A show that the Straight called wonderfully "deranged, dark, and perverse" took home the most prizes at last night's 36th annual Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards, held for the first time at the Bard on the Beach BMO main stage tonight.

In the small-theatre category, Rumble Theatre’s The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius, a Rumble Theatre production at the Cultch late last year, nabbed six awards.

The Arts Club Theatre Company, meanwhile, led the large-theatre category with a total of seven Jessies, with three for the thriller Misery and three for the twisted puppet tale Hand to God. 

In another twist, the same director took top prize for two of the top winning works: Stephen Drover, the newly appointed associate artistic director of the Arts Club, received outstanding-direction nods for both Hand to God and Titus Bouffonius. 

Green Thumb Theatre owned the theatre-for-young-audiences category, with its own The Code and its Neworld Theatre coproduction Jabber.

In other highlights, Jovanni Sy took the top spot for outstanding original script for his play Nine Dragons (coproduced by Vertigo Theatre, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, and Gateway Theatre), and Rohit Chokhani was awarded the Vancouver Now Representation and Inclusion Award for encouraging the inclusion of Indigenous and diverse voices in theatre and dance. 

For the first time, the Critic’s Choice Innovation Award had a dual winner: Japanese Problem by Universal Limited and Multiple Organism by Mind of a Snail.

The complete list is below; watch for our fuller coverage tomorrow and in this week's Straight.

Small Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Small Theatre

Omari Newton - The Shipment - SpeakEasy Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Actress – Small Theatre

Shayna Jones - Ruined - Dark Glass Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble – Small Theatre

Sarah Afful, Peter Anderson, Craig Erickson, Pippa Mackie, Naomi Wright - The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius - Rumble Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design – Small Theatre

Sophie Tang - The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius - Rumble Theatre

Outstanding Set Design – Small Theatre

Drew Facey - The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius - Rumble Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design – Small Theatre

Drew Facey - The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius - Rumble Theatre

Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition – Small Theatre

Daniel Deorksen & Kurt Schindelka - A Steady Rain - Seven Tyrants Theatre

Outstanding Direction – Small Theatre

Stephen Drover - The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius - Rumble Theatre

Outstanding Production – Small Theatre

The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius - Rumble Theatre

Significant Artistic Achievement – Small Theatre

Tetsuro Shigematsu, Jamie Nesbitt & Susan Miyagishima - 1 Hour Photo - Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre - Outstanding technical design and execution for the purpose of historical storytelling

Large Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Large Theatre

Andrew McNee – Misery - Arts Club Theatre Company

Outstanding Performance by an Actress – Large Theatre

Lucia Frangione - Misery - Arts Club Theatre Company

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble – Large Theatre

Amber Funk Barton, Andrew Gordon, Nathan Kay, Tiffany King, Billy Marchenski, Niall McNeill, Lucy McNulty, Kerry Sandomirsky, Matthew Tom-Wing, Marcus Youssef and Lucy Cairns - King Arthur's Night - Neworld Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design – Large Theatre

Jeff Harrison - Hand to God - Arts Club Theatre Company

Outstanding Set Design – Large Theatre

Lauchlin Johnston – Misery - Arts Club Theatre Company

Outstanding Costume Design – Large Theatre

Christine Reimer - Much Ado About Nothing - Bard on the Beach

Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition – Large Theatre

Torquil Campbell and Alessandro Juliani - Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika - Arts Club Theatre Company

Georgia Straight Outstanding Direction – Large Theatre

Stephen Drover - Hand to God - Arts Club Theatre Company

Outstanding Production – Large Theatre

Outside Mullingar - Pacific Theatre

Significant Artistic Achievement – Large Theatre

Jeny Cassady - Hand to God - Outstanding Puppet Design and Coaching - Arts Club Theatre Company

Theatre for Young Audiences

Outstanding Performance – Theatre for Young Audiences

Parmiss Sehat - Jabber - Green Thumb Theatre and Neworld Theatre

Outstanding Design – Theatre for Young Audiences

Shizuka Kai, Joel Grinke, and Mishelle Cuttler - Set/Projection/Sound - Jabber - Green Thumb Theatre and Neworld Theatre

Outstanding Artistic Creation – Theatre for Young Audiences

Chelsea Haberlin – Directing - Jabber - Green Thumb Theatre and Neworld Theatre

Outstanding Production – Theatre for Young Audiences

The Code - Green Thumb Theatre

Significant Artistic Achievement – Theatre for Young Audiences

Green Thumb Theatre - The Code - Outstanding Artistic Achievement for exceptional presentation of contemporary, far reaching teen issues

ADDITIONAL AWARDS

Outstanding Original Script

Jovanni Sy - Nine Dragons - Vertigo Theatre, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, & Gateway Theatre

Critic’s Choice Innovation Award

Japanese Problem  - Universal Limited & Multiple Organism - Mind of a Snail

Vancouver Now Representation and Inclusion Award

Rohit Chokhani

Patron of the Arts Award

Bonnie Mah

Mary Phillips Prize for Behind the Scenes Achievement

Ruth McIntosh

Sam Payne Award for the Most Promising Newcomer

Tai Amy Grauman

John Moffat & Larry Lilo Prize

John Patterson

GVPTA Career Achievement Award

John Wright

Sydney Risk Prize

Rachel Aberle

Colin Campbell Award for Excellence in Technical Theatre

Bruce Kennedy

Ray Michal Prize for Most Promising New Director

Genevieve Fleming

Gordon Armstrong Playwright's Rent Award

Devon More