2024 Community Accolades
- Brianna Lau
- Jan 8
- 10 min read
This year we brought back our accolades to celebrate amateur theatre in our Northern Virginia/DC/Maryland area. We are so pumped to see what people were excited about. Without further ado, the 2024 Community Accolades!
Ā
Baskerville: a Sherlock Holmes Mystery
October 2024
Cast: The cast of Baskerville were charmingly funny and kept the show going and the audience entertained in the face of countless quick changes and set changes.
John Matthews: His portrayal of Sherlock Holmes was note-perfect for this production. He had a gravitas and deadpan delivery that was great for this silly version of The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Ā
A Christmas Carol
December 2024
Ari McSherry: The lighting for this show was wonderful and memorable at both establishing the ambiance of scenes and creating effective special effects. Two especially beautiful moments stand out here: the lighting subtly progressing from day to night throughout the scene of Scrooge and Cratchit at work (excellent way to show the passage of time), and the striking moment when Scrooge approaches the gravestone and sees his own name emblazoned there. The timing was perfect and the name was clearly legible even from the back of the house. Timing of the light cues was crisp and effective and made it clear which parts of the stage were important to focus on. It elevated the entire production!
Spencer Pilcher: Spencer was perfectly cast as this boisterous spirit with his booming laugh and cheery stage presence, but also the sterner and more ominous side to his characterization that often goes missing in portrayals of the Ghost of Christmas Present. The way he used Scrooge's own callous words back at him felt like a slap in the face, in a good way. His strong singing voice helped carry the show's musical numbers.
Ā
The Christmas Truce
December 2024
Cast: The cast of The Christmas Truce put on a truly lovely show, making the most of a bite-sized play, interweaving poignant prose and Christmas carols. It was a delight to see!
Ensemble: This performance was so thoughtful. I enjoyed listening to the singing, and I was super impressed by the songs sung completely in German. Thank you for such a nice Christmas show!
Ā
The Crucible
August 2024
Stuart Fischer: Fischer melted into his role as the governor and delivered an earnest, compelling performance.
Ā
Fiveplay
June 2024
Jim Adams: For portraying a character in a difficult position as someone with a noticeable age gap with the rest of his partners, but for bonding with the ensemble greatly and bringing a true sense of grounding to reproduction filled with very extravagant character characters
Nessa Amherst, Melissa Schick, & Ayika Tshimanga: I include all three of these in an accolade as they had the difficult and underappreciated job of being understudies in a production and covering two parts each. All three of them work exceedingly hard and due to their hard work and commitment received two understudy performances where they could show off each character that they had worked on and seamlessly blended in with the rest of the cast each time they went on. Understudies need to be appreciated more.
Michael Angeloni: For delivering one of the most emotional scenes this season involving multiple partners and for being part of an incredible ensemble
Daniel Brody: For having incredible comedic timing, especially for someone his age and for being part of an incredible ensemble, as well as having his involvement in this production to alter the script to include explicit trans representation
Jillian Blair McCabe: For portraying a complex character that has to balance being caring and very outspoken and for being part of an incredible ensemble
Jenny Oberholtzer: For portraying a character that has to simultaneously be one of the most caring in the production, as well as make a lot of wrong choices in a way that still kept the character fun as well as being part of an incredible ensemble
Nadia Palacios: For portraying one of the most realistic breakdowns portrayed in life Theatre and for being part of an incredible ensemble
Erica Smith: For writing, a production that depicts polyamory in a non-stereotypical or demonizing way and lets the characters within the polycule exist as individuals outside of a single unit. As well as continuing to see this production move on in all of its forms and writing a show that she shifts the script based on the pronouns and live experiences of the actors with each new iteration.
Ā
Heathers
July 2024
Cody Boehm: Cody's performance was a master class on stage for how to portray Heather Chandler. Her presence said it all; she didn't need to scream and shout at the other Heathers in order to be seen as threatening. Spoiler alert: she dies and comes back later as a ghost. After this is where I thought Cody truly shined. Her Chandler clearly loved messing with Veronica in a way that we we (almost) rooting for her to see Veronica get her comeuppance.
Mylo Cluff & Evan Zimmerman:Ā I knew both Mylo and Evan personally before they were cast as Kurt and Ram respectively, and once that decision was made I thought "oh, these two are a PERFECT match." That was not an exaggeration. The two gentlemen bounced off each other flawlessly as characters who were anything but. The audience was clearly excited whenever they entered on stage, and the two clearly kept them engaged throughout.
Brittany Washington: I personally waited YEARS for Brittany to play Martha Dunnstock, and she did not disappoint. Her blend of Martha and Betty from the movie was seamless, and she played her pureness to perfection. (Martha is the one character in Heathers who does nothing wrong in the show, and Brittany understood that assignment.)
Alicia Zheng: Veronica Sawyer is often played with a confidence that is not believable to the audience, but not Alicia's portrayal. Her Veronica was a complete outcast in "Beautiful", making her growth with songs like "Dead Girl Walking" and "I Say No" more impactful than most. Also, that vocal track is not easy, and the lady can SING it!
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins
December 2024
Adam Ressa: I greatly enjoyed this production. I loved the awesome puppets and the clever candle lighting tricks. So much of this production worked so seamlessly and swiftly. The moment when our hero wins and the lights change, the set moves, and the actors scatter left me with such a sense of frisson I could not stop thinking about how good and how well-crafted it all was. Bravo!
Ā
Into the Woods
May 2024
Ensemble: The vocal quality of this ensemble was something special! They sounded amazing together!
Rachel Bradley: The quality of vocals that Rachel managed to produce from us is seriously some kind of magic. She brings talent out of us that we didn't even know we had!
Adam Gambrel: Adam was just too perfect as Jack. He made the audience go "awww" constantly with his sweet, innocent characterization, but his gorgeous voice truly soared on "Giants in the Sky." His scenes felt like a breath of fresh air!
Sean Garcia: It's always a joy to watch a performer who truly seems to be enjoying himself up there. The characters he plays might be a little (or a lot) morally questionable, but you couldn't help but love Sean's mischievously grinning portrayals of the philandering prince and the hungry wolf. His powerful singing voice absolutely soared on "Agony!"
Tina Ghandchilar:Ā Her portrayal of The Baker's Wife was unlike any I have seen before. She was wacky, intense, dedicated, and lovely. Her performance was delightful.
Lynn Gilbertson: Lynn stole every scene as the puppeteer for "Milky White," making the forlorn cow an active player in the show! But she also was the mastermind behind many of the beautiful props and set dressing elements in this piece. Her creativity was outstanding!
Katherine Lipovsky: The power of Katherine's voice is UNREAL! Her rendition of "The Last Midnight" was like a vocal hurricane. She is also hilarious and put everything she had into playing both versions of the witch: the scary old hag and the young and beautiful enchantress!
Gretchen Midgley: Gretchen as Cinderella might be one of the best-cast performances I've ever seen. From her flawless crystalline voice to her sympathetic stage presence, Gretchen truly embodied this iconic role.
Colin Taylor: He made this challenging score sound sublimely beautiful and brought the absolute best out of actors and pit musicians alike! This was a huge feat of music direction, and he handily pulled it off!
Ā
Laughing Stock
February 2024
Sarah Hardy:Ā I enjoyed this production top to bottom. An extremely entertaining evening of theatre!
Bob Rosenberg: Bob Rosenberg was born to play this role. He had me in stitches!
Ā
The Little Mermaid
June ā July 2024
Mia Sirinsky: Her performance as Aquata was great! Even in the midst of a crowd in big dance numbers or in the scenes with all the mersisters, her stage presence and strong character made her a stand-out.
Ā
Lucky Stiff
November 2024
Margaret McGarry: Margaret absolutely stole the show with her impressive physical comedy, vocal chops, and spot-on Jersey accent, making an undeniable antagonist incredibly lovable. Every moment she spent onstage was a joy.
Matthew Reiley: He spent the entire production pretending to be a dead body eerily well and even sat perfectly motionless onstage during the entire intermission. He was so convincing that watching him walk on at curtain call felt like a bad dream.
Ā
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly & Stickfly
December 2023 & March 2024
Becky Gould-Levine: As a community theatre producer, Becky Gould-Levine brings more than just management to each production she brings heart, warmth, and a sense of family that makes every cast and crew member feel like they belong. Her talents shine through in everything she does from handling the social media posts to writing press releases that capture the spirit of every show. She is also PWLT's former President where she brought inclusivity and love to the theatre. She is one of a kind!
Ā
Much Ado About Nothing
August 2024
Jeff Elmore: Jeff really threw himself into the role of Benedick, in some cases literally, with his strong commitment to zany physical comedy especially standing out. While Benedick is a challenging and demanding role, he made it all look easy-- memorizing huge numbers of lines, engaging directly with the audience, showing a strong character arc, and nimbly navigating dense blocks of text! It's one of my favorite roles I've seen from him yet!
Megan Fraedrich & Wendy Briggs: With diligent planning and a clear vision, they brought the nineties back to life in all of the silliest ways while still imparting a deep understanding of Shakespeare's words and characters.
