Saluting Dayton’s 2019-20 Theater Season

Let’s be real. Dayton’s 2019-2020 theater season didn’t turn out the way anyone expected. While many of us were busy going about our lives filling late winter weekend plans with the exciting prospect of attending numerous shows around town, who could have foreseen COVID-19? The coronavirus pandemic, a silent game-changer demanding social distancing, has totally upended our local economy, drastically altering the arts landscape in unimaginable fashion. In fact, the Dayton Playhouse recently announced an in-person hiatus until the 2021-2022 season, and it is not out of the question that multiple organizations, including Dayton Live and its reliance on direct-from-Broadway national tours, will remain dark this fall, hoping for a winter rebound at the earliest. Nevertheless, to borrow a phrase from Betty Comden and Adolph Green, “let’s be glad for what we had.” So, here is my annual salute to the outstanding experiences over the past 12 months on a variety of stages and, for the first time, a few virtual platforms.

Reflecting on current sentiment across the country, specifically the multiracial acknowledgment of the Black Lives Matter movement and the ongoing fight for racial justice, I’m pleased Dayton was ahead of the curve this season recognizing, producing and promoting Black-themed works. The Human Race Theatre Company provided an elegant Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill starring Tanesha Gary as legendary Billie Holiday. In addition to Dayton Playhouse’s regional premiere of Aaron Sorkin’s refreshingly progressive adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird, Massachusetts playwright Jared Eberlein took top honors at the Playhouse’s FutureFest for his historical drama Fall With Me, centered on a Black family in 1930s Baltimore. Dayton Live, which notably supplied The Color Purple national tour which I missed, offered a striking Ohio premiere of the Tony Award-winning, Caribbean-flavored Once on This Island, a musical beautifully illuminating the power of love and communal storytelling within racial division. Dayton Theatre Guild delivered Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting, detailing the fictional yet riveting conversation between Black icons debating Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Xenia Area Community Theater and the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center joined forces to educate and enlighten with the Ohio premiere of The Face of Emmett Till, a poignant tale of history, heartbreak, hate, and hope. Unmistakably, Emmett Till holds significant relevance as the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Rayshad Brooks, and Elijah McClain among others have brought greater attention to the unjust treatment of Blacks in America.

Elsewhere, I was impressed with Wright State University’s wonderful knockouts both comical (Peter and the Starcatcher, The Addams Family, Into the Woods) and thought-provoking (The Wolves, An Enemy of the People, Into the Woods), Muse Machine’s timely, incredibly joyous In the Heights, Human Race Theatre Company’s terrifically compelling regional premieres of The Cake and Gloria: A Life, Dare to Defy Productions’ engagingly heartfelt A New Brain, Playground Theatre and University of Dayton’s atmospheric Midwest premiere of Virginia playwright Ingrid DeSanctis’ whimsical yet gripping religious and relationship-driven dramedy Stained Glass, and the Tennessee Williams-inspired debut of The Virtual Theatre.

I congratulate the following winners (in bold) and nominees. Looking toward the future with Betty and Adolph in mind, I trust we’ll catch up at the theater some other time.

BEST TOURING PRODUCTION The Book of Mormon, Dayton Live Once on This Island, Dayton Live Rent, Dayton Live The SpongeBob Musical, Dayton Live

BEST PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTION OF A PLAY The Cake, Human Race Theatre Company Gloria: A Life, Human Race Theatre Company Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, Human Race Theatre Company BEST PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL A New Brain, Dare to Defy Productions Elf the Musical, La Comedia Dinner Theatre

BEST COMMUNITY THEATER PRODUCTION OF A PLAY The Face of Emmett Till, Xenia Area Community Theater and The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center Icebergs, Dayton Theatre Guild Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting, Dayton Theatre Guild On the Horizon, Dayton Playhouse Still Alice, Young at Heart Players To Kill a Mockingbird, Dayton Playhouse

BEST COMMUNITY THEATER PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Dayton Playhouse Chicago, Springboro Community Theatre Freaky Friday, Beavercreek Community Theatre Man of La Mancha, Dayton Playhouse The Marvelous Wonderettes, Springboro Community Theatre The Wizard of Oz, Brookville Community Theatre BEST COLLEGIATE PRODUCTION OF A PLAY An Enemy of the People, Wright State University Bang, Bang, You’re Dead!, Sinclair Community College Peter and the Starcatcher, Wright State University Slut, Sinclair Community College Treasure Island, Sinclair Community College The Wolves, Wright State University BEST COLLEGIATE PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL The Addams Family, Wright State University Into the Woods, Wright State University Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Sinclair Community College

BEST VIRTUAL PRODUCTION A Streetcar Named Desire, The Virtual Theatre Beyond Glory, Renegade Stage Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Virtual Theatre The Glass Menagerie, The Virtual Theatre Look Into My Eyes, Human Race Theatre Company

