Swift Creek Mill Theatre, Virginia Rep big winners at 'Artsies,' Richmond theater awards

Swift Creek Mill Theatre and Virginia Repertory Theatre were among the big winners at the 14th Richmond Theatre Community Circle Awards event held last weekend.

The awards, formerly Richmond Theatre Critics Circle Awards, returned to an in-person, black-tie event to recognize excellence in Richmond-area theater with the theme “We’re Still Here,” a reference to the resilience of the arts and arts organizations through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Swift Creek Mill won seven “Artsies,” including six for its production of “Murder for Two,” which won “Best Musical.” Emily Berg-Poff Dandridge and Mark Schenfisch won for “Best Lead Performance” in a musical for the show and Tom Width for “Best Direction” in a musical. Schenfisch also won for “Best Musical Direction.”

Virginia Rep came away with 10 “Artsies,” five for its production of “Mamma Mia!”

Richmond Triangle Players won three “Artsies,” including “Best Play” for its production of “Sugar in Our Wounds.” Firehouse Theatre’s production of “The Barber of Moville” was honored as “Outstanding Original Work.” Jamar Jones won “Best Lead Performance” in a play for Firehouse’s “Fires in the Mirror.” The other award for “Best Lead Performance” in a play went to Alec Beard for Quill’s one-man show, “An Illiad.”

Two theater companies that did not survive the pandemic each won an award: The Illuminated Stage Theatre Company was honored with “Best Direction of a Play” for Julie Fulcher-Davis’ work on “Every Brilliant Thing.” Mikayla LaShae Bartholomew was recognized for “Breakout Performance” for her role in TheatreLAB’s “The Niceties.”

The “Artsies” also serve as the primary fundraising event for the Theatre Artist Fund of Greater Richmond, which provides emergency financial assistance to theater artists who have experienced an exceptional financial need related to a specific crisis beyond their control. Since its inception, the “Artsies” have raised almost $90,000.

Best Musical

“Murder for Two,” Swift Creek Mill Theatre

Best Direction, Musical

Tom Width, “Murder for Two”

Best Lead Performance — Musical

Emily Berg-Poff Dandridge, “Murder for Two”

Best Lead Performance — Musical

Mark Schenfisch, “Murder for Two”

Best Supporting Performance — Musical

Anne Michelle Forbes, “Winter Wonderettes”

Best Supporting Performance — Musical

Grey Garrett, “Mamma Mia!”

Best Musical Direction

Mark Schenfisch, “Murder for Two”

Best Choreography

Ashleigh King, “Mamma Mia!”

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design, Musical

Sue Griffin and Marcia Miller Hailey, “Mamma Mia!”

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design, Musical

Joe Doran, “Murder for Two”

Outstanding Achievement in Set Design, Musical

Josafath Reynoso, “Mamma Mia!”

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design, Musical

Jacob Mishler, “Mamma Mia!”

Best Play

“Sugar in Our Wounds,” Richmond Triangle Players

Best Direction, Play

Julie Fulcher-Davis, “Every Brilliant Thing”

Best Lead Performance, Play

Alec Beard, “An Iliad”

Best Lead Performance, Play

Jamar Jones, “Fires in the Mirror”

Best Supporting Performance, Play

Laine Satterfield, “Pipeline”

Best Supporting Performance, Play

Catherine Schaffner, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design, Play

Margarette Joyner, “Fires in the Mirror”

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design, Play

Steven Koehler, “Sugar in Our Wounds”

Outstanding Achievement in Set Design, Play

William Luther, “Sugar in Our Wounds”

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design, Play

Joey Luck, “Small Mouth Sounds”

2022 Ernie McClintock Best Acting Ensemble Award

The cast members of the Cadence Theatre, in partnership with Virginia Repertory Theatre, production of “Small Mouth Sounds” are honored for their notable performance as a cohesive and compelling ensemble:

Larry Cook, Marisa Guida, Jenny Hundley, Lauren Leinhaas-Cook, Maura Mazurowski, Jim Morgan, Adam Valentine

Breakout Performance

Mikayla LaShae Bartholomew, “The Niceties”

Outstanding Original Work

“The Barber of Moville,” Firehouse Theatre