What a great time we had at our 2019 Season Bash!

2019 Chancie Award Honorees with our Honorary Producers. Photo Credit: Sam Photography by Samantha Labrecque

On the evening of Monday, November 18th, we presented seven artistic awards, the Courtny Greenough Company Member Award, and the Star Volunteer Award at our annual Season Bash & Chancie Awards. The jubilant atmosphere started before the show began in front of the theater when all the attendees got their pictures taken on our special red carpet. Finalists and Honorees are listed below, along with a photo gallery from the event.

The event was hosted once again by Season Producer Wylie Aitken and Chance Founding Artist Casey Long, who kicked off the event by applauding the artists, our Board of Directors, and our Company for another amazing year.

Then, to drive home that the Chance is more than just the shows we produce, Education Director Karen O’Hanlon and Speak Up sponsor Katheryn Baker spoke about our programs for at-risk students, teens on the Autism Spectrum, and local veterans, emphasizing how theater makes an impact in our community.

Next up, we took a trip down memory lane, starting with our OTR New Works Series. Resident Artist Jocelyn Buckner and Literary Manager James McHale shared the recent accomplishments of past resident playwrights (including Lauren Yee being one of the most produced playwrights in the country), as well as the staged readings and LAB workshops from the last year. Then they announced our new resident playwright, Krista Knight, and revealed the line-up for 2020. A highlight for next year will be that the Chance will be doing its first play commission, to be written by our first resident playwright, Adam Szymkowicz.

Then we recounted the TYA Family Series, Holiday, Off-Site, and Main Season productions from the last year. From Emma to The Vandal, everyone in attendance cheered the artistry involved in these 11 shows. Then, some of the Executive Producers from the past year took the stage to talk about how great it was to get to know the artists involved in their shows on a more personal level at special events. Season Producer Bette Aitken closed out the prior year review by thanking everyone in attendance. She ended by saying, “Thank you for believing that theater is more than entertainment. Thank you for creating. And thank you for supporting the Chance.”

Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen presented the Star Volunteer Award to Bradley Kaye. “Amazing Brad” — at least that’s what we call him — is an award-winning scenic designer (he’s designed 11 of our shows!) who also donates his time to help us with other projects, including the design of our marquee and the lobby at the Bette Aitken theater arts Center.

Resident Artists Jocelyn Brown and Rob Foran presented the Courtny Greenough Company Member Award to longtime Resident Artist, Karen Webster, who has been with the Chance since 2001. Rob and Jocelyn mixed sentiment and humor in their presentation, and fellow Resident Artists Alex Bueno and Jennifer Ruckman went “full fangirl” when Karen took the stage. Karen’s acceptance speech included a tribute to Courtny Greenough, our dearly departed Company Manager, and how she set an example for all of us to aspire to.

The evening included presentations of our 2020 Season shows from the directors. We even had two live performances from next season. We also did a special tribute to our stage managers because they never get enough credit for all that they do. Audiences got a little taste of that when Chance Fellow Kelsey Somerville (who staged managed Lizzie, The Musical and A Charlie Brown Christmas this last year) stepped up to the microphone to explain what it is stage managers actually do for a show. Hint: it’s a lot.

Jen and Alex returned as the “designated presenters” of the artistic awards. Their banter, dramatic reading of “Brown Bear, Brown Bear,” and a variety of costumes (seriously, check out the photos below to get a taste of what we’re talking about) made for a high-spirited and hilarious awards ceremony. Names got switched, pronouns got switched, Alli Rose Schynert started her acceptance speech with “What the f*** you guys?” (a reference to her song from Lizzie), Casey and Wylie did a toast… even though they were the only ones with champagne, and honoree Amanda Zarr even gave her Chancie Award to two-time co-star, Robert Foran.

For the final award, Chance Theater Board Member (and SCR co-founder) Martin Benson presented the Outstanding Direction Award to Jocelyn Brown, who had previously been his assistant director on a show at SCR long before she started her stint at the Chance.

And all of this was done in just two hours. Take that, Tonys!

Thank you to all our artists who continue to contribute their talent to the advancement of our mission, to the producers who make it possible for us to present bold and personal work, and our Board and Company for their commitment and general amazing-ness. Here’s to another wonderful year!

CHANCIE AWARD NOMINEES & WINNERS

Star Volunteer Award
Bradley Kaye

Courtny Greenough Company Member Award
Karen Webster

Outstanding Specialty Design
KC Wilkerson, Projection Designer for Lizzie, The Musical — HONOREE
Glenda Morgan Brown, Dialect Coach for Skylight
Wyn Moreno, Dialect Coach for Emma, The Musical

Outstanding Lead Design
KC Wilkerson, Lighting Designer for Lizzie, The Musical — HONOREE
Kristin Campbell, Scenic Designer for Lizzie, The Musical
Bruce Goodrich, Scenic Designer for Skylight
Bradley Kay, Scenic Designer for Tigers Be Still
Rachel Lorenzetti, Costume Designer for Lizzie, The Musical

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Play
Sam Bullington as Boy, The Vandal — HONOREE
Erica Farnsworth as Grace, Tigers Be Still
Robert Foran as Man, The Vandal

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Musical
Alli Rose Schynert as Emma Borden, Lizzie, The Musical — HONOREE
Jisel Soleil Ayon as Alice Russell, Lizzie, The Musical
Kris Buxton as Robert Martin, Emma, The Musical

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play
Amanda Zarr as Woman, The Vandal — HONOREE
Jessica Erin Martin as Kyra Hollis, Skylight
Piper Power as Sherry, Tigers Be Still

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical
Monika Peña as Lizzie Borden, Lizzie, The Musical — HONOREE
Wyn Moreno as Tateh, Ragtime
Dony Wright as Coalhouse Walker, Jr., Ragtime

Outstanding Direction
Jocelyn A Brown, Director of Lizzie, The Musical — HONOREE
Kari Hayter, Director of The Vandal
Robyn Manion, Music Director of Lizzie, The Musical