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Sound Theatre Company producing artistic director Teresa Thurman at the Gregory Awards. (Photo by Jordan Stead)

Seattle's Gregory Awards Throw a 'Wild Party'

Sound Theatre Company, Book-It Repertory Theatre and wigmaster Joyce Degenfelder among the big winners at the annual Seattle theatre honors.

SEATTLE: The 6th annual Gregory Awards were held at the Moore Theatre on Monday, Oct. 20, 2014. Given out by Theatre Puget Sound, the service organization for the region’s theatre community, the awards recognizes artistic excellence in Washington State theatre for the 2013–14 season.

The biggest winner of the night was Sound Theatre Company, with five awards, including one for Theatre of the Year and an outstanding musical nod for their production of The Wild Party.

Other big winners included Annex Theatre and Brownbox Theatre‘s co-production of Black Like Us by Rachel Atkins, which won for outstanding new play, and for Book-It Repertory Theatre‘s production of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, winning for outstanding production.

In addition to the competitive categories, Theatre Puget Sound also presented the Melissa Hines Impact Award and the Gregory A. Falls Sustained Achievement Award, both for notable local theatre practitioners.

The Melissa Hines Award was given to Theater Schmeater’s artistic director Doug Staley and managing director Roger Huston. The Sustained Achievement Award went to wig master Joyce Degenfelder, who was surprised by the honor. In her acceptance speech, she said, “I try to stay under the radar and not be noticed. I don’t know what happened.”

That single award for sustained achievement is how the Gregory Awards began, in fact, beginning in 1998. In the years since, the ceremony has grown to encompass 19 other categories. The awards are named after ACT Theatre founder Gregory A. Falls, who is credited with creating Seattle’s theatre scene. A full list of honorees is below.

THEATRE OF THE YEAR
Sound Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Book-It Repertory Theatre

OUTSTANDING MUSICAL
The Wild Party, Sound Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY
Black Like Us by Rachel Atkins, Annex Theatre and Brownbox Theatre

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR
Kelly Kitchens, She’s Come Undone, Book-It Repertory Theatre

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY
R. Hamilton Wright, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Seattle Repertory Theatre

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Pamela Reed, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Seattle Repertory Theatre

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Joshua Carter, Little Shop of Horrors, ACT Theatre & 5th Avenue Theatre

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Allison Standley, The Wild Party, Sound Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Amy Thone, The Normal Heart, Strawberry Theatre Workshop

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Ray Tagavilla, A Small Fire, Sound Theatre Company*

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Kate Jaeger, Les MisérablesVillage Theatre

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Eric Esteb and Ekello Harrid, Jr., Little Shop of Horrors, ACT Theatre & 5th Avenue Theatre

OUTSTANDING SCENIC DESIGN
L.B. Morse, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Seattle Repertory Theatre

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Patti West, Animal CrueltyPrinter’s Devil Theater & Theatre Off Jackson

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Cathy Hunt, James and the Giant Peach, Seattle Children’s Theatre

OUTSTANDING SOUND/MUSIC DESIGN
Paul James Prendergast, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Seattle Repertory Theatre

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
Jessica Low, The Wild Party, Sound Theatre Company

MELISSA HINES AWARD
Roger Huston and Doug Staley

GREGORY A. FALLS SUSTAINED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Joyce Degenfelder

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