QUONTA Drama Region Results

The Awards Brunch held at the Great Northern Hotel and Conference Center had the lovely Sandra Forsell, Guest Artist, as MC.
When the awards were all handed out it was Gore Bay’s production of Half Life that was presented with “Acclaim”, and an invitation to Kenata Theatre Ontario Festival in May. In addition to the invitation presented by Community Theatre Co-ordinator Dennis Johnson the group received the J.O.G (Jean Olfert Grant) to start them off on their fundraising.
The awards were presented as follows. Ross started off by announcing the winners of QUONTA’s bursaries. The Elsie MacLeod Memorial Youth Bursary was presented to Sault Theatre Workshop’s Rachiel Hartmann. The Bob Sproule Memorial Bursary went to Theatre SMC’s Penny Martin. These two Bursaries will pay for summer courses for those selected.
The first Adjudicator’s Award went to Emily McFarlane of Gateway Theatre Guild for Stage Management. Honourable mention to Pat Stanley, Ethan Claymore, ELATE, Elliot Lake and Kathy Maskel, Half Life, Gore Bay Theatre.
In a tribute to newcomers on stage, the second Adjudicator’s Award was presented to Steven Hewgill of Theatre SMC (he played Buddy Layman in The Diviners).
The next Adjudicator’s Award was for musical contribution and Bill Webb of Theatre SMC was named. Honourable mention went to Jean Lavalle and Marc Jeffries for the original music composed and performed in Half Life, Gore Bay Theatre Brian Nettleford of Gateway Theatre Guild was presented the Adjudicator’s Award for sound design. The final Adjudicator’s Award was presented to Sandra Houston, Chair of the Festival Committee for a well organized festival.
With the first of the named awards Ross presented The Diviners by Theatre SMC with the Outstanding Technical Achievement Award, with Gore Bay’s Half Life as runner up. The Outstanding Visual Production Award went to Half Life with The Diviners as runner up.
Outstanding Supporting Actress went to Rachiel Hartmann who played Patty Ann in Sault Theatre Workshop’s Looking For Normal. Honourable mention went to Leah Philpott, An Anglophone is Coming to Dinner, Gateway Theatre Guild, North Bay and Chris Reid, Half Life, Gore Bay Theatre
The adjudicator remarked on the large number of actors over the six play festival as he presented the Outstanding Supporting Actor to Murray Finn who played Douglas in ELATE’s production of Ethan Claymore. Honourable mentions were Vernon Bailey, The Diviners, Theatre SMC, Sault Ste. Marie and Chas Calam, Prisoner of Second Avenue, Family Life Theatre, Sault Ste. Marie. Outstanding Lead Actor was Aubrey Falls from Family Life Theatre’s Prisoner Of Second Avenue, with honourable mentions to John Hawke, Looking for Normal, Sault Theatre Workshop, Sault Ste. Marie and James Hope, Ethan Claymore, ELATE, Elliot Lake
Outstanding Lead Actress was Leslie Stamp from Gateway Theatre Guild’s An Anglophone Is Coming To Dinner. She played Mme. Gosselin.. Honourable Mentions went to Tara Bernatchez from Half Life, Gore Bay Theatre and Rose Medaglia, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, Family Life Theatre, Sault Ste. Marie
The Outstanding Director Award was presented to Loretta Durat and Joe Lauzon for Theatre SMC’s The Diviners. With Walter Maskel, Gore Bay as runner up. The Outstanding Production was awarded to Walter Maskel for Gore Bay Theatre’s Half Life with Theatre SMC’s The Diviners as runner up.