The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page E08

E8 www.philly.com THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Tuesday, October 6, 2009 Premieres win big at Barrymores Outstanding leading players: Ian Merrill Peakes, above, lead actor in a play, for Arden Theatre's "Something Kate Eastwood Norris, below, lead actress in a play, for Wilma Theater's "Rock 'n' Michael Philip O'Brien, lead actor in a musical, for 1 1th Hour Theatre Company's "Avenue LAURENCE KESTERSON Staff Photographer Terrence J. Nolen (right), who won for outstanding direction of a play for "Something Intangible," gets a red-carpet greeting from actor Scott Greer during the Barrymore Awards at the Walnut Street Theatre. Nolen is the Arden Theatre Company's producing artistic director. BARRYMORES from El Both Cinderella and Something Intangible had led the list of nominees for the Barry-mores, with 13 each in various categories. Something Intangible swept, winning seven awards, including an outstanding new play honor for the prolific Philadelphia playwright Bruce Graham, whose work has debuted at the Arden and other companies over the years.

Other awards for the play went to the Arden's producing artistic director, Terrence J. Nolen, for his direction; Ian Merrill Peakes, who won best actor in a play for his performance as the frantic, driven, creative brother in a Hollywood studio based very loosely on Disney; James Kronzer, who took honors for his set; F. Mitchell Dana for lighting; and Rosemarie E. McKelvey for costumes. The Arden won an eighth award last night making it the theater company most cited for Mary Martello as best supporting actress in a musical, in last fall's Candide.

"Thanks, everybody, for supporting the creative life that makes this city hum," she told the ebullient crowd. Cinderella, the family holiday show at People's Light, is an original panto a sometimes rowdy British comedy form that invites audiences to respond as the show plays out. The musical was the company's fifth panto developed from scratch, in what's become a holiday tradition at the Malvern theater. The panto's four awards included one for Pete Pryor as best director of a musical, another to Michael Ogborn for his original music, and an award to the entire cast for outstanding musical ensemble. The outstanding play ensemble award went to the Wil-ma Theater's cast of Scorched, a drama that examines the ways generations pass on love and revenge in an unnamed Mideast country.

Scorched also won for Janis Dardaris as supporting actress in a play, and for Jorge Cousineau's sound design. A fourth award for a Wilma pro- Dugald MacArthur, who headed Temple University's graduate theater department, accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award. Temple University's graduate theater department and has mentored many theater artists here and elsewhere. MacArthur, who early on sat on the board of the Wilma and helped establish Lantern Theater Company as both board member and artist, "planted the seed of bold artistry and startling innovation that is the exciting hallmark of Philadelphia's theatrical renaissance today," said John P. Connolly, head of Actors' Equity, the union of professional actors and stage managers, who presented the award.

Connolly, a student of Mac-Arthur's at Temple in the '70s, called him "quirky, insightful, passionately creative He's the unspoken granddaddy of theater in Philadelphia." Deen Kogan, who with her late husband, Jay, also helped begin that renaissance by opening Society Hill Playhouse 50 years ago, received a special recognition award, announced last month. Contact staff writer Howard Shapiro at 215-854-5727 or hshapirophillynews.com. Barrymore Award Winners WALK THE RED CARPET OF THE PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE OF LAW ABIDING CITIZEN! 4 GERARD A duction went to Kate Eastwood Norris, best actress in a play, for her two roles in Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll. Jennie Eisenhower was the season's outstanding musical actress, for her performance caricaturing divas in Forbidden Broadway's Greatest Hits at the Walnut's third-floor studio. For his role as a doo-wop dreamer in 11th Hour Theatre Company's all-a cappella Avenue Michael Philip O'Brien won as best musical actor.

The show also won for Dan Kazemi's direction of the music and for Forrest McClen-don, as best musical supporting actor. The ceremony directed by the Theater Alliance's Arden Theatre Company Set Design James Kronzer, Something Intangible Arden Theatre Company Lighting Design F. Mitchell Dana, Something Intangible; Arden Theatre Company Costume Design Rosemarie E. McKelvey, Something Intangible; Arden Theatre Company Sound Design Jorge Cousineau, Scorched The Wilma Theater Original Music Michael Ogborn, Cinderella The People's Light Theatre Company ChoreographyMovement Christopher Gattelli, Altar Boyz Bristol Riverside Theatre New Play Something Intangible by Bruce Graham, Arden Theatre Company Ensemble in a Play Scorched, The Wilma Theater Ensemble in a Musical Cinderella, The People's Light Theatre Company New Approaches to Collaborations Delaware Theatre Company the Ferris School for Boys, No Child Theatre Education and Community Service Award Lantern Theater Company's Classroom Connections F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist Charlotte Cloe Fox Wind Special Recognition Award Deen Kogan Lifetime Achievement Award Dugald MacArthur Karen DiLossi was spiced with videos of theater work and nominees, and an onstage band; the entire proceedings were signed for the hearing impaired.

