-standing tradition of bestowing the Lifetime Achievement Award will continue with 2018 honoree Paul Meshejian, the founding Artistic Director of PlayPenn, in recognition of his significant contributions to the theatre local community and his influence in making Philadelphia a nationally-recognized home for new plays.

The 2018 nominees for Outstanding Overall Production of a Play are Blood Wedding at The Wilma Theater, The Brownings at Orbiter 3, The Gap at Azuka Theatre, Morning's at Seven at People's Light, The Revolutionists at Theatre Horizon, Skeleton Crew at People's Light, and The Wild Duck at Quintessence Theatre Group. The Nominees for Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical are Fun Home at Arden Theatre Company, Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole at People's Light, Passing Strange at The Wilma Theater, and Something Wicked This Way Comes at Delaware Theatre Company.

Nominees for the Independence Foundation Award for Outstanding New Play/Musical are ¡BIENVENIDOS BLANCOS! or WELCOME WHITE PEOPLE! by The Ensemble from Team Sunshine Performance Corporation, The Brownings by Sam Henderson at Orbiter 3, Fishtown - A Hipster Noir by Caitlin Weigel at Tribe of Fools, The Gap by Emma Goidel at Azuka Theatre, Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole by Colman Domingo and Patricia McGregor, Music Supervision, Arrangement, and Orchestrations by John McDaniel at People's Light, Mrs. Harrison by R. Eric Thomas at Azuka Theatre, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Book by Brian Hill, Music and Lyrics by Neil Bartram at Delaware Theatre Company. A complete list of nominees is at the end of this release, both by category and by company.

The 2017-18 Barrymore Awards season ran from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018 and included 40 companies presenting a total of 112 productions. 71 nominators and 12 judges, all theatre professionals, adjudicated the work to determine the nominees. 22 separate companies received nominations, with People’s Light receiving 25 nominations, The Wilma Theater and the Arden Theater each receiving 19 nominations, and Azuka Theatre receiving 13 nominations.

The announcement event, held Monday August 20th at Philadelphia Theatre Company at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre also included details about the 2018 Barrymores, and new changes to the upcoming Ceremony and Celebration. This year, award recipients will be announced at the 2018 Barrymore Award Ceremony and Celebration on Monday, November 5th at 7pm in South Philadelphia at the Bok Building. “The Bok is a creative hub that reflects the inventive and collaborative nature of theatre in our region”, says Theatre Philadelphia Executive Director Leigh Goldenberg. “We look forward to taking this event somewhere new, and finding ways for the evenings to mirror the creative spirit of our theatre community.

The 2018 Ceremony will also implement gender-inclusive award categories, a change announced in June after a year of research and conversation with artists locally and nationally. Instead of an Outstanding Actor and Actress categories, Theatre Philadelphia will offer two recipients of Outstanding Performance awards in leading and supporting categories, for both plays and musicals. Philadelphia’s leading performance awards program joins four other cities -- Toronto, San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle -- in moving towards gender inclusivity in performance this year.

“In this first year of implementing an Outstanding Performance category, we are proud to see such a diverse group of nominees”, she says. “By expanding the pool of who gets recognized publicly, we can broaden the conversation about what stories are told on stage. We hope to shed light on gender inclusivity through this change, and will continue to explore how this program addresses other issues of equity and diversity.”

The 2018 Barrymores are also the first year of awarding an achievement in Outstanding Media Design, recognizing designers working with projections, video, and other digital media on stage.

Leading up to the Ceremony, Theatre Philadelphia will announce a “Toast to the Barrymores” series, highlighting nominated artists and productions.

Theatre Philadelphia’s flagship programs include the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre, Philly Theatre Week, and a Marketing and Speaker Series program, providing local theatres with tools and education on building audiences. Additionally, Theatre Philadelphia's website, e-newsletter, and active social media presence connect audiences to what's on stage across the Greater Philadelphia region.

To learn more about Theatre Philadelphia and to purchase tickets to the 2018 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre, visit www.theatrephiladelphia.org.

