The stars shine at 13th annual Patte Awards

The 13th annual San Diego Patte Awards for Theater Excellence were presented Jan. 18 at the Westin Gaslamp Quarter on Broadway Circle. Theater critic Pat Launer hosted the event.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Shiley Lifetime Achievement Award to Robert Smyth and Deborah Gilmour Smyth.

If you missed the excitement, you can watch The Patte Awards on San Diego TV Channel 4 when the show is broadcast at 8 p.m. Feb. 12 and 7 p.m. Feb. 13.

The 13th annual Patte Awards for Theater Excellence

The gala event, held at the Westin Gaslamp Quarter, included a sit-down dinner, awards ceremony and entertainment, was attended by a sellout crowd of 450. It was a toast to the best of the best in San Diego theater in 2009. What makes the Patte Awards unique is that only San Diegans are eligible.

In addition to presenting 30 awards in 11 different categories that honored 16 different theater companies, Launer celebrated the next generation of theater artists, presenting the third annual Patte Scholarship — The Dea and Osborn Hurston Award for a Promising Young Theatermaker, presented in honor of Dr. Floyd Gaffney, the father of African American theater in San Diego.

This year’s scholarship was awarded to Alexis Montes, 16, a junior at The Preuss School. Honorable Mention went to 17-year-old seniors Cassandra Lopez and Daniela Michel. Scholarship winners were provided with a check, a certificate and pairs of tickets for theaters around the county, so they could attend theater throughout the coming year.

Other special Patte Awards included the recognition of Theater Angels Sheryl and Harvey White, major theater philanthropists, for whom the Globe’s new arena-stage in Balboa Park was named (the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre); and the Shiley Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by local philanthropists and long-time Patte supporters Donald and Darlene Shiley, which was presented to Robert and Deborah Gilmour Smyth, who have participated in more than 100 San Diego productions over the course of three decades, primarily at Lamb’s Players Theatre.

The complete list of winners follows.

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE:

The History Boys – Cygnet Theatre; The Butcher of Baraboo – Moxie Theatre; 42nd Street – Moonlight Stage Productions; Picasso at the Lapin Agile – New Village Arts; The Seafarer and Threepenny Opera – San Diego Repertory Theatre

OUTSTANDING SCENIC DESIGN

: Robin Sanford Roberts – ANON(ymous), University of San Diego; Ian Wallace – Camino Real, UC San Diego Theatre and Dance

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN:

Chris Renda – Bent, ion theatre; Jason Bieber – Talley’s Folly, North Coast Repertory Theatre

OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN:

Charles Wallace IV – Dreams in the Witch House, DangerHouse Productions; Thomas Hodges – Dear Harvey, Diversionary Theatre & SDSU

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

: Alina Bokovikova – Camino Real, UC San Diego Theatre and Dance; Jeannie Galioto – Twist, Diversionary Theatre

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE:

Patrick Page – Cyrano de Bergerac – Old Globe Theatre, Karson St. John – The Little Dog Laughed – Diversionary Theatre, Glynn Bedington – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Compass Theatre, Michael Zlotnik – Bent – ion theatre, Robert Foxworth – Cornelia – Old Globe Theatre, David Ellenstein – Talley’s Folly – North Coast Repertory Theatre

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION:

Lisa Berger – Killer Joe – Compass Theatre, Rick Seer – Two Gentlemen of Verona – Old Globe/University of San Diego MFA Program; Francis Gercke – Man from Nebraska – Cygnet Theatre; Janet Hayatshahi – Nine Parts of Desire – Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION:

Six Degrees of Separation – Old Globe, Joyful Noise – Lamb’s Players Theatre; Creditors and Bonnie and Clyde – La Jolla Playhouse

OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY

: Ronald McCants – Refraction, UC San Diego Theatre and Dance

SHILEY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:

Robert Smyth and Deborah Gilmour Smyth

THE JOHN GUTH AWARD FOR BEHIND-THE-SCENES BRILLIANCE:

Jules Schreiber