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(Photo by MJ Conboy)

Theatre in the Square was the big winner at last night’s Suzi Bass Awards, picking up eight honors for theatrical excellence. More than 300 guests turned out at the Fox Theatre’s Egyptian Ballroom for the ceremony that recognizes outstanding work in 20 nominated categories. Already announced ahead of time were the Spirit of Suzi Award for Jerry’s Habima Theatre and the Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award for Charm School by Larry Larson and Eddie Levi Lee. Synchronicity Performance Group also made a strong showing, winning four Suzi Awards (three for its family musical A Year with Frog and Toad).

Theatre in the Square’s winning productions, the play Turned Funny and the musical Mt. Pleasant Homecoming (pictured, with Suzi winners Alan Kilpatrick and Jennifer Akin), both qualify as sentimental favorites. The smash hit Turned Funny adapted the biography of beloved Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Celestine Sibley (and has already inspired last summer’s remount and a holiday spin-off, Christmas at Sweet Apple, opening next week). Mt. Pleasant Homecoming is the third of the Sanders family trilogy of light-hearted, bluegrass gospel musicals, which have been fixtures in the Marietta playhouse’s theatrical seasons going back for years. The question is, did these shows win awards because of the pre-existing emotional attachment to the material? Or did those sentimental connections somehow deepen the material for artist and audience alike?

Interestingly, the Alliance Theatre won 10 awards last year, many for the superb musical Jelly’s Last Jam, but this year only earned three. (I guess they’ll just have to be satisfied with that regional Tony Award.)

The list of winners follows, with asterisks to indicate my personal picks based on the Suzi Award nominees.

Best Director (Play): Fred Chappell, Turned Funny, Theatre in the Square

Best Director (Musical): Clint Thornton, A Year with Frog and Toad, Synchronicity Performance Group*

Lead Actress (Play): Linda Stephens, Turned Funny, Theatre in the Square*

Lead Actress (Musical): Claci Miller, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Actor’s Express

Featured Actress (Play): Jill Jane Clements, Turned Funny, Theatre in the Square

Featured Actress (Musical): Jennifer Akin, Mt. Pleasant Homecoming, Theatre in the Square

Lead Actor (Play): Doyle Reynolds, I Am My Own Wife, Actor’s Express

Lead Actor (Musical): Jeff McKerley, Cabaret, Shakespeare Tavern*

Featured Actor (Play): Neal A. Ghant, Glengarry Glen Ross, Alliance Theatre*

Featured Actor (Musical): Alan Kilpatrick, Mt. Pleasant Homecoming, Theatre in the Square

Ensemble (Play): The God Committee, Theatrical Outfit

Ensemble (Musical): Mt. Pleasant Homecoming, Theatre in the Square*

Musical Direction: Michael Monroe, Mt. Pleasant Homecoming, Theatre in the Square

Choreography: Jeff McKerley, Cabaret, Shakespeare Tavern

Costume Design: Katherine Aurora Callahan, A Year with Toad and Frog, Synchronicity Performance Group

Scenic Design: Lisa Johnson, Voices Underwater, Synchronicity*

Lighting Design: William H. Grant III, Elliott, A Soldier’s Fugue, Alliance Theatre

Sound Design: Clay Bening and Kendall Simpson, False Creeds, Alliance Theatre

Production (Play): Turned Funny, Theatre in the Square

Production (Musical): A Year with Frog and Toad, Synchronicity Performance Group

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