About the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre

Originally established in 1994 and relaunched by Theatre Philadelphia in 2013, the Barrymore Awards serve as Philadelphia’s professional theatre awards program, recognizing artists for excellence and innovation while increasing public awareness of the richness and diversity of our city’s thriving theatre community. A nationally recognized symbol of excellence for professional theatre in our region, the Barrymore Awards raise the bar for the work produced by local theatres and individual artists while providing cash awards that strengthen companies and individual artists’ abilities to pursue artistic work of the highest caliber. Past recipients can be found online at www.theatrephiladelphia.org/barrymore-awards

About Theatre Philadelphia
Founded in 2012 by a group of local artistic and managing theatre leaders, Theatre Philadelphia is a leadership organization that celebrates and promotes professional theatre in the Greater Philadelphia region. Recognizing that a diverse, robust, and thriving theatre community can play a pivotal role in making Philadelphia a world-class city, Theatre Philadelphia spearheads the important work of nurturing local theatre artists, fostering the creation of extraordinary work, and forging stronger connections between our art and audiences. www.theatrephiladelphia.org

The Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre
2018 Nominees by Category

Outstanding Overall Production of a Play
Blood Wedding (The Wilma Theater)
The Brownings (Orbiter 3)
The Gap (Azuka Theatre)
Morning's at Seven (People's Light)
The Revolutionists (Theatre Horizon)
Skeleton Crew (People's Light)
The Wild Duck (Quintessence Theatre Group)

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
Fun Home (Arden Theatre Company)
Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole (People's Light)
Passing Strange (The Wilma Theater)
Something Wicked This Way Comes (Delaware Theatre Company)

Outstanding Direction of a Play
Abigail Adams (Morning's at Seven, People's Light)
Steve H. Broadnax III (Skeleton Crew, People's Light)
Kathryn MacMillan (The Revolutionists, Theatre Horizon)
Ken Marini (Waiting for Godot, Quintessence Theatre Group)
Alex Torra (¡BIENVENIDOS BLANCOS! or WELCOME WHITE PEOPLE!, Team Sunshine Performance Corporation)
Rebecca Wright (The Gap, Azuka Theatre)
Rebecca Wright (The Wild Duck, Quintessence Theatre Group)

Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Tea Alagić (Passing Strange, The Wilma Theater)
Patricia McGregor (Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole, People's Light)
Terrence J. Nolen (Fun Home, Arden Theatre Company)
Rachel Rockwell (Something Wicked This Way Comes, Delaware Theatre Company)

Outstanding Leading Performance in a Play
Brandi Burgess (Holly, Mrs. Harrison, Azuka Theatre)
Jaylene Clark Owens (Marianne Angelle, The Revolutionists, Theatre Horizon)
Melanye Finister (Faye, Skeleton Crew, People's Light)
Scott Greer (Every Brilliant Thing, Arden Theatre Company)
Johnnie Hobbs, Jr. (Vladimir, Waiting for Godot, Quintessence Theatre Group)
Danielle Lenee (Aisha, Mrs. Harrison, Azuka Theatre)
Brian Marable (Reggie, Skeleton Crew, People's Light)
Patrese D. McClain (Shanita, Skeleton Crew, People's Light)
Forrest McClendon (Ira Aldridge, Red Velvet , Lantern Theater Company)
Charlotte Northeast (Elizabeth Barrett Browning, The Brownings, Orbiter 3)
Campbell O'Hare (Blood Wedding, The Wilma Theater)
Brett Ashley Robinson (Gina Ekdal, The Wild Duck, Quintessence Theatre Group)
Leah Walton (Lisa, 2.5 Minute Ride, Theatre Horizon)
Frank X (Estragon, Waiting for Godot, Quintessence Theatre Group)

Outstanding Leading Performance in a Musical
Stephen Bogardus (Charles Halloway, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Delaware Theatre Company)
Eileen Cella (Guenevere, Camelot, Act II Playhouse)
Ben Dibble (Bruce Bechdel, Fun Home, Arden Theatre Company)
Jennie Eisenhower (Helen Sinclair, Bullets Over Broadway, Resident Theatre Company)
Dulé Hill (Nat "King" Cole, Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole, People's Light)
Leigha Kato (Eliza Doolittle, My Fair Lady, Quintessence Theatre Group)
Mary Tuomanen (Alison, Fun Home, Arden Theatre Company)
Jamar Williams (Youth, Passing Strange, The Wilma Theater)

