Jesus Hops the A Train... with six Gypsy Awards

Jesus Hopped the A Train brought home more honors from the Seattle Theater Writers circle than any other play of 2012; the Azeotrope production received six awards for excellence among the group's second annual slate of Gypsy Rose Lee Awards.

Seattle Theater Writers recognized Richard Nguyen Sloniker
for Excellence as a Lead Male Actor for his performance in
Azeotrope's Jesus Hopped the A Train, which received six
Gypsy Awards in all, including Excellence in Production of
a Play. Azeotrope photo by Jessica Martin.

“The winners represent coming to a consensus, which can be quite a challenge,” said Miryam Gordon, ringleader of Seattle Theater Writers. “It’s not easy to get people with very different opinions to agree. I think if we all agree, that must mean more than any one of our opinions on our own. And we all take these selections quite seriously.”

In addition to awards in 32 categories, Seattle Theater Writers also gave a Special Award of Recognition to Kathy Hsieh for Excellence in Playwriting in recognition of her long-running serial, Sex In Seattle, which wrapped up with Episode 20 last year. 

This was Weisenheimer’s first year participating with Seattle Theater Writers. My main difference with the group was my love for Strawberry Theatre Workshop’s production of Accidental Death of an Anarchist, which I received my vote for top play of the year as well as my nod for excellence in performance of a lead male actor for Ryan Higgins. I wasn’t able to persuade the group to go along with those particular ratings. As Gordon noted, reaching consensus is a challenge, and all of the honorees are most worthy of recognition.

The 2012 Gypsy Rose Lee Award Winners are:

Excellence in Production of a Play 

(Large Budget): The Pitmen Painters — ACT Theatre

(Small Budget): Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope

Excellence in Production of a Musical

(Large Budget): The Producers — Village Theatre

(Small Budget): Spring Awakening — Balagan Theatre 

Excellence in Direction of a Play

(Large Budget): Allison Narver — Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre 

(Small Budget): Desdemona Chiang — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope

Excellence in Direction of a Musical

(Large Budget): Steve Tomkins — The Producers — Village Theatre

(Small Budget): Eric Ankrim — Spring Awakening — Balagan Theatre

Excellence in Performance as a Lead Male Actor

(Large Budget): David Hogan — The Art of Racing in the Rain — Book-It Repertory

(Small Budget): Richard N. Sloniker — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope

Excellence in Performance as a Lead Female Actor

(Large Budget): Jennifer Lee Taylor — Pygmalion — Seattle Shakespeare Company

(Small Budget): Mary Ewald — Happy Days — New City Theater

Excellence in Performance as a Supporting Male Actor — any non-lead

(Large Budget): Nick DeSantis — The Producers — Village Theatre

(Small Budget): Dumi — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope

Excellence in Performance as a Supporting Female Actor — any non-lead

(Large Budget): Jeanne Paulsen — Pygmalion — Seattle Shakespeare Company 

(Small Budget): Nike Imoru — Titus Andronicus — upstart crow

Excellence in Performance as an Ensemble

(Large Budget): Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre (Kirsten Potter, Basil Harris, Montana von Fliss)

(Small Budget): Kittens in a Cage — Annex Theatre (Francesca Mondelli, Katie Driscoll, Lisa Viertel, Laurel Ryan, Tracy Leigh, Erin Pike, Erin Stewart)

Excellence in Set Design

(Large Budget): Scott Bradley — Clybourne Park — Seattle Repertory Theatre

(Small Budget): Deanna Zibello — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope 

Excellence in Costume Design

(Large Budget): Catherine Hunt — Or, — Seattle Repertory Theatre

(Small Budget): Katie Hegarty — The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls — WET

Excellence in Lighting Design

(Large Budget): L.B. Morse — Hedda Gabler — Intiman Theatre

(Small Budget): Amiya Brown — The Skriker — Janice Findley Productions

Excellence in Sound Design

(Large Budget): Evan Mosher — The Bells — Strawberry Theatre Workshop

(Small Budget): Michael White Hayes — Team of Heroes: Behind Closed Doors — Annex Theatre

Excellence in Musical Direction

(Large Budget): Jmichael — Pullman Porter Blues — Seattle Repertory Theatre

(Small Budget): Kimberley Dare — Spring Awakening — Balagan Theatre 

Excellence in Choreography or Movement

(Large Budget): Kristin Bohr Holland — The Producers — Village Theatre

(Small Budget): Pat Graney — The Skriker — Janice Findley Productions

Excellence in Local Playwriting

S.P. Miskowski — Emerald City — Live Girls! Theater

Excellence in Local Composing

Christian "Lil Kriz" Beeber — Jesus Hopped the A Train — Azeotrope

Founded in 2011 and comprised of local writers and reviewers, Seattle Theater Writers is a group dedicated to raising public awareness of theater practitioners and the work produced by professional Equity and non-Equity theater organizations.