2015 NAACP Theatre Award Winners Announced

By Darlene Donloe

Black theater was celebrated at the 2015 Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Theatre Awards held  last night at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center/Ebony Repertory Theatre.  The show was hosted by four time NAACP Theatre Award-winning playwright and producer Kinnik Sky.

Stars from the world of theater, film and television lit up the auditorium as they came together to honor their colleagues, who make their living by honing their craft on the stage.

Awards were given to producers, directors, playwrights, actors, light designers, sound designers, set designers, costumers, choreographers and music directors, who were all lauded for their theatrical talents.

Award presenters included actors Obba Babatunde’ (The Bold and the Beautiful), Ella Joyce (Belle’s, Being Mary Jane), Renee Lawless (The Haves and Have Nots), Jason George (Grey’s Anatomy), Harold Bell (Raising Whitley), Richard Lawson (Saints & Sinners) and Margaret Avery (Being Mary Jane, The Color Purple).

Michael Colyar

Comedians Michael Colyar, Maija DiGiorgio and Raj Sharma opened the show and brought the funny.

After the comedy, it was time to get down to business.

“I love theater, so I’m honored to be here,” said Kinnik Sky, who hosted the awards show. “We can celebrate our own excellence.”

Some actors on hand applauded the theater and the NAACP’s efforts and commitment to the community and the arts.

Richard Lawson

“I was at the very first one of these they had,” said actor Richard Lawson. “It’s important to recognize and work in the theater. It’s a way for people to get an opportunity.”

Margaret Avery, who stars in the BET drama Being Mary Jane, was a presenter at the show.

Margaret Avery

“This was the first theater I worked at in 1968,” said Avery.  “It was the Ebony Showcase Theatre then with Nick Stewart.  “The theater launched my career. It’s where we hone our craft.  People have to realize that community theater is free.  We need people to come and support the theater. We can’t compete with the Ahmansons, but we can still do good work.”

Jason George, who can be seen as Dr. Ben Warren on Grey’s Anatomy every week, is a huge fan of theater.

Jason George

“Theater is how people communicate with themselves,” said George. “It holds the culture. It’s a way of celebrating the best of who and what we are.”

Tammi Mac, who won three awards for her show, Bag Lady, is an actress and a radio personality at KJLH radio in Los Angeles. 

Tammi Mac

“The NAACP is honoring black people’s stories,” said Mac. “We get to write, perform, produce and tell our own stories our way.”

Donald Welch

Director Donald Welch said black theater was important because it’s “an opportunity to honor our own work.  We’re celebrating our culture, while other cultures celebrate us.”

Ronald E. Hasson, president Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP and national board member, said theater creates opportunities for people of color to demonstrate their arts and to be honored.

President Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Ronald E. Hasson

“We’re very happy and pleased to do these awards for the actors who live here,” said Hasson. “It’s inspirational to keep theater alive for young people to see and enjoy. We encourage our community and ask for them to keep it alive.”

Nate Holden

(l-r) Richard Lawson, Margaret Avery, Kiki Shepard and Obba Babatunde'

Below is a complete list of winners:

Best Choreography – Equity

Maurice Hines is Tappin’ Thru Life – Maurice Hines - Winner!

The Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess – Ronald K. Brown

Kiss Me Kate – Jeffrey Polk

Best Choreography – Local

The Brothers Size – Ameenah Kaplan - Winner!

The Magic Flute – Lungelo Ngamlana

Visionary Man – Ali North

Best Costumes – Equity

The Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess – Emilio Sosa  - Winner!

Choir Boy – E.B. Brooks

Othello – Katherine Roth

Best Costumes – Local

Low Hanging Fruit – Wendell C. Carmichael - Winner!

The Magic Flute – Leigh Bishop

Knock Me A Kiss – Naila Aladdin Sanders

Best Director – Equity

Stop Kiss – Seema Sueko

Choir Boy – Trip Cullman - Winner!

The Tallest Tree in the Forest – Moises Kaufman

Vanessa Paul, Iona Morris, Elayn J Taylor and Denise Dowse of 

Sassy Mamas

Best Director – Local

Sassy Mamas – Iona Morris - Winner!

The Brothers Size – Shirley Jo Finney

Secrets – Wallace Demarria

Best Director of a Musical – Equity

The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess – Diane Paulus -Winner!

Maurice Hines is Tappin’ Thru Life – Jeff Calhoun

Kiss me Kate – Sheldon Epps

Best Director of a Musical – Local

The Magic Flute – Mark Dornford-May -Winner!

Visionary Man – Tom Coleman

The Gondoliers – Alison Eliel-Kalmus

Best Ensemble Cast – Equity

Stop Kiss

Flyin’ West - Winner!

