In the year of COVID-19, the St. Louis Theater Circle goes virtual

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we do a lot of things in this country, especially in the performing arts. That's certainly true of the St. Louis Theater Circle, the organization of local theatre critics, of which I am a member.

This year, for the first time since we founded the organization in 2012, we've been obliged to cancel our annual awards ceremony--which has become known as the "St. Louis theatre prom" because of how gussied up all of us get for it--and move it to where so much our activity has gone these days: the Internet.

The St. Louis Theater Circle in 2017

This year the Circle's gala event, originally scheduled for March 30, 2020 at the Loretto-Hilton Center, was turned into a Facebook-based webcast by HEC Media. Normally a full evening event with food, drink, and live entertainment, the ceremony this year was short and to the point, running just over 30 minutes. It aired "live" on Tuesday, April 7th, and can still be seen at the Facebook link above.

Awards were given in 31 categories covering comedies, dramas and musicals, as well as two categories for opera. In addition, Ken and Nancy Kranzberg received a special award for their philanthropic contributions to the arts and theater in the St. Louis area, including many developments in Grand Center.

As a volunteer staffer at KDHX, I was happy to see that. The Kranzbergs have been very good to us; we would not be in Grand Center ourselves right now without their help.

New Jewish Theatre led the way with six awards while Max and Louie Productions' performance of Indecent copped five. Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis for its production of A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur got four, with the rest distributed among other local companies large and small. Altogether, a total of 21 productions and 14 companies were recognized. This year there were also nominees from two companies, Black Mirror Theatre and The Q Collective, which were represented for the first time. Each company received an award for outstanding achievement.

Here's the complete list of honorees. Personally, I was happy to see Union Avenue Opera's La Bohème get the nod; it was a fine production, one of the best I have seen.

Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy
A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Kelley Weber, A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Patrick Blindauer, Love's Labors Lost, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy (tie)
Katie Kleiger, Pride and Prejudice, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Maggie Wininger, A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy
Will Bonfiglio, Fully Committed, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding Director of a Comedy
Kari Ely, A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

Outstanding Production of a Comedy
Brighton Beach Memoirs, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama
Indecent, Max and Louie Productions

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama
Carly Uding, Translations, Black Mirror Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama
J. Samuel Davis, District Merchants, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding Actress in a Drama
Donna Weinsting, Salt, Root and Roe, Upstream Theater

Outstanding Actor in a Drama
Gary Wayne Barker, District Merchants, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding Director of a Drama
Joanne Gordon, Indecent, Max and Louie Productions

Outstanding Production of a Drama
Indecent, Max and Louie Productions

Outstanding Set Design in a Play
Margery and Peter Spack, Brighton Beach Memoirs, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design in a Play
Felia Davenport, District Merchants, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play
Patrick Huber, Indecent, Max and Louie Productions

Outstanding Sound Design Phillip Evans, Indecent, Max and Louie Productions

Outstanding Set Design in a Musical
Mary Engelbreit and Paige Hathaway, Matilda, The Muny

Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical
Sarah Porter, La Cage aux Folles, New Line Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical
Sean M. Savoie, Man of La Mancha, Stages St. Louis

Outstanding Musical Director
Charles Creath, Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope, The Black Rep

Outstanding Choreographer
Dexandro Montalvo, Such Sweet Thunder, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, Big Muddy Dance Company, Jazz St. Louis, Nine Network of Public Media

Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical
Matilda, The Muny

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical
Taylor Louderman, Kinky Boots, The Muny

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical
Tielere Cheatem, La Cage aux Folles, New Line Theatre

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Kendra Kassebaum, Guys and Dolls, The Muny

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Luke Steingruby, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Q Collective

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Michael Hamilton, Man of La Mancha, Stages St. Louis

Outstanding Production of a Musical
Such Sweet Thunder, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, Big Muddy Dance Company, Jazz St. Louis, Nine Network of Public Media

Outstanding New Play
Nonsense and Beauty, by Scott C. Sickles, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Outstanding Achievement in Opera (tie) Terence Blanchard and Kasi Lemmons, Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
Roland Wood, Rigoletto, Opera Theatre of St. Louis

Outstanding Production of an Opera La Bohème, Union Avenue Opera

Special Award
Ken and Nancy Kranzberg

Members of the St. Louis Theater Circle include Steve Allen, stagedoorstl.com; Mark Bretz, Ladue News; Bob Cohn, St. Louis Jewish Light; Tina Farmer, KDHX; Michelle Kenyon, snoopstheatrethoughts.com; Gerry Kowarsky, Two on the Aisle (HEC Media); Chuck Lavazzi, KDHX and Stage Left; Sarah Bryan Miller, St.Louis Post-Dispatch; Judith Newmark, judyacttwo.com; Ann Lemons Pollack, stlouiseats.typepadcom; Tanya Seale, Broadwayworld.com; Lynn Venhaus, PopLifeSTL.com; Bob Wilcox, Two on the Aisle (HEC Media); and Calvin Wilson, St.Louis Post-Dispatch. Eleanor Mullin, local actress and arts supporter, is the group's administrator.

For more information, contact stltheatercircle at sbcglobal.net or 'like' The St. Louis Theater Circle on Facebook.

[Thanks to TC Executive Board member Mark Bretz for much of the information in this article.]