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Squamish club wins play festival

Kathy Daniels wins Best Actress award for fourth year in a row

AFTER watching a week of competitive entries at Presentation House Theatre, adjudicator Scott Swan chose the Between Shifts Theatre production of The Cemetery Club to represent the North Shore Zone at Theatre BC's provincial drama festival, Mainstage.

The community theatre group from Squamish will represent the North Shore in Kamloops, where they will peform Ivan Menchell's play about three Jewish widows at the Sagebrush Theatre on Sunday, July 1.

Awards presented by Swan were:

- Best Overall Production and Zone Festival winner: The Cemetery Club;

-Best Achievement by a Director: Judi Price, The Cemetery Club;

- Honourable Mention for Outstanding Contribution in Directing: Cynthia Bunbury, Sutherland Deconstruction Drama Club;

-Best Overall Achievement in Design: The Cemetery Club;

- Best Performance by an Actor - Female: Kathryn Daniels, The Cemetery Club and Mandana Namazi, These Shining Lives (Deep Cove Stage Society);

- Honourable Mentions for Outstanding Contributions in Acting: Liz Gruber, The Cemetery Club; Carla Fuhre, The Cemetery Club and Lisa Pope, Bea's Niece (North Vancouver Community Players);

- Best Performance by an Actor - Male: Nigel Vonas, Cherry Docs (Boxall Theatre);

- Honourable Mention for Outstanding Contribution in Acting: Vaughn Jones, Cherry Docs;

- Best Performance by a Supporting Actor - Female: Karen Golden, Bea's Niece;

- Honourable Mention for Outstanding Contribution in Acting: Jennifer Huva, These Shining Lives;

- Best Performance by a Supporting Actor - Male: Skai Stevenson, The Cemetery Club;

- Honourable Mention for Outstanding Contribution in Acting: Pierce Ivan, Bea's Niece;

- Best Achievement in Set Design: Nancy Thompson, The Cemetery Club;

- Honourable Mention for Outstanding Contribution in Set Design: Glynnis Brassil, Bea's Niece;

- Best Achievement in Costumes: The Cemetery Club;

- Honourable Mentions for Outstanding Contribution in Costumes: Maureen Houston, Judy Thomson, These Shining Lives;

- Best Achievement in Lighting: Michael Hewitt, The Cemetery Club ;

- Best Achievement in Sound: Sponsored by Theatre West Van Greg Dent, These Shining Lives.

Swann awarded Special Adjudicator's Certificates of Merit for:

- Outstanding Contribution in Videography: Paul Tourneur, These Shining Lives;

- Outstanding Contributions as Student Actors: Ethan Ponton, Behind Closed Doors (Seycove Theatre); Hannah Dubois, Behind Closed Doors; Alex Smiciklas, Behind Closed Doors; Sarah Adam, The Gate (Seycove Theatre); Helen Burger, The Sequence (Sutherland Deconstruction Drama Club); Natasha Guerra, The Sequence;

- Best Ensemble: Sutherland Deconstruction Drama Club;

- Outstanding Achievement in Playwriting: Leila Raye-Crofton, Behind Closed Doors.

The North Shore Zone presented the Don Marsh Award for creating a spirit of harmony amongst theatre groups on the North Shore to Simon Drake; Jenny Ashton received the Unsung Hero Award in Memory of Jim Brick; The Florence Goodwin Theatre Award for the Most Promising Newcomer (with $200 to be applied to theatre development) was presented to Leila Raye-Crofton, Behind Closed Doors.

The People's Choice Awards, voted on by audience members with a week-long pass, were:

- Outstanding Production: Bea's Niece;

- Outstanding Performance: Nigel Vonas, Cherry Docs;

- Outstanding Achievement in Design: Glynnis Brassil, Bea's Niece.

mmillerchip@nsnews.com