Othello

Cast and crew of Sassy Mamas and Ella Joyce

Best Ensemble Cast – Local

Sassy Mamas - Winner!

The Brothers Size

Low Hanging Fruit

Best Lead Female - Equity

Above The Fold – Taraji P. Henson - Winner!

The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess – Alicia Hall Moran

Race – DeWanda Wise

Best Lead Female  – Local

Knock Me a Kiss – Toyin Moses - Winner!

Closely Related Keys – Diarra Kilpatrick

Going to St. Ives – Inger Tudor

Best Lead Male – Equity

Choir Boy – Jeremy Pope

The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess – Nathaniel Stampley

Maurice Hines is Tappin’ Thru Life – Maurice Hines - Winner!

Best Lead Male – Local

Bus Stops – Leonard Thomas - Winner!

Knock me a Kiss – Keir Thirus

The Whipping Man – Kirk Kellykahn

Best Lighting – Equity

The Tallest Tree in the Forest – David Lander - Winner!

Above The Fold – Adam Blumenthal

Race – Josh Epstein

Best Lighting - Local

Low Hanging Fruit – Rebecca Raines

Bag Lady – Tom Meleck and Iona Morris

The Magic Flute – Mannie Manim - Winner!

Best Music Director – Equity

Maurice Hines is Tappin’ Thru Life – Sherrie Maricle

Kiss Me Kate – Rahn Coleman - Winner!

The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess – Dale Rieling

 Best Music Director – Local

Visionary Man – Jeffrey Bonhiver

The Gondoliers – Leonardo Sciolis

The Magic Flute – Pauline Malefane & Mandisi Dyantyis -Winner!

Best One Person Show - Equity

The Tallest Tree in the Forest – Daniel Beaty - Winner!

Forever – Dael Orlandersmith

Paul Robeson – Keith David

Best One Person Show - Local

Bird Lives! – Montae Russell

The Devil and Billy Markham – Tony Winters

Bag Lady – Tammi Mac - Winner!

Best Playwright – Equity

The Tallest Tree in the Forest – Daniel Beaty - Winner!

Above The Fold – Bernard Weinraub

Stop Kiss – Diane Son

Best Playwright – Local

Sassy Mamas – Celeste Bedford Walker

Bag Lady – Tammi Mac - Winner!

The Brothers Size – Tarell Alvin McCraney

Best Producer – Equity

Above The Fold – The Pasadena Playhouse - Winner!

Maurice Hines is Tappin’ Thru Life – Willis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, Arena Stage, Alliance Theatre and Cleveland Play House

The Tallest Tree In The House – Center Theatre Group

Best Producer – Local

Bus Stops – Jaimyon Parker

Sassy Mamas – Vanessa Paul & Alex Morris

Bag Lady – Tammi Mac & Jackson Brown - Winner!

Best Set Design – Equity

Choir Boy – David Zinn - Winner!

Above the Fold – Jeffery P. Eisenmann

Flyin’ West – JR Bruce

Award winner Vanessa Paul

Best Set Design – Local

The Magnificent Dunbar Hotel – Michael D. Ricks

Knock Me a Kiss – Tom Meleck

Sassy Mamas – Vanessa Paul & Jeff Murray - Winner!

Best Sound – Equity

Othello – Acme Sound Partners with Jason Crystal - Winner!

Choir Boy – Fritz Patton

Above the Fold – Cricket S. Meyers

Best Sound – Local

Bus Stops – Jaimyon Parker - Winner!

Bag Lady – Don Amiche, Tammi Mac, DJ Malski

Low Hanging Fruit – Norman Kern

Closely Related Keys – Norman Kern

Best Supporting Female – Equity

Above the Fold – Kristy Johnson - Winner!

The Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess – Danielle Lee Greaves

The Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess – Sumayya Ali

Best Supporting Female – Local

Closely Related Keys – Yvonne Huff

Knock Me A Kiss – Rosie Lee Hooks

Knock Me A Kiss – Ashlee Olivia - Winner!

Best Supporting Male – Equity

The Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess – Kingsley Leggs

Choir Boy – Caleb Eberhardt - Winner!

Choir Boy – Grantham Coleman

Brent Jennings

Best Supporting Male – Local

The Magnificent Dunbar Hotel – Kyle Connor McDuffie

Closely Related Keys – Brent Jennings - Winner!

Bus Stops – Jaimyon Parker

The NAACP Theatre Awards is produced for the purpose of honoring the best thespians in the field of entertainment. The branch also celebrates a four-day theatre festival, which provides a platform for thespians to express their craft and share their contributions with an audience of their peers, the community and other individuals who celebrate live theatre in Los Angeles.

The NAACP Theatre Awards is presented by the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP branch. Ronald E. Hasson is branch president and Tia Boyd is the executive producer for the NAACP Theatre Awards show.