Nominations for 17th annual Artsies celebrating Richmond theater announced

The 17th Richmond Theatre Community Circle (formerly the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle) Awards (or “Artsies”), the community’s recognition of excellence in Richmond-area theater, will be held at the November Theatre on Sunday, October 19th, at 7:00 p.m.

“With respect for those who are still in mourning, and after consultation with some of those close to our friend and colleague Adam Turck, we are moving forward to celebrating the past year of local theater with the incredible Richmond theater community that has demonstrated its strength and resilience over these past weeks,” said Julinda Lewis, Richmond Theatre Community Circle (RTCC) President.

The RTCC announces the following nominees for this year’s Artsies. The 2024-25 nominees are:

Best Musical

• A Strange Loop, Richmond Triangle Players (RTP)/Firehouse Theatre (Firehouse)
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Virginia Repertory Theatre (Virginia Rep)
• John and Jen, Swift Creek Mill Theatre (Swift Creek Mill)
• The Spitfire Grill, Swift Creek Mill
• Waitress, Virginia Rep

Best Direction (Musical)

• Rick Hammerly, Waitress
• Katrinah Carol Lewis, A Strange Loop
• Paul Takács and Todd D. Norris, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• Tom Width, Cotton Patch Gospel (Swift Creek Mill)
• Tom Width, John and Jen

Best Lead Performance (Musical)

• Marcus Antonio, A Strange Loop
• Malcolm Holmes, John and Jen
• Matt Shofner, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• Emelie Faith Thompson, Waitress
• Lindsey Zelli, The Spitfire Grill

Best Supporting Performance (Musical)

• Miya Bass, Waitress
• Bianca Bryan, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• Tara Callahan Carroll, The Spitfire Grill
• Kylee Márquez-Downie, Waitress
• Rachel Marrs, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• Terence Sullivan, Waitress
• Joy Williams, The Spitfire Grill

Best Musical Direction

• Leilani Fenick, Waitress
• Kim Fox, Peter and the Starcatcher (Firehouse)
• Ben Miller, A Strange Loop
• Travis West, Cotton Patch Gospel

Best Choreography

• Deandra Clarke, A Strange Loop
• Paul Dandridge, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• Paul Dandridge, Waitress
• Nathaniel Shaw, Peter and the Starcatcher
• Kayla Xavier, H*tler’s Tasters (5th Wall Theatre)

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design (Musical)

• Sarah Grady, Waitress
• Margarette Joyner, A Strange Loop
• Jeanne Nugent, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design (Musical)

• Joe Doran, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• Joe Doran, Cotton Patch Gospel
• Joe Doran, Waitress
• Michael Jarett, A Strange Loop

Outstanding Achievement in Set Design (Musical)

• Daniel Conway, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• Frank Foster, A Strange Loop
• Mercedes Schaum, Waitress
• Tom Width, John and Jen
• Tom Width, The Spitfire Grill

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design (Musical)

• Grace Brown Labelle, A Strange Loop
• James Nicholas, Cotton Patch Gospel
• Jonathan Pratt, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Best Play

• Detroit ‘67, Firehouse
• H*tler’s Tasters
• Peter and the Starcatcher
• Water by the Spoonful, Firehouse
• Which Way to the Stage, RTP

Best Direction (Play)

• Juliana Caycedo, Sanctuary City (5th Wall)
• Katrinah Carol Lewis, Water by the Spoonful
• Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Detroit ‘67
• Nathaniel Shaw, Peter and the Starcatcher
• Rusty Wilson, True West (Cadence Theatre)

Best Lead Performance (Play)

• Katrinah Carol Lewis, Detroit ‘67
• James Murphy, Cyrano de Bergerac (Richmond Shakespeare)
• Landon Nagel, True West
• Stevie Rice, True West
• Alan Sader, The Father (Richmond Shakespeare)
• Shannon Schilstra, Peter and the Starcatcher
• Matt Shofner, Which Way to the Stage

Best Supporting Performance (Play)

• Keaton Hillman, Sanctuary City
• Paisley LoBue, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Richmond Shakespeare)
• Jeremy V. Morris, Detroit ‘67
• Eric Quander, Water by the Spoonful
• James Ricks, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Alexander Sapp, Dial M for Murder (Virginia Rep)
• Laine Satterfield, Burial Tax (Firehouse)

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design (Play)

• Sarah Grady, Dial M for Murder
• Sarah Grady, Moriarty (Virginia Rep)
• Margarette Joyner, Detroit ‘67
• William Luther, 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche (RTP)
• Alex Valentin, A Campy Christmas (RTP)

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design (Play)

• Andrew Bonniwell, Water by the Spoonful
• Gretta Daughtrey, 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche
• Gretta Daughtrey, Burial Tax
• Gretta Daughtrey, H*tler’s Tasters
• BJ Wilkinson, Misery (Virginia Rep)

Outstanding Achievement in Set Design (Play)

• Sarah Cook, Moriarty
• Chase Kniffen, Peter and the Starcatcher
• William Luther, 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche
• Chris Raintree, Burial Tax
• Chris Raintree, Misery
• Mercedes Schaum, Detroit ‘67

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design (Play)

• Kyle Epps, Detroit ‘67
• Candace Hudert, H*tler’s Tasters
• Grace Brown Labelle, Burial Tax
• James Nicholas, The Diary of Anne Frank (Swift Creek Mill)
• Jonathan Pratt, Dial M for Murder

Ernie McClintock Best Ensemble Acting

• A Strange Loop, Richmond Triangle Players/Firehouse Theatre
• The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), Richmond Shakespeare
• H*tler’s Tasters, 5th Wall Theatre
• Peter and the Starcatcher, Firehouse Theatre
• Smoke, Cadence Theatre
• The Spitfire Grill, Swift Creek Mill Theatre

Breakout Performance

• Jeff Ashworth, The Spitfire Grill
• Ayla Hanna-Elizabeth Clinton, The Diary of Anne Frank
• Paisley LoBue, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Samantha Richardson, Proof (Chamberlayne Actors Theatre)
• David Ly

Best Original Work

• Burial Tax created by Andrew Gall and directed by Paul Takács, Firehouse Theatre
• Smoke created by Enid Graham and directed by Anna Senechal Johnson, Cadence Theatre
• WillJee created by M. Mary Sullivan and directed by Kerrigan Sullivan, The Lynn Theatre at Brightpoint Community College

Outstanding Achievement in Projection Design

• Tennessee Dixon, Water by the Spoonful
• Dasia Gregg, Misery
• Chase Kniffen, Peter and the Starcatcher

The event will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 19, at Virginia Rep’s November Theatre. Formal attire is encouraged for the awards ceremony, which is open to the public. Tickets are $25 for orchestra seating and $30 for balcony seating. They will go on sale September 21 and can be purchased by calling the Virginia Rep box office at 804-282-2620. Get your tickets early – ticket prices go up by $5 on October 5. All proceeds from Artsies ticket sales support the Theatre Artist Fund of Greater Richmond.