Max Reimer, who took over the reins at the Playhouse Theatre Company as artistic director last June, has firmly cemented his presence on the local scene with the release of the finalists in the 27th Annual Jessie Richardson Awards May 19.

The Playhouse leads with 18 nominations, nine for Reimer’s Vancouver directorial debut The Drowsy Chaperone, which the Straight’s theatre reviewer Colin Thomas called “one of the best shows of the season and a stellar debut for Reimer.” In the large theatre categories, the production scored nominations for Phillip Clarkson for costume design; Gerald King for lighting design; Jean Claude Olivier for set design; Thom Allison for performance by an actor in a supporting role; Jay Brazeau for performance by an actor in a lead role; both Lloyd Nicholson’s musical direction and Dayna Tekatch’s dance choreography for artistic achievement; Reimer for direction; and outstanding production.

Bard on the Beach has collected a slew of nominations in the large theatre categories, 16 in total. Seven of the nominations are for Titus Andronicus, including Christine Reimer for costume design (also nominated for Bard’s The Tempest); John Webber for lighting design (also nominated for The Tempest); Pam Johnson for set design (also nominated for the Playhouse Theatre Company’s Miss Julie: Freedom Summer); Simon Bradbury for performance by an actor in a supporting role (also nominated for the Arts Club Theatre Company’s The Real Thing); Jennifer Lines for performance by an actress in a lead role (also nominated for The Tempest); Nicholas Harrison for fight choreography; Kim Collier for direction; and outstanding production.

In the small theatre categories, Ruby Slippers Theatre's production of Life Savers tied for the lead with Electric Company Theatre and The Virtual Stage’s co-production of No Exit, with each receiving eight nominations.

For their work in Ruby Slippers' English-language world premiere of Serge Boucher's play, Colleen Wheeler was nominated for performance by an acress in a supporting role; Kevin McNulty for performance by an actor in a supporting role; Naomi Wright and Patti Allan were each nominated for performance by an actress in a supporting role; David Roberts for set design; Itai Erdal for lighting design; and the team of Allessandro Juliani and Meg Roe was nominated for sound design. The show was also nominated for outstanding production.

For No Exit, nominations included: Kirsten McGhie for costume design; John Webber for lighting design; Jay Glower Taylor for set design; Laara Sadiq for performance by an actress in a supporting role; Andy Thompson and Bojan Bodruzic’s video design and editing for artistic achievement; Kim Collier for direction; and outstanding production. It is also nominated for the Critics’ Choice Innovation Award.

In the theatre for young audiences categories, Theatre Bagger bagged the most nominations, with four for its production of The Little Old Man: Frank Rader’s puppet design for outstanding design; Chris McGregor’s direction for outstanding artistic creation; Tom Jones and McGregor’s ensemble performance for significant artistic achievement; and outstanding production.

The awards will be presented at the Jessies’ 27th Anniversary Celebration, June 15 at the Commodore Ballroom. Tickets available through Ticketmaster.

The full list of nominees is as follows:

Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition, Large Theatre

• Jason Burnstick   Where the Blood Mixes     Playhouse Theatre Company & The Savage Society
• Alessandro Juliani     The Tempest   Bard on the Beach
• Brian Linds     The History Boys     Arts Club Theatre Company
• Joelysa Pankanea     King Lear   Bard on the Beach
• Murray Price     Twelfth Night   Bard on the Beach

Outstanding Costume Design, Large Theatre

• Nancy Bryant     The Constant Wife   Arts Club Theatre Company
• Phillip Clarkson     The Drowsy Chaperone   Playhouse Theatre Company
• Mara Gottler     Twelfth Night     Bard on the Beach
• Christine Reimer     The Tempest   Bard on the Beach
• Christine Reimer     Titus Andronicus   Bard on the Beach

