The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia celebrated a year of remarkable collaboration and outstanding Philadelphia area theatre at the Gala Barrymore Award Ceremony Monday night at the Crystal Tea Room in the Wannamaker Building. The recipients of the 2007 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre were announced in a ceremony and dinner hosted by local actors Chris Faith and Greg Wood, directed by Vincent Marini, and written by Don Montrey. [Award recipients list follows.]

The 13th annual celebration shined the spotlight on the artistic successes of the theatre community from the 2006-2007 Season.

"Our theatre community has so much to offer the region. This year's nominees are indicative of that," said Theatre Alliance Executive Director Margie Salvante. "The strength of the local theatre artists and companies has never been more evident than at this award ceremony."

Throughout the night, many surprises happened as the hosts staged scenes from all five nominees for Outstanding Overall Production of a Play as if they were episodes of Masterpiece Theatre. Songs were also performed by each of the five theatre companies nominated for Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical. In a change from previous Barrymore ceremonies, audiences were given a glimpse at the current season when Jeff Coon, of the cast of Walnut Street Theatre's upcoming production of Les Miserables, performed "Do You Hear The People Sing" with a choir of Students from the University of the Arts.

Walnut Street Theatre led the winners with five Barrymores including wins for Outstanding Overall Production of a Play, Outstanding Direction of a Play, Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Outstanding Lighting Design, and Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service. Arden Theatre Company followed, taking home three Barrymores including Outstanding Production of a Musical, Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical, and Outstanding Costume Design. Both Walnut Street Theatre's production of Of Mice and Men and Arden Theatre Company's Caroline, or Change received the most awards of any production with three awards each.

Following with two Barrymores each were: 11th Hour Theatre Company, Mum Puppettheatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Prince Music Theater, and Theatre Exile.

"The parity across this year's recipients is amazing," said Salvante. "Seeing small emerging companies such as 11th Hour Theatre Company receive Barrymore Awards alongside The Walnut Street Theatre and other large, long established companies really goes to show that outstanding artistry abounds at all levels in the region."

Carole Haas Gravagno received the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award for her incredible generosity and leadership throughout Philadelphia's cultural community. Along with sponsoring the F. Otto Haas Award, her support of the arts has spread throughout the entire artistic landscape of the region. She has provided wisdom, vision, and inspiration to numerous cultural organizations including Arden Theatre Company, Arts in Motion, American Symphony Orchestra League, National Liberty Museum, The People's Light & Theatre Company, Pennsylvania's Children's Trust Fund, Settlement Music School, Philadelphia Orchestra, and William Penn Foundation, among others.

The F. Otto Haas Award for Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist, which includes a $10,000 cash prize, was awarded to two-time finalist Matt Saunders, designer, performer and co-founder of New Paradise Laboratories, an OBIE award-winning theatre company. Named after the late F. Otto Haas, noted philanthropist, civic leader, and former Chairman of Rohm & Haas, the award is sponsored through the generosity of Haas Gravagno and is designed to help cover the artist's living expenses for one year to allow the individual to focus solely on his or her craft.

Walnut Street Theatre took home the newly named Actors' Equity Association Award for Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service for its Adopt-a-School Program. This cash prize is sponsored by the Virginia & Harvey Kimmel Arts Education Fund. John P. Connolly, Executive Director of Actors Equity Association, was in attendance. Connolly, who has long had ties to Philadelphia, earned his Equity card in a production of The Contrast at the Walnut Street Theatre in 1973. He has also worked at Philadelphia Theatre Company, Grendel's Lair and was a founder of the Manning Street Actors Theater and the 1970s satiric comedy troupe, Imagination Theatre.

The Barrymore Awards program is produced by the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia and is the only comprehensive awards program in the region, recognizing artistic excellence in theatre. Each year, over 100 productions, produced by professional theatres in the region, are reviewed by the Barrymore nominating committee. More than 100 actors, directors and designers representing 39 companies became nominees for the 2007 Barrymore Awards.