BEST SPECIAL THEATRICAL EVENT Gratitude Project Brings the Arts to Life!, Oral Funk Theatre and Productions In the Heights, Muse Machine Stained Glass, Playground Theatre and University of Dayton Why We Tell the Story: Broadway Songs and Stories, Epiphany Lutheran Church

BEST NEW WORK Shelli Pentimall Bookler’s On the Horizon, Dayton Playhouse FutureFest Ingrid DeSanctis’ Stained Glass, Playground Theatre and University of Dayton Norman Mathews’ Drone, Dayton Playhouse FutureFest Robert Weibezahl’s Which Way the Wind Blows, Dayton Playhouse FutureFest Robb Willoughby’s Look Into My Eyes, Human Race Theatre Company Desireé York’s Fractured, Dayton Playhouse FutureFest BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY Saul Caplan as Branch Rickey, Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting Shaun Diggs as Jackie Robinson, Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting Will Graber as Peter, Peter and the Starcatcher Ryan Hester as Tom Wingfield, The Glass Menagerie (Xenia Area Community Theater) Nick Martin as Dr. Thomas Stockmann, An Enemy of the People Maximillian Santucci as Calder, Icebergs

BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY Bryana Bentley as Joey, Slut Rae Buchanan as Jewels, Stained Glass Lindsay Cardoza as Scout Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird Cassandra Engber as Alice, Still Alice Jennifer Johansen as Gloria Steinem, Gloria: A Life Laurie Carter Rose as Della, The Cake BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL Jordan Matthew Brown as Elder Cunningham, The Book of Mormon Hunter Minor as Gomez, The Addams Family Bobby Mitchum as Gordon Michael Schwinn, A New Brain Lorenzo Pugliese as SpongeBob SquarePants, The SpongeBob Musical Tim Rezash as Cervantes/Alonso/Quixote, Man of La Mancha Liam Tobin as Elder Price, The Book of Mormon

BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL Megan Arseneau as the Baker’s Wife, Into the Woods Casey Borghesi as the Witch, Into the Woods Courtnee Carter as Ti Moune, Once on This Island Robin Dunavant as Morticia, The Addams Family Tina McPhearson as Miss Mona Stangley, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Sarah Viola as Aldonza/Dulcinea, Man of La Mancha BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY Will Graber as Peter Stockmann, An Enemy of the People Samuel Hamilton as Dill, To Kill a Mockingbird Louie Kurtzman as Hovstad, An Enemy of the People Tim Lile as Tim, The Cake S. Francis Livisay as Reed, Icebergs Josh McCabe as Black Stache, Peter and the Starcatcher

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY Burgess Byrd as Woman 2, Gloria: A Life Candice Handy as Macy, The Cake Lauren Kampman as Molly, Peter and the Starcatcher Claire Kennedy as Jen, The Cake Rachel Oprea as Herself, Still Alice Hayley Penchoff as Mayella Ewell, To Kill a Mockingbird

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL Philip Boykin as Tonton Julian, Once on This Island Kyle Ramar Freeman as Asaka, Once on This Island Mark Antony Howard as Rapunzel’s Prince and Granny, Into the Woods Andy Huntington Jones as Elder McKinley, The Book of Mormon Chavin Medina as Sonny, In the Heights William “Kip” Moore as the Padre, Man of La Mancha

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL Tamyra Gray as Papa Ge, Once on This Island Charlotte Kunesh as Vanessa, In the Heights Sara LiBrandi as Camila Rosario, In the Heights Hailey Noll as Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel, Into the Woods Meghan Rupper as Featured Soloist, Why We Tell the Story Michaella Waickman as Wednesday, The Addams Family

BREAKTHROUGH MALE PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY Brian Buttrey as George Stewart, On the Horizon Ben Evory as Jim O’Connor, The Glass Menagerie (Xenia Area Community Theater) Cole Frasher as Aslasken, An Enemy of the People Samuel Hamilton as Jimmy Gibson, On the Horizon Edward Hill as Paul Robeson, Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting Christopher Wells as Billing, An Enemy of the People

BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY Kristin Curby as Laura Wingfield, The Glass Menagerie (Xenia Area Community Theater) Lauren Eifert as No. 7 – Striker, The Wolves Michelle Hayford as Little Mermaid and The Women, Stained Glass Hailey Marshall as Catherine Stockmann, An Enemy of the People Margo Russ as No. 11 – Midfield, The Wolves Annika Whetsone as Petra Stockmann, An Enemy of the People

BREAKTHROUGH MALE PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL Austin Gladstone as the Wolf and Cinderella’s Prince, Into the Woods Jared Levy as Jack and the Steward, Into the Woods Erik Moth as Fester, The Addams Family Nate Saner as Usnavi, In the Heights Rafael Santillan as Potiphar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat John Woll as Richard, A New Brain

BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL Gabby Casto as Abuela Claudia, In the Heights Logan Hylinski as Velma Kelly, Chicago Lillian Robillard as Ellie Blake, Freaky Friday Molly Seybert as Cinderella, Into the Woods Jenna Vance as Miss Almira Gulch/Wicked Witch of the West, The Wizard of Oz Kailey Yeakley as Roxie Hart, Chicago BEST ACTOR IN A VIRTUAL PRODUCTION Chris Bishop as Big Daddy, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Scott Christian as Harold “Mitch” Mitchell, A Streetcar Named Desire Ryan Imhoff as Tom Wingfield, The Glass Menagerie René Millán as Stanley Kowalski, A Streetcar Named Desire Jeff Sams as Theo, Look Into My Eyes Michael Wright as Brick, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

BEST ACTRESS IN A VIRTUAL PRODUCTION Rachel Barkalow as Maggie, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Chelsey Cavender as Stella Kowalski, A Streetcar Named Desire Merrie Drees as Laura Wingfield, The Glass Menagerie Claire Kennedy as Blanche DuBois, A Streetcar Named Desire Caitlin Larsen as Zelda, Look Into My Eyes Rhonda Lucas as Big Mama, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

BEST SOLO PERFORMANCE Tanesha Gary as Billie Holiday, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill Annie Pesch as Laurel and others, Fractured

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY Marya Spring Cordes, Gloria: A Life Bruce Cromer, Peter and the Starcatcher Michelle Hayford, Jenna Valyn and Chris Hahn, Stained Glass Greg Hellems, The Cake W. Stuart McDowell, An Enemy of the People Annie Pesch, On the Horizon

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL Michael Arden, Once on This Island Joe Deer, The Addams Family Philip Drennen, A New Brain Tina Landau, The SpongeBob Musical Lee Merrill, Into the Woods Jeffrey Polk and Lula Elzy, In the Heights

BEST LOCAL CHOREOGRAPHY Chris Beiser, Elf the Musical Kara Castle, Chicago Jessica Eggleston, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Lula Elzy, In the Heights Sandra Hyde, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Dionysia Williams, The Addams Family

BEST TOURING CHOREOGRAPHY Camille A. Brown, Once on This Island Christopher Gattelli, The SpongeBob Musical Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon Marlies Yearby, Rent

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY Dan Gray, The Cake Chris Harmon, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 (Dayton Theatre Guild) Scott J. Kimmins, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill Pam Knauert Lavarnway, Peter and the Starcatcher Carleigh Siebert, The Wolves Terry Stump, Treasure Island

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL David J. Castellano, The Addams Family Dane Laffrey, Once on This Island Anna Louizos, In the Heights Red Newman, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Jonathan Sabo, Man of La Mancha David Zinn, The SpongeBob Musical BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY David M. Covach, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill Carol Finley, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 (Dayton Theatre Guild) Kathleen Hotmer, Treasure Island Ayn Kaetchen, Gloria: A Life Tatyana Kowalski, An Enemy of the People Michelle Sampson and Victoria Gifford, Peter and the Starcatcher

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL Kevin Alberts, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Theresa Kahle, Man of La Mancha Clint Ramos, Once on This Island Nikki Sherck and Alisa Vukasinovich, In the Heights Zoë Still, The Addams Family David Zinn, The SpongeBob Musical

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY Malia Dalba, An Enemy of the People Matthew Evans, Stained Glass Gabriel Hrin, Treasure Island Autumn Light, Peter and the Starcatcher John Rensel, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill Richard Lee Waldeck, Decision Height (Dayton Theatre Guild) BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL Kevin Adams, The SpongeBob Musical Ara Beal, A New Brain Matthew P. Benjamin, The Addams Family Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, Once on This Island Jessy Henning, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Richard Lee Waldeck, Man of La Mancha

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY Dan Brunk, Treasure Island Jay Brunner, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill James Dunlap, An Enemy of the People Chris Hahn, Stained Glass Lara Sagraves, Peter and the Starcatcher K.L. Storer, Decision Height (Dayton Theatre Guild)

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL James Dunlap, The Addams Family Bob Kovach, Man of La Mancha Aaron Poland and James Dunlap, Into the Woods Shannon Slaton, Once on This Island Walter Trarbach, The SpongeBob Musical Ryan Vallo, In the Heights

BEST ORCHESTRA The Addams Family (Music Director: Wade Russo) In the Heights (Music Director: Jeffrey Powell) Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill (Music Director: Deron B. Bell Sr.) Man of La Mancha (Music Director: Sarah Plaugher) Once on This Island (Music Director: Steven Cuevas) Rent (Music Director: Mark Binns)

BEST PROPERTIES Mikayla Burr, The Cake John Lavarnway, An Enemy of the People John Lavarnway, The Addams Family Deirdre Root, Icebergs Terry Stump, Treasure Island Terry Webb, Peter and the Starcatcher

BEST PROJECTION DESIGN John Riechers, Gloria: A Life Mike Taint, The Glass Menagerie (Xenia Area Community Theater)

Hunter Minor (center as Gomez) and the cast of Wright State University’s production of “The Addams Family.” (Photo by Erin Pence)