Tuesday, January 23, 2018

It’s awards season in both Tinseltown and in the Port City. Shortly before the 2018 Oscar nominations were announced, Wilmington celebrated the stars of local stage with the reveal of the 2018 StarNews Media Wilmington Theater Awards, announced Monday night at TheatreNOW.

The awards will be formally announced and presented on March 14 at Thalian Hall. Online public voting is available through noon on Feb. 19.

Theatre department faculty and UNCW alumni were recognized for their directing, acting and design talents in six categories.

The UNCW nominees are:

Best Play:
Hand to God, UNCW Department of Theatre
Much Ado About Nothing, Alchemical Theater of Wilmington, directed by Chris Marino, UNCW assistant professor of theatre

Best Director, Play: 
Matt Carter ’17, Bachelorette, Pineapple-Shaped Lamps 
Shane Fernando ’00, ’08M, Deathtrap, Thalian Hall Cube Theatre
Chris Marino, UNCW assistant professor of theatre, Much Ado About Nothing, Alchemical Theater of Wilmington
Ed Wagenseller, UNCW assistant professor of theatre, Boeing Boeing, UNCW Department of Theatre 

Best Actress, Play:
Kait Distler ’17 as Jason/Tyrone in Hand to God, UNCW Department of Theatre
Arianna Tysinger ’16 as Rosalind in As You Like It, Cape Fear Shakespeare on the Green

Best Supporting Actress, Play:
Mickey Johnson ’17 as Katie in Bachelorette, Pineapple-Shaped Lamps
Katherine Rosner ’17 as Berthe in Boeing Boeing, UNCW Department of Theatre

Best Costume Design:
Mark Sorensen, UNCW associate professor of theatre, Boeing Boeing, UNCW Department of Theatre

Best Lighting Design: 
Randall Enlow, UNCW assistant professor of theatre, Boeing Boeing, UNCW Department of Theatre
Tom Salzman, chair of the UNCW department of theatre, Billy Witch, UNCW Department of Theatre

The UNCW Department of Theatre continues its 2017-18 season with Dr. Faustus, Feb. 15-18 and Feb. 22-25. The season will conclude with Hedda Gabler, April 12-15 and April 19-22.

 -- Caroline Cropp

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