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Play
Jessica Bedford (Marie Antoinette, The Revolutionists, Theatre Horizon)
Carla Belver (Esther Crampton, Morning's at Seven, People's Light)
Tina Brock (The Catwoman, By the Bog of Cats, Irish Heritage Theatre)
Rachel Camp (Maggie, Red Herring, Act II Playhouse)
Akeem Davis (Krogstad, A Doll's House, Arden Theatre Company)
J. Hernandez (Lucky, Waiting for Godot, Quintessence Theatre Group)
James Ijames (Schumann, The Brownings, Orbiter 3)
Claire Inie-Richards (Charlotte Corday, The Revolutionists, Theatre Horizon)
Gregory Issac (Achilles, Iphigenia at Aulis, Philadelphia Artists' Collective)
Jaime Maseda (Rod/Alien, The Gap, Azuka Theatre)
Lee Minora (Suzette, Don't Dress for Dinner, Lantern Theater Company)
Ebony Pullum (Connie, Red Velvet, Lantern Theater Company)
Ed Swidey (Amos Mason, Lydie Breeze Trilogy, EgoPo Classic Theatre)
Alice Yorke (Nicole, The Gap, Azuka Theatre)

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Musical
Gisela Adisa (Eartha Kitt/Natalie, Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole, People's Light)
Taysha Canales (Sherry/Renata/Desi, Passing Strange, The Wilma Theater)
Kim Carson (Helen, Fun Home, Arden Theatre Company)
Izzy Castaldi (Medium Alison, Fun Home, Arden Theatre Company)
Suli Holum (Frau. Kost/Fritzie, Cabaret, Arden Theatre Company)
Christopher Patrick Mullen (Ernst, Cabaret, Arden Theatre Company)
Mary Elizabeth Scallen (Frau Schneider, Cabaret, Arden Theatre Company)
Daniel J. Watts (Sammy Davis Jr., Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole, People's Light)

Outstanding Scenic Design
Luke Cantarella (Morning's at Seven, People's Light)
Tony Cisek (Skeleton Crew, People's Light)
Scott Davis (Something Wicked This Way Comes, Delaware Theatre Company)
Efren Delgadillo, Jr. (¡BIENVENIDOS BLANCOS! or WELCOME WHITE PEOPLE!, Team Sunshine Performance Corporation)
James Kronzer (Fun Home, Arden Theatre Company)
Kevin Meehan (Ready Steady Yeti Go, Azuka Theatre)
Peter Smith (Fishtown - A Hipster Noir, Tribe of Fools)

Outstanding Costume Design
Oana Botez (Blood Wedding, The Wilma Theater)
Marie Anne Chiment (The Brownings, Orbiter 3)
Theresa Ham (Something Wicked This Way Comes , Delaware Theatre Company)
Marla Jurglanis (Morning's at Seven, People's Light)
Rosemarie McKelvey (Fun Home, Arden Theatre Company)
Katherine O'Neill (Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole, People's Light)
Janus Stefanowicz (The Revolutionists, Theatre Horizon)

Outstanding Lighting Design
Oona Curley (¡BIENVENIDOS BLANCOS! or WELCOME WHITE PEOPLE!, Team Sunshine Performance Corporation)
Greg Hofmann (Something Wicked This Way Comes, Delaware Theatre Company)
Mike Inwood (Peter and the Starcatcher, Theatre Horizon)
Maria Shaplin (The Wild Duck, Quintessence Theatre Group)
Robin Stamey (Fishtown - A Hipster Noir, Tribe of Fools)
Thom Weaver (Blood Wedding, The Wilma Theater)
Thom Weaver (Fun Home, Arden Theatre Company)

Outstanding Media Design
Christopher Ash and Tal Yarden (Passing Strange, The Wilma Theater)
Jeromy Hopgood (Skeleton Crew, People's Light)
Braden Chapman (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, reTHEATER)
Jorge Cousineau (The Gap, Azuka Theatre)
Jorge Cousineau (Perfect Blue, Tiny Dynamite)
Shawn Sagady, and Val Syganevich, of Freckled Skye (Something Wicked This Way Comes, Delaware Theatre Company)
Maria Shaplin (This is On Record, Applied Mechanics)

