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Performances by local professional theater companies, ranging in size from The Muny and its productions in the 11,000-seat Forest Park amphitheater to small companies performing in modest venues around the area, will be recognized at the inaugural St. Louis Theater Circle Awards.

The date and location for the event have been changed.  The ceremony will now take place on Monday, March 18, 2013 at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre in the James J. Eagan Civic Center, which is located at the intersection of Parker Road and Waterford Drive in Florissant.  The event will celebrate theatrical achievements in the year 2012 in local professional theater as recognized by the St. Louis Theater Circle, a new organization comprised of area reviewers.

Other cities around the country, such as Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington D.C., honor their own local theatrical productions with similar awards programs.  Because of potential legal issues, the name of the awards has been changed to the St. Louis Theater Circle Awards.

Tickets to the event will be $10 apiece, payable in cash or check at the door on the night of the ceremony or in advance by mailing payment by check to St. Louis Theater Circle, 7162 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63130.  Reservations can be made in advance (and then paid for at the box office on the night of the event) by contacting stltheatercircle@sbcglobal.net.

Additionally, With Love Catering, which services a number of theaters locally including The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Stages St. Louis, will cater the event, offering food and drinks available on a cash basis.  Tickets for a special pre-dinner buffet also will be sold for $15 apiece, which includes one drink along with a buffet.  Buffet tickets may be reserved in advance or paid for in advance at the same addresses as above.

The buffet will feature assorted fresh fruits, cheeses and flat breads; buffalo chicken won ton cups; baked brie in phyllo with cranberries, apples and pecans; smoked chicken and Colby quesadillas, tequila lime sour cream; pulled pork sliders with crispy onion straws; and billy goat potato chips with green onion dip.

The box office will open at 6 p.m. and the ceremony will begin at 7 p.m.  The pre-event buffet will be served beginning at 5:30 p.m.  A post-ceremony celebration will take place following the event until 11:30 p.m.

Additionally, well-known pianist Carol Schmidt will provide musical accompaniment throughout the presentation.

The mission of the St. Louis Theater Circle is simple: To honor St. Louis professional theater.  While various reviewers may also cover professional touring shows at The Fox and the Peabody Opera House as well as selected community and college productions, The St. Louis Theater Circle Awards are designed to focus attention on dozens of area theater companies which showcase the artistic efforts of actors, directors and technical artists in the metropolitan area.

“We are delighted that Mayor Thomas Schneider and the City of Florissant have made the Florissant Civic Center Theatre available for this inaugural event,” said Judith Newmark, theater critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and a founding member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.  “Our goal is to recognize and celebrate artistic accomplishments on the professional scene in the 2012 calendar year.”

Nominations for The St. Louis Theater Circle Awards are divided into categories for musicals, dramas and comedies.  Approximately 100 local professional theatrical productions were presented in the St. Louis area in 2012.

The nominees for the 2012 St. Louis Theater Circle Awards are:

NOMINEES FOR MUSICALS

Outstanding Production

Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages St. Louis

Chicago, The Muny

Spring Awakening, Stray Dog Theatre

Sunday in the Park with George, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Sweeney Todd, Opera Theatre Saint Louis

Outstanding Director

Justin Been, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog Theatre

Michael Hamilton, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages St. Louis

Denis Jones, Chicago, The Muny

Scott Miller, High Fidelity, New Line Theatre

Rob Ruggiero, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep

Outstanding Actor

Ron Bohmer, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep

Ryan Foizey, Cry-Baby, New Line Theatre

Rod Gilfry, Sweeney Todd, Opera Theatre

Antonio Rodriguez, Urinetown, Stray Dog Theatre

John Sparger, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, New Line Theatre

Outstanding Actress

Erin Davie, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep

Natascia Diaz, Chicago, The Muny

Tari Kelly, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Muny

Jennifer Theby, Urinetown, Stray Dog Theatre

Karen Ziemba, Sweeney Todd, Opera Theatre Saint Louis

Outstanding Supporting Actor

Dean Christopher, Chicago, The Muny

Mike Dowdy, Cry-Baby, New Line Theatre

Zachary Allen Farmer, High Fidelity, New Line

Ryan Foizey, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog Theatre

Steve Isom, My One and Only, Stages St. Louis

Outstanding Supporting Actress

Terrie Carolan, Cry-Baby, New Line Theatre

Beth Leavel, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Muny

Susanne Menzer, Sweeney Todd, Opera Theatre Saint Louis

Deborah Sharn, Urinetown, Stray Dog Theatre

Anna Skidis, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog Theatre

Outstanding Acting Ensemble

Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages St. Louis

Chicago, The Muny

High Fidelity, New Line Theatre

Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep

Urinetown, Stray Dog Theatre

Outstanding Set Design

David Blake, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Stray Dog Theatre

Adrian Jones, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep

Scott L. Schoonover, High Fidelity, New Line Theatre

Michael Schweikardt, The King and I, The Muny

James Wolk, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages St. Louis

Outstanding Costume Design

Lou Bird, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages St. Louis

Brad Musgrove, My One and Only, Stages St. Louis

Alexandra Scibetta Quigley, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog Theatre

Alejo Vietti, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep

Outstanding Lighting Design

Tyler Duenow, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog Theatre

Seth Jackson, Chicago, The Muny

John Lasiter, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep

Matthew McCarthy, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages St. Louis

Outstanding Choreography

Robin Michelle Berger, Cry-Baby, New Line Theatre

Denis Jones, Chicago, The Muny

Dana Lewis, My One and Only, Stages St. Louis

Lara Teeter, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Muny

Chris Bailey, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Muny

Outstanding Musical Direction

Lisa Campbell Albert, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages St. Louis

