Alliance's 'Edward Foote,' 'Tuck' top 2015 Suzis

ATLANTA’S PROFESSSIONAL THEATERS celebrated their own Monday night with the annual Suzi Bass Awards, honors that are more or less akin to Broadway’s Tonys.

The big winner, as is often the case, was the Alliance Theatre, the biggest company in the Southeast with a budget to match. The Woodruff Arts Center-based Alliance won 14 Suzis, including best world premiere and best play for Edward Foote, a Southern Gothic thriller with a script by Atlanta playwright Phillip DePoy and direction by Portland, Ore.-based Chris Coleman, co-founder and former artistic director at Actor’s Express.

The Alliance won multiple Suzis for The C.A. Lyons Project by Tsehaye Geralyn Hébert, last year’s winner of the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition; the Broadway-bound musical Tuck Everlasting, which is scheduled to begin previews March 31 and open April 26 at the Broadhurst Theatre on West 44th St.; and its Theatre for Young Audiences shows James and the Giant Peach and The Lizard and El Sol.

Freddie Ashley, Actor’s Express’ current artist director, won a versatile twofer, being named best actor for his portrayal of a 300-pound man in The Whale and best director of a musical for AE’s Rent.

Five special Suzis were handed out, as well. Playwright Topher Payne won the Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award for his comedy Perfect Arrangement, about two closeted couples during the Pink Scare in 1950s Washington, D.C. The play had its world premiere at D.C.’s Source Festival, was staged here in 2014 by the Process Theatre Company and is in its final week of a well-reviewed run at Primary Stages off-Broadway.

Elisabeth Cooper won the Callboard Award, recognizing work by such backstage professionals as stage managers, technicians, prop masters, dramaturgs, and front of house and patron staff.

The Spirit of Suzi Award went to Inverness Productions for its ongoing support of new plays, and Theatrical Outfit won the Audience Choice Award. The Suzi Lifetime Achievement Award went to actor Jo Howarth Noonan, who appeared on nearly every stage in the area before her death in June at age 58.

The awards are named for longtime Atlanta actor Suzi Bass, who performed regularly and stunningly with such companies as the Alliance Theatre, Theatre in the Square, ART Station and Theatrical Outfit, as well as the Flat Rock Playhouse and Blowing Rock Stage, both in North Carolina. A force of nature, she died of cancer in 2002 at age 56.

Twenty-two metro companies are eligible for Suzi Awards; seven took at least one award home Monday night.

THE WINNERS (in bold type):

Play

• Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage at the Alliance Theatre
• Edward Foote by Phillip DePoy at the Alliance
• The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance at Georgia Ensemble Theatre
• Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson at Theatrical Outfit
• The Whale by Samuel D. Hunter at Actor’s Express

Direction / play

• Chris Coleman for Edward Foote at the Alliance
• David Crowe for The Elephant Man at Georgia Ensemble
• David Crowe for Silent Sky at Theatrical Outfit
• Heidi Cline McKerley for The Whale at Actor’s Express
• Gary Yates for My Children! My Africa! at Theatrical Outfit

Lead actress / play

• 

  Cynthia D. Barker for Uprising at Horizon Theatre

• Danielle Deadwyler for The C.A. Lyons Project at the Alliance
• Crystal Fox for Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Alliance
• Ann Marie Gideon for Edward Foote at the Alliance
• Park Krausen for Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Actor’s Express

Lead actor / play

• Freddie Ashley for The Whale at Actor’s Express
• Terry Guest for Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet at Actor’s Express
• Tyrone Mitchell Henderson for Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Alliance
• Jonathan Horne for The Elephant Man at Georgia Ensemble
• Eugene Lee for How I Learned What I Learned at True Colors

Featured actress / play

• Carolyn Cook for Silent Sky at Theatrical Outfit
• Bethany Anne Lind for Edward Foote at the Alliance Theatre
• Deadra Moore for Silent Sky at Theatrical Outfit
• Tiffany Porter for The Whale at Actor’s Express
• Maria Rodriquez-Sager for My Children! My Africa! at Theatrical Outfit

Featured actor / play

• Neal A. Ghant for Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Alliance
• Enoch King for Uprising at Horizon
• Joe Knezevich for Storefront Church at Theatrical Outfit
• Doyle Reynolds for Sylvia at Stage Door Players
• Dane Troy for My Children! My Africa! at Theatrical Outfit

Ensemble / play

• 

  Bad Jews at Actor’s Express (Galen Crawley, Rachel DeJulio, Wyatt Fenner, Louis Gregory)