Outstanding Lighting Design, Large Theatre

• Alan Brodie     Miss Julie: Freedom Summer   Playhouse Theatre Company (co-production with The Canadian Stage Company)
• Gerald King     The Drowsy Chaperone   Playhouse Theatre Company
• Ali Sohrabzadeh     The Return of Futuristi   BellaLuna Productions
• John Webber     The Tempest     Bard on the Beach
• John Webber     Titus Andronicus   Bard on the Beach

Outstanding Set Design, Large Theatre

• Patrick Clark     Frost/Nixon   Playhouse Theatre Company (co-production with The Canadian Stage Company)
• Pam Johnson     Miss Julie: Freedom Summer   Playhouse Theatre Company (co-production with The Canadian Stage Company)
• Pam Johnson     Titus Andronicus     Bard on the Beach
• Ken MacDonald     The Constant Wife   Arts Club Theatre Company
• Jean Claude Olivier     The Drowsy Chaperone     Playhouse Theatre Company

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Large Theatre

• Sara-Jeanne Hosie     Guys and Dolls   Gateway Theatre
• Margo Kane     Where the Blood Mixes   Playhouse Theatre Company & The Savage Society
• Terra C. Macleod   The Producers   Arts Club Theatre Company
• Bonnie Panych     The Full Monty   Patrick Street Productions
• Colleen Wheeler     The Tempest   Bard on the Beach

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Large Theatre

• Thom Allison     The Drowsy Chaperone   Playhouse Theatre Company
• Simon Bradbury     The Real Thing   Arts Club Theatre Company (co-production with the Belfry Theatre)
• Simon Bradbury     Titus Andronicus   Bard on the Beach
• Ron Pederson     The Producers   Arts Club Theatre Company
• Andrew Wheeler     Twelfth Night   Bard on the Beach

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role, Large Theatre

• Caroline Cave     Miss Julie: Freedom Summer     Playhouse Theatre Company (co-production with The Canadian Stage Company)
• Jennifer Lines     The Tempest   Bard on the Beach
• Jennifer Lines     Titus Andronicus   Bard on the Beach
• Meg Roe Toronto   Mississippi Playhouse     Theatre Company (co-production with Theatre Aquarius)
• Nicole Underhay     The Constant Wife   Arts Club Theatre Company

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role, Large Theatre

• Jay Brazeau     The Drowsy Chaperone     Playhouse Theatre Company
• Bernard Cuffling     The History Boys   Arts Club Theatre Company
• Duncan Fraser     Homechild     Arts Club Theatre Company
• Billy Merasty     Where the Blood Mixes   Playhouse Theatre Company & The Savage Society
• David Storch   Frost/Nixon   Playhouse Theatre Company (co-production with The Canadian Stage Company)

Significant Artistic Achievement, Large Theatre

• Alan Brodie / Patrick Clark / Jamie Nesbitt—Exceptional Integration of Visual Design     Frost/Nixon   Playhouse Theatre Company (co-production with The Canadian Stage Company)
• Nicholas Harrison—Outstanding Fight Choreography   Titus Andronicus   Bard on the Beach
• Jamie Nesbitt—Exceptional Body of Work in Projection Design
• Lloyd Nicholson—Outstanding Musical Direction     The Drowsy Chaperone     Playhouse Theatre Company
• Dayna Tekatch—Outstanding Dance Choreography     The Drowsy Chaperone   Playhouse Theatre Company

Outstanding Direction, Large Theatre

• Kim Collier     Titus Andronicus   Bard on the Beach
• Dean Paul Gibson     The History Boys     Arts Club Theatre Company
• Morris Panych     The Constant Wife   Arts Club Theatre Company
• Max Reimer     The Drowsy Chaperone   Playhouse Theatre Company
• Meg Roe     The Tempest   Bard on the Beach

Outstanding Production, Large Theatre

• The Drowsy Chaperone     Playhouse Theatre Company
• The History Boys     Arts Club Theatre Company
• The Tempest   Bard on the Beach
• Titus Andronicus   Bard on the Beach
• Where the Blood Mixes     Playhouse Theatre Company & The Savage Society

Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition, Small Theatre

• Joseph “Pepe” Danza     The 8th Land   Pi Theatre
• Emma Hendrix     Transmission   Proximity Arts Society
• Alessandro Juliani & Meg Roe     Life Savers   Ruby Slippers Theatre
• Judy Specht     The Life of Paper   Pangaea Arts
• Corina Akeson & Jeff Tymoschuk     Coriolanus     Coriolanus Equity Co-Op

Outstanding Costume Design, Small Theatre

• Meredith Canby     Death of A Clown     Itsazoo Productions
• Kirsten McGhie     No Exit     Electric Company Theatre & The Virtual Stage
• Margaret McKea     The Life of Paper   Pangaea Arts
• Sheila White   Influence     Touchstone Theatre
• Marti Wright     The 8th Land   Pi Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design, Small Theatre

• Stephan Bircher     Bone in Her Teeth   Leaky Heaven Circus
• Itai Erdal   Life Savers     Ruby Slippers Theatre
• Jonathan Ryder     Influence   Touchstone Theatre
• Guido Tondino     Lentement la beauté   Théí¢tre la Seizií¨me (co-production with L’Unithéí¢tre)
• John Webber     No Exit   Electric Company Theatre & The Virtual Stage

Outstanding Set Design, Small Theatre

• Jergus Oprsal   Bashir Lazhar   Pi Theatre
• Karyn MacCallum     Where the River Meets the Sea     Presentation House Theatre
• David Roberts   Influence     Touchstone Theatre
• David Roberts   Life Savers   Ruby Slippers Theatre
• Jay Gower Taylor     No Exit   Electric Company Theatre & The Virtual Stage

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Small Theatre

• Patti Allan     Life Savers   Ruby Slippers Theatre
• Sasa Brown     Bone in Her Teeth   Leaky Heaven Circus
• Jennifer Mawhinney     The Dissemblers   Touchstone Theatre
• Laara Sadiq     No Exit     Electric Company Theatre & The Virtual Stage
• Naomi Wright     Life Savers   Ruby Slippers Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Small Theatre

• Donald Adams     Influence     Touchstone Theatre
• Alex Ferguson     Glengarry Glen Ross     Main Street Theatre Equity Co-Op
• Kevin McNulty     Life Savers   Ruby Slippers Theatre
• Ron Reed   Mourning Dove   Pacific Theatre
• Michael Rinaldi     The Dissemblers   Touchstone Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role, Small Theatre

• Julia Mackey     Jake’s Gift   Juno Productions
• Jennifer Mawhinney     Blackbird   Rumble Productions & Theatre Conspiracy
• Bridget O’Sullivan     The December Man     Green Thumb Theatre
• Lori Triolo     The Sweetest Swing in Baseball   E-VAC Equity Co-Op
• Colleen Wheeler     Life Savers   Ruby Slippers Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role, Small Theatre

• Anthony F. Ingram     Pinter’s Briefs   Blackbird Theatre
• David Marr     Bashir Lazhar     Pi Theatre
• Russell Roberts     Blackbird   Rumble Productions & Theatre Conspiracy
• Todd Thomson     True Believers—My Acid Trip   Solo Collective
• Simon Webb   Pinter’s Briefs     Blackbird Theatre

Significant Artistic Achievement, Small Theatre

• Tim Carlson, Richard Wolfe, Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg, Candelario Andrade, Andreas Kahre, Jeff Harrison, Barbara Clayden, and No Luck Club—Creative Design Ensemble     Live from a Bush of Ghosts   Theatre Conspiracy
• Jeremy Crittenden, Sarah Gay, Timothy Gledhill, Alison MacDonald, and Jennifer Neumann—Ensemble Performance     The World Goes Round     Another Musical Co-op
• Progress Lab—Innovative Contribution to the Artistic Community   Hive 2
• Andy Thompson, Bojan Bodruzic—Video Design & Editing     No Exit   Electric Company Theatre & The Virtual Stage
• Joseph Wu—Origami Artistry     The Life of Paper     Pangaea Arts