(Awards recipients list follows)

BARRYMORE AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THEATRE 2007 AWARD RECIPIENTS

Outstanding Overall Production of a Play
Of Mice and Men – Walnut Street Theatre

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
Caroline, or Change – Arden Theatre Company

Harmelin Media Award for Outstanding Direction of a Play
Mark Clements – Of Mice and Men – Walnut Street Theatre

Harold Prince Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Charles Abbott – 42nd Street – Walnut Street Theatre

Outstanding Music Direction
Mat Wright & Aaron Cromie – The Fantasticks – Mum Puppettheatre

Ark Media Award for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play
John Campion as Galileo – The Life of Galileo – The Wilma Theater

Charlotte Cushman Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play
Susan Riley Stevens as Haley Walker – Bad Dates – Act II Playhouse

Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical
Rob McClure as Antipholus of Syracuse – The Bomb-itty of Errors – 11th Hour Theatre Company

Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical
Joilet F. Harris as Caroline Thibodeaux – Caroline, or Change – Arden Theatre Company

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play
Harry Philibosian as Shelly Levine – Glengarry Glen Ross – Theatre Exile

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play
Charlotte Northeast as Ida – Skin in Flames – InterAct Theatre Company

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical
Dave Jadico as Henry, Mortimer and The Mute – The Fantasticks – Mum Puppettheatre

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical
Dee Hoty as Kay Thompson – Stormy Weather, Imagining Lena Horne – Prince Music Theater

Outstanding Set Design sponsored by KieranTimberlake Associates
Jorge Cousineau – The Four of Us – 1812 Productions

PECO Award for Outstanding Lighting Design
Shelley Hicklin – Of Mice and Men – Walnut Street Theatre

Earl Girls Award for Outstanding Costume Design
Rosemarie E. McKelvey – Caroline, or Change – Arden Theatre Company

Clear Sound Award for Outstanding Sound Design
Jorge Cousineau – The Giver – The People's Light & Theatre Company

Outstanding Original Music
Hal Goldberg – Nerds://A Musical Software Satire – Philadelphia Theatre Company

Outstanding Choreography/Movement
Karen Getz – Hair – Prince Music Theater

Independence Foundation Award for Outstanding New Play
Nerds://A Musical Software Satire – Book & Lyrics by Jordan Allen-Dutton & Erik Weiner, Music by Hal Goldberg – Philadelphia Theatre Company

City Paper Award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Play
Glengarry Glen Ross – Theatre Exile

Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical
The Bomb-itty of Errors – 11th Hour Theatre Company

The Ted and Stevie Wolf Award for New Approaches to Collaborations
Brat Productions & the rock bands: Toothless George, Allison Polans, Danny Mackane, Devin Greenwood, and Franzschubert – Three Chord Fiction

Actors' Equity Association Award for Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service, Prize sponsored by Virginia & Harvey Kimmel Arts Education Fund
Adopt-A-School – Walnut Street Theatre

Suzanne Roberts Theatre Alliance College Scholarship Award
Caitlin Reed

The Joseph Cairns, Jr. and Ernestine Bacon Cairns Memorial Scholarship Award
Shoshana Katz

F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist
Matt Saunders

Lifetime Achievement Award
Carole Haas Gravagno

Major support for the Barrymore Awards is provided by The Phoebe W. Haas Charitable Trust A as recommended by Carole Haas Gravagno, The Phoebe W. Haas Charitable Trust B as recommended by Leonard C. Haas, The William Penn Foundation, Ark Media, Clear Sound, The Crystal Tea Room, Earl Girls Theatrical Equipment, Philadelphia City Paper, Actors' Equity Association, The Charlotte Cushman Foundation, Harmelin Media, Independence Foundation, PECO, An Exelon Company, Ted and Stevie Wolf, The Joseph Cairns, Jr. and Ernestine Bacon Cairns Memorial Scholarship Fund of The Joseph Cairns, Jr. and Ernestine Bacon Cairns Trust, A Mellon Mid-Atlantic Trust, KieranTimberlake Associates LLP, Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Arts Education Fund, Drucker & Scaccetti, P.C., John and Chara Haas, The Philadelphia Foundation, Anne Shuff @ MindLabs.net, Chris Rugen – R Design, and Whole Foods.

The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia strengthens and leads the region's richly diverse theater community, with more than 100 member organizations and 300 individuals, by promoting awareness and serving as a resource for information, professional development and advocacy. For further information, visit www.theatrealliance.org or call the Theatre Alliance at (215) 413-7150.

To request interviews, photos and more information, please contact: Canary Promotion, Carrie Gorn, 215-242-6393, carrie@canarypromo.com