21st Annual WATCH Award Winners Announced

UPDATE: The 2023 WATCH Awards, recognizing outstanding achievements in community theater in the DC region, were held March 19, 2023 in a sold-out ceremony at The Birchmere. Attendees were able to celebrate their community in person for the first time since 2019. Due to the interruptions to the theater industry caused by the COVID virus, this was the first awards ceremony since COVID and included productions from 2020. Read on for a full list of nominees and recipients. Congratulations the following actors and designer who were among the award winners:

• David Correia--"A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"....Outstanding Sound Design in  Musical
• Noah Mutterperl--"Something Rotten"....Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (as William Shakespeare)
• Maura Lacy--"Bright Star"....Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical (as Alice Murphy)
• Chuck Dluhy--"A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"....Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical (as D'Ysquith Family)

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Nominations for the 2022 performance season were announced at the Birchmere on Sunday, January 15, 2023. The WATCH awards ceremony will take place on 7:00 p.m. Sunday, March 19, 2023 at the Birchmere, 3701 Mt Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22305. Tickets are $20.00 at the Birchmere Box Office or through Ticketmaster (plus service charge). Congratulations to all nominees! 

For a complete list of all nominees across all the categories, click here.

The Washington Area Theatre Community Honors (WATCH) is an organization founded for the adjudication and presentation of annual awards recognizing artistic and technical excellence in community theater throughout the metropolitan Washington D.C. area. These honors:

• Foster and encourage the growth of community theater;
• Promote and enhance the image of community theater; and
• Educate and inform the general public about the theatrical opportunities provided by the member theaters.

98 productions (38 musicals, 60 plays) were adjudicated in the combined 2020/2022 years. Twenty-seven community theater companies participated in WATCH adjudication.

LITTLE THEATRE OF ALEXANDRIA (52)
• Outstanding Cameo in a Musical – Margie Remmers as “Lady Eugenia” – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
• Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical – Jean Schlicting & Kit Sibley – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
• Outstanding Direction of a Musical – Frank D. Shutts II – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
• Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical – Susan Boyd – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical – Chuck Dluhy as “D’Ysquith Family” – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical – Drew Goins as “Montague “Monty” Navarro” – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
• Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical – Ken & Patti Crowley – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical – Susan Boyd – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
• Outstanding Music Direction – Christopher A. Tomasino – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
• Outstanding Musical – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
• Outstanding Properties in a Musical – Kirstin Apker – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
• Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical – David Correia – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
• Outstanding Cameo in a Play – Michael Rufo as “Billy Sullivan” – Blue Stockings
• Outstanding Cameo in a Musical – Drew Goins as “Max” – Bright Star
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical – Maura Lacy as “Alice Murphy” – Bright Star
• Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical – Charles Dragonette – Bright Star
• Outstanding Set Design in a Musical – Matt Liptak – Bright Star
• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Play – Lanae Sterrett – Design for Murder
• Outstanding Properties in a Play – Shelby Baker – Design for Murder
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Play – Jim Hutzler & Jeff Nesmeyer – Design for Murder
• Outstanding Set Decoration in a Play – Kirstin Apker & Deborah Remmers – Design for Murder
• Outstanding Set Design in a Play – Julie Fischer – Design for Murder
• Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography – Stefan Sittig – Design for Murder
• Outstanding Direction of a Play – Juli Tarabek Blacker – Moonlight and Magnolias
• Leta Hall Outstanding Ensemble in a Play – Moonlight and Magnolias
• Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play – JK Lighting Design – Moonlight and Magnolias
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Play – Ken Brown – Moonlight and Magnolias
• Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography – Stefan Sittig – Moonlight and Magnolias
• Outstanding Choreography – Stefan Sittig – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical – Jean Schlicting & Kit Sibley – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Direction of a Musical – Frank D. Shutts II – Something Rotten!
• Leta Hall Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical – Chuck Dluhy as “Nostradamus” – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical – Noah Mutterperl as “William Shakespeare” – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical – Anna Phillips-Brown as “Bea” – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical – Robin Maline – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical – Ken & Patti Crowley – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical – Robin Maline – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Music Direction – Christopher A. Tomasino – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Musical – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Properties in a Musical – Helen Bard-Sobola & Margaret Chapman – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical – Jim Hutzler & Jeff Nesmeyer – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical – MYKE – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Set Design in a Musical – Robert S. Barr, Jr. – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical – Luana Bossolo & Mary Hutzler – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical – David Correia – Something Rotten!
• Outstanding Costume Design in a Play – Jean Schlicting & Kit Sibley – Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol
• Outstanding Hair Design in a Play – Robin Maline & Lanae Sterrett – Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play – Tom Howley as “Ebenezer Scrooge” – Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol
• Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play – JK Lighting Design – Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol
• Outstanding Properties in a Play – Johanna Arredondo – Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol
• Outstanding Set Painting in a Play – Gabrielle Hasenstab – Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol