Alumni News

December, 2005

University of Victoria Theatre alumni figured prominently in this year’s Critic’s Choice Awards. In their annual celebration of the best of the city’s theatre scene, local critics Adrian Chamberlain (Times Colonist), Robert Mitchell (CBC’s On the Island) and John Threlfall (Monday) shone the spotlight on the following Phoenix graduates, as well as some of our faculty members and current students…

Receiving top honours was Janet Munsil for Best New Play (That Elusive Spark, Phoenix Theatre, March 2005). Most of the other nominees in her category were fellow Theatre alumni: Clayton Jevne (The Haunting of Don Juan); Amiel Gladstone (Hippies and Bolsheviks); and, Meg Braem (Potentilla). The final nominee was Karen Lee Pickett, a Writing student whose nominated play I Thee Wed was premiered at the Phoenix as part of FIND 2005.

Phoenix grads (and their companies) also dominated the Fringe Production category. BumbleBee Theatre Collective won for Potentilla. Other nominees were Theatre SKAM for Inanna and Ecce Homo for Woyzeck Songpiel.

Nominated for Set Design were Sam Whittington (Peter Pan / Kaleidoscope Theatre) and The Old Trout Puppet Workshop (The Unlikely Birth of Istvan / Intrepid Theatre).

For Sound Design, Alexander Ferguson was nominated for Peter Pan (Kaleidoscope Theatre); Kathleen Greenfield and Alison Greene were nominated for Fen (Phoenix Theatre); and, Ian Case was nominated for The War of the Worlds (Giggling Iguana / Theatre Inconnu). Ian was also nominated for his direction of The War of the Worlds.

Meg Roe received a best performance nomination (professional) for her role in Trying at the Belfry Theatre. Ecce Homo was nominated in the Musical Production category for Woyzeck Songspiel. And soon-to-be graduate, fourth year student Sebastien Archibald, was nominated for his performance (community) in That Elusive Spark.

As for other Phoenix folks, Theatre faculty member Allan Stichbury was nominated for his set design for Fen, seen at the Phoenix in February 2005, and fellow faculty member Mary Kerr’s costume designs were nominated for Bears: The Musical at Oak Bay High Community Theatre. Phoenix guest director Linda Moore won the Critic’s Choice for her direction of That Elusive Spark. The Phoenix was nominated for Overall Production (Community) for That Elusive Spark.

Congratulations to all!