Stephanie Oden: Stephanie gave a masterclass in characterization and engagement with Shakespeare's words in a heartfelt, authentic way with her performance as Beatrice, especially in the emotional scene she shares with Benedick. She made Beatrice such a warm, delightful, multifaceted character that the audience easily fell in love with. Her dedication to the role and attention to the text shone through in every scene.
Spencer Pilcher & Brianna Lau: These two deserve the special award for most dynamic duo. As Dogberry and Verges, they stole every scene in which they appeared and even got exit applause. Their dynamic as the wacky leaders of the prince's Watch added new dimension and creativity to the already-funny scenes, especially the creative way they interacted with props onstage like an easel, a pool floatie, or even candies. I looked forward to their entrances and howled with laughter every time!
Spencer Pilcher & Brianna Lau: Spencer Pilcher played one of the best Dogberry roles I have ever seen. His pompous, naive, and clueless acting was extremely funny, but also endearing. And his sidekick, played by Brianna Lau, was wonderful, with expressions that were authentically charming and very funny. Quite a dynamic duo!
Paul Smith:Ā Paul's portrayal of Don Pedro had the perfect balance of gravitas and goofiness. This was truly a "best supporting actor" performance, as he really brought a sense of princely stage presence to the role and made Don Pedro seem like the most important man in the room without pulling focus from the main story or upstaging his fellow actors. The dynamic he established with Benedick and Claudio was always fun to watch!
Eliza Souser: Hero as a character doesn't have a lot of lines, but Eliza's stage presence made it easy to forget that. She was so fully engaged in every scene, her characterization was so refreshing, and her bonds with every other actor she interacted with came across as so honest and real. Eliza brings the best out of every other performer she acts alongside. Her version of Hero felt like the glue that holds together the family/ friend group in a way I've never seen before.
Thomas Udlock: Claudio can be a difficult character to like, and therefore a difficult character for an actor to portray sympathetically. Thomas made him lovable, flaws and all. His Claudio was so earnest and energetic and twinkle-eyed that he was a joy to watch, and his sad funeral song was beautiful, too!
Ā
Murder in the Library
July 2024
Camille Harvey: Camille was very funny as the delusional influencer Madyssen Mae, but the most impressive part of her portrayal was her creativity at improvising and conducting in-character interactions during the non-scripted portions. She automatically deserved an accolade for singing a rat-themed version of "Memory" from Cats with a totally straight face!
Ā
Once Upon A Dream: 100 Years of Magic
April 2024
Zachary Flick & Matthew Brown: Zachary and Matthew are probably my favorite directing team I have EVER worked with. Full stop. They both put their full trust in the cast, while also guiding us beyond what we were capable of on our own. Together they made a cohesive setlist and production, and I probably will be forever honored to be a part of it.
Ā
RABIES
November 2024
Gabriel Komisar: This script was tender and funny and heartfelt and painful and joyful. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Arielle Seidman-Joria:Ā Arielle knocked this production out of the park. From casting a stellar group of actors and making them feel safe to staging the world premiere of this moving play, she did an amazing job.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
Red Herring
September 2024
Avery Morstan: These costumes were stunning! Some were sewn and designed just for this show, and they all had this cool painting added to make them look like they were from a piece of 2D art. All the strong lines and fun colors worked so well, and these might be my favorite costumes I have seen all year!
Noah Steurer: Steurer's Andrei Borchevsky was incredibly funny, especially his physical comedy.
Ā
Shakespeareās Legacy and Lunacy: a one act festival
Hearts of Brothersā Temper
February 2024
Betsy Ryan: Betsyās commitment to playing such a dark and difficult role was impressive. She did so much rehearsal and character work outside rehearsal time and brought full energy and passion to the stage!
Ā
Shakespeareās Legacy and Lunacy: a one act festival
William Shakespeareās Flying Circus
February 2024
Brianna Lau: The very ability to concoct this hysterical homage to Python using Shakespeareās words indicates powers beyond a mere mortal. The creativity on display is mind-boggling.
Thomas Udlock & Jonathan Udlock:Ā The pairing of these two for the "Ministry of Silly Walks" sketch was absolutely inspired. They were truly attuned to the same unhinged wavelength and somehow gave this wacky premise a sense of internal logic while also serving magnificent physical comedy. Both performers are excellent at committing to the bit. I laughed my head off!
Thomas Udlock: Thomas took on the task of covering all instrumentation for the finale song. He was also responsible for leading the entire song for the full company, a task that he handled with aplomb!
Comments