31st ANNUAL CONNECTICUT CRITICS THEATER AWARDS HELD IN HARTFORD

“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “42nd Street” Top 2023 Connecticut Critics Circle Nominations Yale Repertory Theatre’s staging of the Edward Albee classic, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and Goodspeed Opera House’s spirited production of “42nd Street” lead the shows nominated for the 31st annual Connecticut Critics Circle Awards. The awards event, which celebrates the best in professional theater in the state, was held Monday, June 26 at 7 p.m. at TheaterWorks Hartford in downtown Hartford. “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” earned six nominations, including outstanding play production, director, and best actor and won for best play and best actress with Rene Augesen. “42nd Street” received eleven nods, including outstanding musical production, leading actress, director, choreographer, and best featured actress and actor and won for best musical, best choreography with Randy Skinner, best featured actor with Blake Stadnik and best costumes with Kara Harmon.. Other outstanding play nominees were Playhouse on Park’s “Indecent;” Yale Repertory Theatre’s “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles;” Hartford Stage’s “Trouble in Mind;” and Hartford Stage’s “The Winter’s Tale.” Also earning outstanding musical nods were TheaterWork Hartford’s “Fun Home;” Goodspeed Opera House’s “Gypsy;” Hartford Stage’s “Kiss My Aztec!” and Ridgefield’s A Contemporary Theatre of Connecticut’s (ACT) “The Secret Garden.” Receiving the annual Tom Killen Award for lifetime achievement in Connecticut theater was William Berloni, who is best known for his training of rescue and breeder animals for stage, film, and television. Mr. Berloni trained Sandy for the original production of “Annie" at the Goodspeed Opera House and on Broadway. His award was introduced by former Artistic Director of Goodspeed Opera House Michael Price who gave Bill the original $35 to rescue a dog, in this case Sandy, to be in the musical “Annie,” that launched Bill’s career as an animal trainer. Bill’s dog Bodie made a surprise appearance! Other nominees were: Actor in a play: Don Donahue for Yale Repertory Theatre’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?;” Jamil A.C. Mangan for Playhouse on Park’s “Fences;” James Naughton for Ivoryton Playhouse’s “On Golden Pond;” David Shih for Westport Country Playhouse’s “Kim’s Convenience.” Jamil A. C. Mangan won for “Fences." Actress in a play: René Augesen for Yale Repertory Theatre’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?;” Mia Dillon for Westport Country Playhouse’s “4000 Miles;” Camila Moreno for Yale Repertory Theatre’s “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles;“ Emma Ramos for Hartford Stage’s “Espejos: Clean;” Heather Alicia Simms for Hartford Stage’s “Trouble in Mind.” Rene Augesen won for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". Actor in a musical: Matt Faucher for ACT’s “Guys and Dolls;” Brian Golub for ACT’s “The Secret Garden;” Aaron Lazar for TheaterWorks Hartford’s “Fun Home;” David M. Lutken for Ivoryton Playhouse’s “Ring of Fire;” Joel Perez for Hartford Stage’s “Kiss My Aztec!” Aaron Lazar won for “Fun Home." Actress in a musical: Krystina Alabado for Hartford Stage’s “Kiss My Aztec!;” Charlotte Ewing in ACT’s “The Secret Garden;” Elizabeth Ward Land in Music Theatre of Connecticut’s “Sunset Boulevard;” Carina-Kay Louchiey for Goodspeed Opera House’s “42nd Street;” Juliette Redden for Goodspeed Opera House’s “Anne of Green Gables.” Juliette Redden won for “Anne of Green Gables." Director of a play: Melia Bensussen for Hartford Stage’s “The Winter’s Tale;” James Bundy for Yale Repertory Theatre’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?;” Kelly O’Donnell for Playhouse on Park’s “Indecent;” Laurie Woolery for Yale Repertory Theatre’s “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles.” Kelly O’Donnell won for “Indecent." Director of a musical: Daniel C. Levine for ACT’s “The Secret Garden;” Rob Ruggiero for TheaterWork Hartford’s “Fun Home;” Randy Skinner for Goodspeed Opera House’s “42nd Street;” Jenn Thompson for Goodspeed Opera House’s “Anne of Green Gables” and “Gypsy.” Daniel C. Levine won for “The Secret Garden." Choreography: Sara Brians for ACT’s “Guys and Dolls;” Marjorie Failoni for Goodspeed Opera House’s “Christmas in Connecticut;” Mayte Natalio for Hartford Stage’s “Kiss My Aztec!;” Randy Skinner for Goodspeed Opera House’s “42nd Street;” Darlene Zoller for Playhouse on Park’s “Pippin.” Randy Skinner won for “42nd Street." Featured actor in a play: John Bambery in Hartford Stage’s “Trouble in Mind;” Ephraim Birney in