Last night, the nominees for the 5th Annual Les Prix Rideau Awards were announced and I couldn't be happier. My little Roller Derby Saved My Soul received FOUR nominations! They are Outstanding Fringe Production, Outstanding New Creation, Emerging Artist for myself as playwright and Emerging Artist for my director, Tania Levy. This is all for the production that took place at the Ottawa Fringe Festival this past June. I'm also really pleased that Evolution Theatre walked away with a whopping SEVEN nominations and that my director for the upcoming Mary Magdalene and Adventures in Sobriety, Andy Massingham is so well recognized.
To tell you the truth, I kind of expected the Fringe nod and I had hoped that Tania or I would get the Emerging artist nomination, but I never thought that both of us would, nor did I even expect the New Creation one. I mean fer cryin out loud, I'm now nominated in the same category as PIERRE BRAULT. That, to me, is just unbelievable.
Maybe four or five years ago, I remember wanting to do a one-person show. I had a theme. Something about roller derby. That was about it. I had no idea where to even begin, so I contacted the one person I knew who might.
"Hi Pierre, do you ever give workshops on creating a one-person show?"
"Not really, but if you have an idea you want to work on, we can meet for drinks and talk about it."
Now, at the time, I wasn't the NancyKennyRockStar you all know and love. More like NancyKennyRoadie. So contacting the man who created a show that blew me away so much I actually went back and paid for it twice was no small feat. And just like that we were going to have drinks? (Lesson learned: you can pretty much meet any local artist you want if you buy them drinks and maybe lunch... well, at least you can with me #hobokenny)
I still remember the very first thing he said to me when we met.
"Why? Why do you want to do this? Do you really feel the need to sleep on someone's couch in Saskatoon?"
Yes. Yes, I do.
We talked for about four pints and the rest, as they say, is history.
Pierre's advice was a big help in pushing me in the right direction for what was to become Roller Derby Saved My Soul so to even be nominated in this category with him? Whoa.
So much thanks to you, Pierre, my friend and colleague. As they say, it's an honour just to be nominated, but this one feels just a little bit sweeter.
Full list of nominees below:
NOMINEES ANNOUNCED FOR THE FIFTH ANNUAL PRIX RIDEAU AWARDS
For Immediate Release - Ottawa, February 27, 2012
Founded in 2006 to celebrate, encourage and promote French and English locally produced professional theatre work and its artists, the Prix Rideau Awards is proud to announce the nominees for 2011. Artists and supporters gathered earlier at Le Petit Chicago, where the nominees for outstanding achievements in the year 2011 were unveiled. During the 2011 calendar year, two teams of local arts professionals juried 36 English productions and 12 French productions. Nominations were submitted by secret ballot and tallied by independent accountants.
The Prix Rideau Awards will be handed out on Sunday, April 22, 2012, at the Shenkman Arts Centre, in Orleans. Tickets are on sale now at www.shenkmanarts.ca.
The nominees for English-language productions are:
Outstanding Production
Strawberries in January, Great Canadian Theatre Company
The 39 Steps, SevenThirty Productions
The Fan, Odyssey Theatre
Twelfth Night, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival
Under Milk Wood, Ottawa Theatre School
Outstanding Direction
Joël Beddows, The Lavender Railroad, Evolution Theatre
David S. Craig, The Fan, Odyssey Theatre
Janet Irwin, Under Milk Wood, Ottawa Theatre School
Kevin Orr, Bifurcate Me, Theatre 4.669
Craig Walker, Twelfth Night, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival
Outstanding Performance, Female
Mary Ellis, Dreams of Whales, New Theatre of Ottawa
Annie Lefebvre, Under Milk Wood, Ottawa Theatre School
Rose Napoli, The Fan, Odyssey Theatre
Kate Smith, The 39 Steps, SevenThirty Productions
Beverley Wolfe, The Lavender Railroad, Evolution Theatre
Outstanding Performance, Male
Richard Gélinas, The 39 Steps, SevenThirty Productions
Andy Massingham, Exit the King, Third Wall Theatre
Andy Massingham, The Fan, Odyssey Theatre
Andy Massingham, The Shadow Cutter, Great Canadian Theatre Company / Sleeping Dog Theatre