Outstanding Sound Design
Elizabeth Atkinson (The Swallowing Dark, Inis Nua Theatre Company)
Jorge Cousineau (Fun Home, Arden Theatre Company)
Curtis Craig (Skeleton Crew, People's Light)
Larry D. Fowler Jr. (Blood Wedding, The Wilma Theater)
Larry D. Fowler Jr. (Peter and the Starcatcher, Theatre Horizon)
Mike Kiley (The Gap, Azuka Theatre)
Anthony Martinez-Briggs (¡BIENVENIDOS BLANCOS! or WELCOME WHITE PEOPLE!, Team Sunshine Performance Corporation)

Outstanding Original Music
Neil Bartram (Something Wicked This Way Comes, Delaware Theatre Company)
Mel Hsu (Leaps of Faith and Other Mistakes , Almanac)
Daniel Ison (The Art of Swimming, Tiny Dynamite)
Csaba Ökrös (Blood Wedding, The Wilma Theater)
Dan Perelstein (A People, Orbiter 3)
Dan Perelstein (Snow White, Arden Theatre Company)
JoJo Streater (Florence, Camden Repertory Theater)

Outstanding Choreography / Movement
Constantine Baecher (Passing Strange, The Wilma Theater)
Zachary Chiero (Fishtown - A Hipster Noir, Tribe of Fools)
Niki Cousineau (Peter and the Starcatcher, Theatre Horizon)
Dann Dunn (Bullets Over Broadway, Resident Theatre Company)
Jared Grimes (Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole, People's Light)
Makoto Hirano (¡BIENVENIDOS BLANCOS! or WELCOME WHITE PEOPLE!, Team Sunshine Performance Corporation)
Csaba Horváth (Blood Wedding, The Wilma Theater)
Annie Wilson, Nicole Burgio, Adam Kerbel, Nick Gillette, and Ben Grinberg (Leaps of Faith and Other Mistakes, Almanac)

Outstanding Music Direction
John McDaniel (Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole, People's Light)
Amanda Morton (Passing Strange, The Wilma Theater)
Tom Murray (Something Wicked This Way Comes, Delaware Theatre Company)
Ryan Touhey (Fun Home, Arden Theatre Company)

Outstanding Ensemble in a Play
Blood Wedding (The Wilma Theater)
The Brownings (Orbiter 3)
Fishtown - A Hipster Noir (Tribe of Fools)
The Gap (Azuka Theatre)
Morning's at Seven (People's Light)
Skeleton Crew (People's Light)
Waiting for Godot (Quintessence Theatre Group)

Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical
Fun Home (Arden Theatre Company)
Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole (People's Light)
Passing Strange (The Wilma Theater)
Something Wicked This Way Comes (Delaware Theatre Company)

Independence Foundation Award for Outstanding New Play/Musical
¡BIENVENIDOS BLANCOS! or WELCOME WHITE PEOPLE! by The Ensemble (Team Sunshine Performance Corporation)
The Brownings by Sam Henderson (Orbiter 3)
Fishtown - A Hipster Noir by Caitlin Weigel (Tribe of Fools)
The Gap by Emma Goidel (Azuka Theatre)
Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole by Colman Domingo and Patricia McGregor, Music Supervision, Arrangement, and Orchestrations by John McDaniel (People's Light)
Mrs. Harrison by R. Eric Thomas (Azuka Theatre)
Something Wicked This Way Comes, Book by Brian Hill, Music and Lyrics by Neil Bartram (Delaware Theatre Company)

Lifetime Achievement Award
Paul Meshejian

F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist
Jessica Bedford
Taysha Canales
Jaylene Clark Owens
Anthony Martinez Briggs
Lee Minora

The Philadelphia Award
2.5 Minute Ride (Theatre Horizon)
Fun Home (Arden Theatre Company)
The Gap (Azuka Theatre)
Human Rites (InterAct Theatre Company)
Passage (The Wilma Theater)
Passing Strange (The Wilma Theater)

June and Steve Wolfson Award for an Evolving Theatre Company
Applied Mechanics
Bearded Ladies Cabaret
Curio Theatre Company
Lightning Rod Special
Tiny Dynamite
Tribe of Fools

Victory Foundation Award for Outstanding Theatre Education Program
Delaware Theatre Company
Lantern Theater Company
Theatre Exile
Theatre Horizon
The Wilma Theater