TheaterWorks Hartford’s “The Rembrandt;” Sabatino Cruz in Ivoryton Playhouse’s “On Golden Pond;” Sam Given in Ivoryton Playhouse’s “The Legend of Georgia McBride;” John Maddaloni in Hartford Stage’s “The Winter’s Tale.” John Maddaloni won for “The Winter’s Tale." Featured actress in a play: Silvia Dionicio in TheaterWork Hartford’s “Queen of Basel;” Alma Martinez in Yale Repertory Theatre’s “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles;” Pearl Rhein in Hartford Stage’s “The Winter’s Tale;” Monica Sanchez in Yale Repertory Theatre’s “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles;” Adrienne S. Wells in Yale Repertory Theatre’s “the Ripple, the wave that carried me home.” Alma Martinez won for “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles." Featured actor in a musical: Matt Faucher for ACT’s “The Secret Garden;” Pierre Marais in Goodspeed Opera House’s “Anne of Green Gables;” DJ Plunkett for ACT’s “The Secret Garden;” Matt Saldivar in Hartford Stage’s “Kiss My Aztec!;” Blake Stadnik in Goodspeed Opera House’s “42nd Street.” Blake Stadnik won for “42nd Street." Featured actress in a musical: Kate Baldwin for Goodspeed Opera House’s “42nd Street;” Skylar Lynn Matthews for TheaterWork Hartford’s “Fun Home;” Julia Nightingale for TheaterWork Hartford’s “Fun Home;” Kate Wesler in Playhouse on Park’s “Pippin;” Laura Woyasz in ACT’s “The Secret Garden.” Laura Woyasz won for “The Secret Garden." Ensemble: Casts of Westport Country Playhouse’s “Ain’t Misbehavin’;” Thrown Stone’s “Hysterical!;” Playhouse on Park’s “Indecent;” Ivoryton Playhouse’s “Smokey Joe’s Café.” The cast of “Indecent”won for best ensemble. Set design: Michael Carnahan for Goodspeed Opera House’s “42nd Street;” You-Shin Chen for Westport Country Playhouse’s “Kim’s Convenience;” Riw Rakkulchon for Hartford Stage’s “The Mousetrap;” Clint Ramos for Hartford Stage’s “Kiss My Aztec!;” Miguel Urbino for Yale Repertory Theatre’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Riw Rakkulchon won for “The Mousetrap." Costume design: Fabian Fidel Aguilar for Hartford Stage’s “The Mousetrap;” Leslie Bernstein for ACT’s “The Secret Garden;” Kara Harmon for Goodspeed Opera House’s “42nd Street;” Clint Ramos for Hartford Stage’s “Kiss My Aztec!;” Eduardo Sicangco for Goodspeed Opera House’s “Gypsy.” Kara Harmon won for best costumes in “42nd Street." Lighting design: Joe Beumer for Playhouse on Park ‘s “Indecent;” Charlie Morrison for ACT’s “The Secret Garden;” Cory Pattak for Goodspeed Opera House’s “42nd Street;” Jiahao Qiu for Yale Repertory Theatre’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?;” Krista Smith for Hartford Stage’s “The Mousetrap.” Joe Beumer won for “Indecent." Sound design: Daniela Hart & Uptownworks for Hartford Stage’s “Espejos: Clean;” Jay Hilton for Goodspeed Opera House’s “42nd Street;” Jessica Paz & Beth Lake for Hartford Stages “Kiss My Aztec!;” Evdoxia Ragkou for Yale Repertory Theatre’s “the Ripple, the wave that carried me home;” Jeffrey Salerno for Playhouse on Park’s “Indecent.” Jessica Paz and Beth Lake won for best sound design for “Kiss My Aztec!" Projections: Shawn Duan for Goodspeed Opera House’s “42nd Street;” Lisa Renkel for Hartford Stages “Espejos: Clean;” Henry Rodriguez for Yale Repertory Theatre’s “the Ripple, the wave that carried me home;” Camilla Tassi for ACT’s “The Secret Garden” and for TheaterWorks Hartford’s “Fun Home.” Shawn Duan won for best projections in “42nd Street." A special ward was presented to Mark Lamos who has been the Artistic Director of Westport Country Playhouse as well as the Hartford Stage for his long and distinguished theater career. Melia Bensussen, the current Artistic Director of the Hartford Stage, presented the award. Other speakers included Rob Ruggiero, who as Artistic Director of TheaterWorks Hartford hosted the event, Stuart Brown the president of the Connecticut Critics Circle, playwright Jacques Lamarre, Artistic Director of Hartford Ensemble Godfrey L. Simmons Jr., and the Artistic Director of the Connecticut Repertory Theater Megan Monaghan Rivas. The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford and Waterbury’s Palace Theater were highlighted for their contributions to the Connecticut theater scene. A musical interlude was presented from West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park’s next production “Bandstand.” The reception was catered by Black Eyed Sally’s of Hartford. The gala evening celebrated the best of Connecticut theater and allowed performers and playwrights, and all participants in creating the productions, to mingle and network with the audience members who happily attended all year long. 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