SpeakEasy Stage Company and the Huntington Theatre Company led the nominees for the Elliot Norton Awards announced Monday by the Boston Theater Critics Association.
SpeakEasy dominated midsize theaters with 19 nominations, while the Huntington led large theaters with 14 nods. Among small or fringe theaters, Gloucester Stage Company netted eight nominations and Moonbox Productions six. (Some award categories, including best musical, blend all the theater tiers.) Among the most nominated productions were the Huntington’s “The Bluest Eye,” with seven, Moonbox’s “Passing Strange,” SpeakEasy’s “Once on This Island,” and Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s “The Tempest.”
The association also announced that actor John Douglas Thompson will receive the Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence. Thompson, who has deep roots in New England theater, starred as Prospero in last summer’s production of “The Tempest” on Boston Common, a role for which he is also nominated for best actor/large theater.
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The winners will be announced May 23 at a virtual ceremony. Details on how to view the event will be available soon at www.elliotnortonawards.com.
The following are this year’s nominees:
Outstanding Musical Production
“Once on This Island,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
“All Is Calm,” Greater Boston Stage Company
“Passing Strange,” Moonbox Productions
Outstanding Production by a Large Theater
“The Tempest,” Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
“The Bluest Eye,” Huntington Theatre Company
“Macbeth in Stride,” American Repertory Theater
Outstanding Production by a Midsize Theater
“The Sound Inside,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
“BLKS,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
“People, Places & Things,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
Outstanding Production by a Small or Fringe Theater
“Tiny Beautiful Things,” Gloucester Stage Company
“Seared,” Gloucester Stage Company
“The Importance of Being Earnest,” Apollinaire Theatre Company
Outstanding Ensemble, Large Theater
“The Bluest Eye,” Huntington Theatre Company
“The Tempest,” Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
“Teenage Dick,” Huntington Theatre Company
Outstanding Ensemble, Midsize Theater
“Once on This Island,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
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“People, Places & Things,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
“BLKS,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
Outstanding Ensemble, Small or Fringe Theater
“Tiny Beautiful Things,” Gloucester Stage Company
“The Importance of Being Earnest,” Apollinaire Theatre Company
“Passing Strange,” Moonbox Productions
Outstanding Solo Performance
Maurice Emmanuel Parent, “Mr. Parent,” Lyric Stage Company of Boston
Jasmine M. Rush, “Queens Girl in the World,” The Nora, The Front Porch Arts Collective and The Hangar Theater at Central Square Theater
Karen MacDonald, “At Wit’s End,” Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Direction for a Large Theater
Steven Maler, “The Tempest,” Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
Awoye Timpo, “The Bluest Eye,” Huntington Theatre Company
Moritz von Stuelpnagel, “Teenage Dick,” Huntington Theatre Company
Outstanding Direction for a Midsize Theater
David R. Gammons, “People, Places & Things,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
Pascale Florestal, “Once on This Island,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
Tonasia Jones, “BLKS,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
Outstanding Direction for a Small or Fringe Theater
Lyndsay Allyn Cox, “Tiny Beautiful Things,” Gloucester Stage Company
Kiki Samko, “A Grinchley Christmas Carol,” Gold Dust Orphans
Danielle Fauteux Jacques, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” Apollinaire Theatre Company
Outstanding Musical Performance by an Actor
Jared Troilo, “The Last Five Years,” Lyric Stage Company of Boston
Anthony Pires Jr., “Passing Strange,” Moonbox Productions
Ivan C. Walks, “Passing Strange,” Moonbox Productions
Outstanding Musical Performance by an Actress
Peli Naomi Woods, “Once on This Island,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
Whitney White, “Macbeth in Stride,” American Repertory Theater
Maria Hendricks, “Passing Strange,” Moonbox Productions
Outstanding Performance by an Actor for a Large Theater
John Douglas Thompson, “The Tempest,” Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
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Michael Underhill, “Witch,” Huntington Theatre Company
Brian D. Coats, “The Bluest Eye,” Huntington Theatre Company
Outstanding Performance by an Actress for a Large Theater
Shannon DeVido, “Teenage Dick,” Huntington Theatre Company
Hadar Busia-Singleton, “The Bluest Eye,” Huntington Theatre Company
McKenzie Frye, “The Bluest Eye,” Huntington Theatre Company
Outstanding Performance by an Actress for a Midsize Theater
Jennifer Rohn, “The Sound Inside,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
Marianna Bassham, “People, Places & Things,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
Maureen Keiller, “Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help,” Greater Boston Stage Company
Outstanding Performance by an Actor for a Midsize Theater
Nathan Malin, “The Sound Inside,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
Nael Nacer, “The Merchant of Venice,” Actors’ Shakespeare Project
Sharmarke Yusuf, “BLKS,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
Outstanding Performance by an Actress for a Small or Fringe Theater
Celeste Oliva, “Tiny Beautiful Things,” Gloucester Stage Company
Abigail Erdelatz, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” Apollinaire Theatre Company
Emma Laird, “Romeo and Juliet,” Apollinaire Theatre Company
Outstanding Performance by an Actor for a Small or Fringe Theater
Nael Nacer, “Tiny Beautiful Things,” Gloucester Stage Company
Malcolm Ingram, “Reparations,” Gloucester Stage Company
Jordan Pearson, “Seared,” Gloucester Stage Company
Outstanding New Script
“Mr. Parent,” by Melinda Lopez with Maurice Emmanuel Parent, Lyric Stage Company of Boston
“Macbeth in Stride,” by Whitney White, American Repertory Theater
“Black Bean Project,” by Melinda Lopez and Joél Pérez, Huntington Theatre Company
Outstanding Design for a Large Theater
“The Bluest Eye,” Huntington Theatre Company
“Teenage Dick,” Huntington Theatre Company
“Witch,” Huntington Theatre Company
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Outstanding Design for a Midsize Theater
“People, Places & Things,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
“BLKS,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
“At Wit’s End,” Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Outstanding Musical Direction
David Freeman Coleman, “Once on This Island,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
Matthew Stern, “All Is Calm,” Greater Boston Stage Company
Julius LaFlamme, “Passing Strange,” Moonbox Productions
Outstanding Choreography
Jazelynn Goudy, “Once on This Island,” SpeakEasy Stage Company
Peter DiMuro, “Everyday Life and Other Odds and Ends,” Sleeping Weazel, presented by ArtsEmerson
Levi Philip Marsman, “The Tempest,” Commonwealth Shakespeare Company