• Clybourne Park at Aurora (Robin Bloodworth, Tess Malis Kincaid, Danielle Deadwyler, Eric J. Little, Bobby Labartino, Joe Sykes, Cara Mantella)
• The Explorers Club at Aurora (Courtney Patterson,Tony Larkin, Chris Kayser, Chad Martin, George Contini, Al Stilo, Jacob York, Steve Hudson, Tim Whitson)
• Pericles, Prince of Tyre at the New Shakespeare Tavern (Drew Reeves, Matt Felton, Andrew Houchins, Chris Schulz, J. Tony Brown, Troy Willis, Kevin Roost, Nicholas Faircloth, Miranda Wilson, Kati Grace Brown, Mary Russell, Hayley Platt, Mary Ruth Ralston, Andy Offutt Irwin)
• Steel Magnolias at the Alliance (Becky Ann Baker, Beth Broderick, David de Vries, Mary Pat Gleason, Deirdre Lovejoy, Sarah Stiles, Zoë Winters)

Costume design / play

• Deyah Brenner for The Whale at Actor’s Express
• Lex Liang for Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Alliance
• Elizabeth Rasmusson for The Explorers Club at Aurora
• Elizabeth Rasmusson for Silent Sky at Theatrical Outfit
• Erik Teague for Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Actor’s Express

Lighting design / play

• Liz Lee for The C.A. Lyons Project at the Alliance
• Rebecca M.K. Makus for Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet at Actor’s Express
• Mike Post for Silent Sky at Theatrical Outfit
• Seth Reiser for Edward Foote at the Alliance
• Diane Ferry Williams for A Christmas Carol at the Alliance

Scenic design / play

• D. Martyn Brookwalter for A Christmas Carol at the Alliance
• Kat Conley for Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet at Actor’s Express
• Isabel Curley-Clay & Moriah Curley-Clay for Clybourne Park at Aurora
• Isabel Curley-Clay & Moriah Curley-Clay for Detroit at Horizon
• Isabel Curley-Clay & Moriah Curley-Clay for Silent Sky at Theatrical Outfit

Sound design / play

• Clay Benning for Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Alliance
• Clay Benning for Edward Foote at the Alliance
• Clay Benning for Native Guard at the Alliance
• Thom Jenkins for Uprising at Horizon
• David Wilson for The C.A. Lyons Project at the Alliance

Musical

• Chasin’ dem Blues at True Colors
• Evita at Serenbe Playhouse
• Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
• Rent at Actor’s Express
• Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance

Direction of a musical

• Freddie Ashley for Rent at Actor’s Express
• Brian Clowdus for Evita at Serenbe
• Tom Key for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
• Casey Nicholaw for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
• Kevin Ramsey for Chasin’ dem Blues at True Colors

Musical direction

• 

  Rob Berman for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance

• Jeremy Cohen for Chasin’ dem Blues at True Colors
• Chris Brent Davis for Evita at Serenbe
• Alli Lingenfelter for Rent at Actor’s Express
• Ann-Carol Pence for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit

Choreography

• Joshua Bergasse for Bull Durham at the Alliance
• Bubba Carr for Evita at Serenbe
• Dell Howlett for The C.A. Lyons Project at the Alliance
• Waverly Lucas for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
• Casey Nicholaw for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance

Lead actress / musical

• Molly Coyne for My Fair Lady at Georgia Ensemble
• Randi Garza for Evita at Serenbe
• Sarah Charles Lewis for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance

• 

  Naima Carter Russell for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit

• Julissa Sabino for Rent at Actor’s Express

Lead actor / musical

• Charlie Brady for Evita at Serenbe
• Carey Curtis Smith for My Fair Lady at Georgia Ensemble
• Travis Smith for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
• Will Swenson for Bull Durham at the Alliance
• Jeremy Varner for Rocket Boys at the Legacy Theatre

Featured actress / musical

• Jennifer Alice Acker for Rent at Actor’s Express
• Shannon Eubanks for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
• Jeanette Illidge for Rent at Actor’s Express
• Beth Leavel for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
• Megan McFarland for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit

Featured actor / musical

• Mark Cabus for My Fair Lady at Georgia Ensemble
• Eric Moore for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
• Eugene Russell IV for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
• Austin Tijerina for Rent at Actor’s Express
• Cecil Washington Jr. as Delray Jones for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit

Ensemble / musical

• Chasin’ dem Blues at True Colors (Spencer Bean, Jeremy Cohen, Anthony David, Che Marshall, Maiesha McQueen, Brad Raymond)
• Hands on a Hardbody at Aurora
• Murder Ballad at Actor’s Express
• Pump Boys & Dinettes at Georgia Ensemble
• Ring of Fire at the Legacy Theatre

Costume design /musical

Gregg Barnes for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance

• Shilla Benning for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
• Emmie Childers for My Fair Lady at Georgia Ensemble
• Toni-Leslie James for Bull Durham at the Alliance
• Erik Teague and Abby Parker for Evita at Serenbe

Lighting design / musical

• André Allen for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit
• Jeff Croiter for Bull Durham at the Alliance
• Kevin Frazier for Evita at Serenbe
• Joseph Futral for Chasin’ dem Blues at True Colors Theatre
• Kenneth Posner for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance

Scenic design / musical

• Kat Conley for Chasin’ dem Blues at True Colors
• Isabel Curley-Clay and Moriah Curley-Clay for Evita at Serenbe
• Isabel Curley-Clay and Moriah Curley-Clay for Murder Ballad at Actor’s Express
• Derek McLane for Bull Durham at the Alliance
• Walt Spangler for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance

Sound design / musical

• Angie Bryant for Rent at Actor’s Express
• Bobby Johnston for Chasin’ dem Blues at True Colors
• Brian Ronan for Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
• Leon Smith for Black Nativity at Dominion Entertainment Group
• Daniel Terry for Memphis at Aurora Theatre & Theatrical Outfit

World premiere

• Bull Durham at the Alliance
• The C.A. Lyons Project at the Alliance
• Edward Foote at the Alliance
• Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance
• Uprising at Horizon

Theatre for Young Audiences

• Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type at the Center for Puppetry Arts
• James and the Giant Peach at the Alliance
• Knuffle Bunny at the Alliance
• The Lizard and El Sol at the Alliance
• The 3 Little Pigs at Aurora

Direction / Theatre for Young Audiences

• Courage at at the Alliance, director Rosemary Newcott
• Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type at the Center for Puppetry Arts, director Jon Ludwig, music director Dolph Amick
• James and the Giant Peach at the Alliance, director Rosemary Newcott, choreographer Ricardo Aponte, music director Christopher Cannon
• The Lizard and El Sol at the Alliance, director Rosemary Newcott, choreographer Ricardo Aponte
• The Secret Garden at Serenbe, director Ryan Oliveti

Design / Theatre for Young Audiences

• Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type at Center for Puppetry Arts
• James and the Giant Peach at at the Alliance
• Lyle the Crocodile at Synchronicity Theatre
• The Secret Garden at Serenbe
• The 3 Little Pigs at Aurora

Performance / Theatre for Young Audiences (tie)

• Courage at the Alliance (ensemble – Lauren Boyd, Matt Felton, Stephanie Lloyd, J.L. Reed
• James and the Giant Peach at the Alliance (ensemble – Caleb Clark, Molly Coyne, Benjamin Harding, Wendy Melkonian, Brandon O’Dell, Julissa Sabino, Googie Uterhardt, Jeremy Varner, Minka Wiltz)
• Knuffle Bunny at the Alliance, Devon Hales
• The Lizard and El Sol at the Alliance, Julissa Sabino
• Lyle the Crocodile at Synchronicity Theatre, Matt Baum

WINNERS by theater company

• Alliance Theatre = 14
• Actor’s Express = 6
• Aurora Theatre = 5
• Theatrical Oufit = 4
• True Colors Theatre Company = 2
• Georgia Ensemble Theatre = 1
• Synchronicity Theatre = 1

WINNERS by production

• Edward Foote at the Alliance = 4
• Tuck Everlasting at the Alliance = 4
• Memphis, an Aurora Theatre / Theatrical outfit co-production = 3
• The C.A. Lyons Project at the Alliance = 2
• The Whale at Actor’s Express = 2
• Clybourne Park at Aurora Theatre = 2
• Rent at Actor’s Express = 2
• Chasin’ dem Blues at True Colors = 2
• James and the Giant Peach at the Alliance = 2
• Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musicial at the Alliance = 1
• Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Actor’s Express = 1
• The Lizard and El Sol at the Alliance
• Lyle the Crocodile at Synchronicity Theatre = 1
• My Fair Lady at Georgia Ensemble = 1
• Storefront Church at Theatrical Outfit = 1