Stephen Lord, Sweeney Todd, Opera Theatre Saint Louis

Chris Petersen, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog Theatre

Justin Smolik, High Fidelity, New Line Theatre

F. Wade Russo, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep

NOMINEES FOR DRAMAS

Outstanding Production

Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre

Clybourne Park, The Rep

Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, St. Louis Black Repertory Company

The Hairy Ape, Upstream Theater

Outstanding Director

Gary Bell, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre

Deanna Jent, Going to See the Elephant, Mustard Seed Theatre

Timothy Near, Clybourne Park, The Rep

Ed Smith, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Black Rep

Milton Zoth, Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Outstanding Actor

John Hickok, The Invisible Hand, The Rep

Michael Scott Rash, 9 Circles, R-S Theatrics

Michael James Reed, A Steady Rain, The Rep

Ben Watts, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre

B Weller, Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Outstanding Actress

Nancy Bell, Clybourne Park, The Rep

Rachel Fenton, Oleanna, HotCity Theatre

Rachel Hanks, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre

Patrese McClain, No Child, The Black Rep

Kirsten Wylder, Bug, Muddy Waters Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actor

Larry Dell, Killer Joe, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Greg Fenner, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre

Terry Meddows, Way to Heaven, New Jewish Theatre

Joshua Thomas, Othello, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

David Wassilak, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actress

Teresa Doggett, Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Rachel Fenton, Killer Joe, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Laura Kyro, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre

Elizabeth Ann Townsend, The Maids, Upstream Theater

Kelley Weber, Lost in Yonkers, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding Acting Ensemble

Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre

Clybourne Park, The Rep

Going to See the Elephant, Mustard Seed Theatre

Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

The Hairy Ape, Upstream Theater

NOMINEES FOR COMEDIES

Outstanding Production

Jacob and Jack, New Jewish Theatre

The Comedy of Errors, The Rep

The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre

The Foreigner, The Rep

The Violet Hour, Max & Louie Productions

Outstanding Director

Paul Mason Barnes, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep

Edward Coffield, Jacob and Jack, New Jewish Theatre

Suki Peters, The Compleat Wks of Wm Shkspr (Abridged), St. Louis Shakespeare

Marty Stanberry, The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre

Edward Stern, The Foreigner, The Rep

Outstanding Actor

Ryan DeLuca, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Rep

Greg Fenner, Fully Committed, Stray Dog Theatre

John Flack, The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre

Bobby Miller, Jacob and Jack, New Jewish Theatre

John Scherer, The Foreigner, The Rep

Outstanding Actress

Emily Baker, Season’s Greetings, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Sarah Cannon, Dinner with Friends, Dramatic License Productions

Tarah Flanagan, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep

Meghan Maguire, Talley’s Folly, New Jewish Theatre

Carol Schultz, The Foreigner, The Rep

Outstanding Supporting Actor

Matthew Galbreath, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Black Rep

Chopper Leifheit, The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre

Casey Predovic, The Foreigner, The Rep

Antonio Rodriguez, The Violet Hour, Max & Louie Productions

Lenny Wolpe, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep

Outstanding Supporting Actress

Sarajane Alverson, Wake Up, Cameron Dobbs, West End Players Guild

Lavonne Byers, The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre

Teresa Doggett, Season’s Greetings, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Shanara Gabrielle, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep

Kirsten Wylder, The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre

Outstanding Acting Ensemble

Jacob and Jack, New Jewish Theatre

The Comedy of Errors, The Rep

The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre

The Foreigner, The Rep

The Violet Hour, Max & Louie Productions

COMEDIES and DRAMAS

Outstanding Set Design

Jason Coale, The Maids, Upstream Theater

Dunsi Dai, Imaginary Jesus, Mustard Seed Theatre

Scott Neale, Clybourne Park, The Rep

Erik Paulson, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep

John Stark, Way to Heaven, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design

Felia Katherine Davenport, Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Sarita Fellows, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Black Rep

Daryl Harris, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Black Rep

Alexandra Scibetta Quigley, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre

Margaret E. Weedon, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep

Outstanding Lighting Design

Steve Carmichael, The Hairy Ape, Upstream Theater

Tyler Duenow, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre

Phil Monat, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Rep

Nathan Schroeder, Talley’s Folly, New Jewish Theatre

Michael Sullivan, Way to Heaven, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding Sound Design

Justin Been, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre

Zoe Sullivan, Going to See the Elephant, Mustard Seed Theatre

Rusty Wandall, A Steady Rain, The Rep

Robin Weatherall, Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Robin Weatherall, Way to Heaven, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding New Play

Imaginary Jesus, Deanna Jent, Mustard Seed Theatre

Stupefy! The 90-Minute Harry Potter Live!, Jaysen Cryer, Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre

The Invisible Hand, Ayad Akhtar, The Rep

The New World, Nancy Bell, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Wake Up, Cameron Dobbs, Stephen Peirick, West End Players Guild.

Founding members of the St. Louis Theater Circle include Steve Allen, Stagedoorstl.com; Andrea Braun, The Vital Voice and Playback; Mark Bretz, Ladue News; Bob Cohn, St. Louis Jewish Light; Chris Gibson, Broadwayworld.com; Harry Hamm, KMOX; Gerry Kowarsky, Two on the Aisle, HEC-TV; Chuck Lavazzi, KDHX; Eleanor Mullin, local actress and arts supporter, who is the group’s administrator; Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Andrea Torrence, Stlouistheatresnob.com; Lynn Venhaus, Belleville News-Democrat; and Bob Wilcox, Two on the Aisle and Town & Style.

For more information, contact stltheatercircle@sbcglobal.net or 314-838-9371.