John Muggleton, Speed-the-Plow, Plosive Productions
Outstanding Design
Martin Conboy, Lighting Design, The Shadow Cutter, Great Canadian Theatre Company / Sleeping Dog Theatre
AL Connors, Sound Design, The Lavender Railroad, Evolution Theatre
Ivo Valentik, Set Design, Speed-the-Plow, Plosive Productions
Ivo Valentik, Set Design, A Midwinter’s Dream Tale, a Company of Fools
Sarah Waghorn, Set Design, Dreams of Whales, New Theatre of Ottawa
Outstanding New Creation
Tony Adams, Erin Lindsay and Cory Thibert, Sounds from the Turtle Shell, May Can Theatre
Lawrence Aronovitch, The Lavender Railroad, Evolution Theatre
Pierre Brault, The Shadow Cutter, Great Canadian Theatre Company / Sleeping Dog Theatre
Nancy Kenny, Roller Derby Saved My Soul, Broken Turtle Productions
Julie Le Gal, Andy Massingham and Kevin Orr, Bifurcate Me, Theatre 4.669
Outstanding Adaptation / Translation
A Company of Fools (Adaptation), A Midwinters’ Dream Tale, a Company of Fools
Henry Beissel (Adaptation), Antigone, Third Wall Theatre
David S. Craig (Adaptation), The Fan, Odyssey Theatre
Mishka Lavigne (Translation), Little Martyrs, Evolution Theatre
Charles McFarland (Adaptation), Hamlet 2011, Ottawa Shakespeare Company / Ottawa Theatre School
Outstanding Fringe Production
Glitch…, Ottawa Theatre School
Playing for Advantage, Black Sheep Theatre
Roller Derby Saved My Soul, Broken Turtle Productions
Sounds from the Turtle Shell, May Can Theatre
THE WALK, Moon Dog Theatre
Emerging Artist Award
Katie Bunting, Actor
Pierre Ducharme, Set Designer
Nancy Kenny, Playwright
Mishka Lavigne, Translator
Tania Levy, Director
The nominees for French-language productions are:
Production de l'année
Adieu Beauté, la comédie des horreurs, Théâtre Belvédère
Frères d’hiver, Théâtre la Catapulte
Les Étoiles d’Angus, Théâtre de l’Île
Taram, Théâtre du Trillium
Ti-Jean de partout, Cie Vox Théâtre
Mise en scène de l'année
Caroline Yergeau, Adieu Beauté, la comédie des horreurs, Théâtre Belvédère
Joël Beddows, Frères d’hiver, Théâtre la Catapulte
Isabelle Bélisle, Les Étoiles d’Angus, Théâtre de l’Île
Pierre Antoine Lafon Simard, Taram, Théâtre du Trillium
Pier Rodier, Ti-Jean de partout, Cie Vox Théâtre
Interprétation féminine de l'année
Geneviève Couture, Feu la mère de madame et Un bain de ménage, Théâtre de l’Île
Jocelyne Zucco, Les Fridolinades, Théâtre la Catapulte /Théâtre français de Toronto
Lina Blais, Les Fridolinades, Théâtre la Catapulte / Théâtre français de Toronto
Marjolaine Beauchamp, Taram, Théâtre du Trillium
Micheline Marin, Taram, Théâtre du Trillium
Interprétation masculine de l'année
Nicolas Desfossés, Autopsies de biscuits chinois, Théâtre du Trillium / Théâtre Belvédère
Alain Doom, Frères d’hiver, Théâtre la Catapulte
Pierre Simpson, Frères d’hiver, Théâtre la Catapulte
Richard Bénard, Les Étoiles d’Angus, Théâtre de l’Île
John Doucet, Ti-Jean de partout, Cie Vox Théâtre
Conception de l'année
Geneviève Couture, costumes, Feu la mère de madame et Un bain de ménage, Théâtre de l’Île
Brian Smith, décor, Frères d’hiver, Théâtre la Catapulte
Guillaume Houët, éclairages, Frères d’hiver, Théâtre la Catapulte
Julie Giroux, décor, Les Papillons de nuit, Théâtre de l’Île
Pierre-Luc Clément et Olivier Fairfield, environnement sonore, Taram, Théâtre du Trillium
Nouvelle création de l'année
Annie Cloutier, Antoine Côté Legault, Marie-Pierre Proulx, Autopsies de biscuits chinois, Théâtre du Trillium / Théâtre Belvédère
Diane Bouchard, Dragon glouton, Gestes théâtre
Michel Ouellette, adapté par Joël Beddows et Marie Claude Dicaire, Frères d’hiver, Théâtre la Catapulte
Philippe Landry, Retour à Pripyat, Théâtre de Dehors
Marjolaine Beauchamp, Taram, Théâtre du Trillium
Prix artiste en émergence
Marjolaine Beauchamp, dramaturgie
Mary-Eve Fortier, interprétation
Lisa L’Heureux, direction de production
Frédérique Thérien, interpréation
Caroline Yergeau, mise en scène et interprétation
Derrière le Rideau Award
Mathieu Charette, régie, Feu la mère de madame et Un bain de ménage, Théâtre de l’Île
Julie Grethen, régie, Les Étoiles d’Angus, Théâtre de l’Île
Lisa L’Heureux, direction de production, Les Papillons de nuit, Théâtre de l’Île
For general information: Source:
Les Prix Rideau Awards Élise Gauthier, Communications Coordinator
C.P. 1087, Station B communications@prixrideauawards.ca
Ottawa (Ontario), K1P 5R1