The 95-minute program concluded with actor Dito van Reigersberg, in his drag persona of Martha Graham Cracker, sending the crowd on its way with a defiant rendition of "Don't Cry for Me, Philadelphia!" He told the highly receptive audience that his peformance would "save time for me going from audition to audition." The 800 or so attendees, many in formal wear, then strolled to a reception a few blocks away at the Ben Franklin House ballroom. The Barrymore Awards covered 27 categories and went to winners of productions at nine theater companies. They honor a theater community that is burgeoning despite hardships in the general economy, and that has become a Philadelphia industry sustained by heavy private and corporate donations. The companies, sometimes at odds with one another on artistic matters, most recently have coordinated their efforts to counter a proposed arts tax on tickets, a key resolution in the Pennsylvania Legislature's fight to craft a budget. The Theatre Alliance began using a new method to judge the Barrymores this season.

Sixty-two voters theater educators, administrators and artists made nominations in August, assigning points from 1 to 100 in each category. The top point-earners became nominees. Those with the most points were announced last night. Although the new system is less cumbersome than the earlier method, some in the theater community believe it focused on a smaller group of productions; they have begun discussions about possible refinements. In other awards, Jered McLenigan won as best supporting actor in a play, in Prince Music Theater's It's a Wonderful played as a live radio show.

Christopher Gattelli won for his choreography of Bristol Riverside Theatre's Altar Boyz. Actor Tony Danza, who is teaching English at Northeast High School for a future reality show, presented Lantern Theater with a Barrymore for its education program, Classroom Connections. Delaware Theatre Company won a collaboration award for working with the Ferris School for Boys in the production No Child The $10,000 F. Otto Haas award for an emerging artist went to costume designer Charlotte Cloe Fox Wind, who had won a Barrymore as outstanding musical actress seven years ago. This past season, she dressed five shows, including Villanova's Le Dindon (An Absolute Turkey), which garnered her the Haas nomination.

A Lifetime Achievement Award went to director Dugald MacArthur, who headed One Grand Prize Winner will receive: Four tickets to premiere screening of LAW ABIDING CITIZEN and walk the red carpet! A $100 gift certificate to Philadelphia's legendary restaurant 1523 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 191 02 (215) 567-1000 www.lebecfin.com (ihe free movies? Follow us an everything philly wrjjw.timttErxnnVphfltHFrEEmriviES co Production of a Play Something Intangible; Arden Theatre Company Production of a Musical Cinderella The People's Light Theatre Company Direction of a Play Terrence J. Nolen, Something Intangible; Arden Theatre Company Direction of a Musical Pete Pryor, Cinderella; The People's Light Theatre Company Music Direction Dan Kazemi, Avenue 1 1th Hour Theatre Company Leading Actor in a Play Ian Merrill Peakes, Something Intangible; Arden Theatre Company Leading Actress in a Play Kate Eastwood Norris, Rock 'n' Roll; The Wilma Theater Leading Actor in a Musical Michael Philip O'Brien, Avenue 1 1th Hour Theatre Company Leading Actress in a Musical Jennie Eisenhower, Forbidden Broadway's Greatest Hits; Walnut Street Theatre, Independence Studio on 3 Supporting Actor in a Play Jered McLenigan, It's a Wonderful Life! A Live Radio Play; Prince Music Theater Supporting Actress in a Play Janis Dardaris, Scorched The Wilma Theater Supporting Actor in a Musical Forrest McClendon, Avenue 1 1th Hour Theatre Company Supporting Actress in a Musical Mary Martello, Candide; HUMilm Le Bar Lyonnais, downstairs from Le Bee Fin, is the more casual Parisian Bistro. The warm comfortable feeling is a perfect back drop to the innovative modern French menu featuring the $15.23 express lunch, the "best kept secret" Happy Hour with $5.00 drinks, $5 menu and complimentary hors d'oeuvres. Serving lunch and dinner M-Sat. And 4 tickets to the Greater Philadelphia Film Office "Philadelphia Movie Sites Tour" phillycom OVERTURE anything ENTER No purchase necessary.

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