Outstanding Direction, Small Theatre

• Norman Armour     Blackbird   Rumble Productions & Theatre Conspiracy
• Kim Collier     No Exit   Electric Company Theatre & The Virtual Stage
• Craig Holzschuh   Lentement la beauté     Théí¢tre la Seizií¨me (co-production with L’Unithéí¢tre)
• Shane Snow     The World Goes Round     Another Musical Co-op
• John Wright     Pinter’s Briefs   Blackbird Theatre

Outstanding Production, Small Theatre

• Blackbird     Rumble Productions & Theatre Conspiracy
• Glengarry Glen Ross     Main Street Theatre Equity Co-Op
• Lentement la beauté   Théí¢tre la Seizií¨me (co-production with L’Unithéí¢tre)
• Life Savers   Ruby Slippers Theatre
• No Exit     Electric Company Theatre & The Virtual Stage

Outstanding Design, Theatre for Young Audiences

• Bob Buckley, Yvan Morissette, Taryn O’Gorman, and Heidi Wilkinson—Design Team     King Arthur’s Kitchen     Axis Theatre Company
• Drew Facey—Set & Costume Design     Ecran de fumée     Théí¢tre la Seizií¨me
• Drew Facey, Jeff Harrison, Jeff Tymoschuk, and Heidi Wilkinson—Design Team     Munsch Alley     Carousel Theatre
• Frank Rader ­ ­—Puppet Design     The Little Old Man     Theatre Bagger
• Marina Szijarto—Mask & Puppet Design     Jungle Book Musical   TheatreWorks

Outstanding Artistic Creation, Theatre for Young Audiences

• Tamara McCarthy—Direction     Munsch Alley   Carousel Theatre
• Chris McGregor—Direction     Little Old Man   Theatre Bagger
• Marcus Youssef—Direction     Are We There Yet?   Neworld Theatre

Outstanding Performance, Theatre for Young Audiences

• Emmelia Gordon     New Canadian Kid   Green Thumb Theatre
• Meghan Kinsley     Blind Spot     Green Thumb Theatre
• Jennifer Neumann     Seussical the Musical   Carousel Theatre
• Jon Lachlan Stewart     Ecran de fume   Théí¢tre la Seizií¨me
• Brian Sutton     King Arthur’s Kitchen     Axis Theatre Company

Significant Artistic Achievement, Theatre for Young Audiences

• Hamza Adam, Evelyn Chew, Kenji Maeda, Luc Roderique, and Azin Sadr—Ensemble Performance     Are We There Yet?   Neworld Theatre
• Tom Jones and Chris McGregor—Ensemble Performance   The Little Old Man     Theatre Bagger
• Heidi Wilkinson Body of Work—Design

Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences

• Are We There Yet?   Neworld Theatre
• Blind Spot     Green Thumb Theatre
• King Arthur’s Kitchen   Axis Theatre Company
• The Little Old Man   Theatre Bagger
• Munsch Alley     Carousel Theatre

Outstanding Original Script

• Dennis Foon     True Believers – My Acid Trip     Solo Collective
• Nicola Harwood   Letters from Lithuania     Mortal Coil
• Kevin Kerr     The Secret World of Og     Carousel Theatre
• Kevin Loring     Where the Blood Mixes   Playhouse Theatre Company & The Savage Society
• Andrew Templeton     This Mortal Flesh     MachineFair

Critics’ Choice Innovation Award

• Letters from Lithuania   Mortal Coil Performance Society
• Lives Were Around Me   battery opera
• No Exit     Electric Company Theatre & The Virtual Stage
• The Flannigan Affair   Electric Company Theatre
• WeeTube   Theatre Replacement