The 4th Annual RTCC Awards were held at the Historic Empire Theatre on Sunday, October 16th at 7pm and were hosted by NBC 12 anchorwoman Heather Sullivan.
The Fourth Annual “Artsies” marked some significant and exciting changes for the awards. Financial backing to cover all basic costs for the the event was provided by the Carpenter Foundation. The Best Ensemble Award was renamed in honor of local theater mentor and leader Ernie McClintock. A People’s Choice award was instituted, decided by the votes of people attending the event. A special award for achievement in Puppetry was given to Terry Snyder. And the Richmond Divas — local singing and acting legends Cathley Motley-Fitch, Desiree Roots Centeio, and Debra Wagoner — delivered a rousing special performance. It was a magical night capped off by a surprising tie between “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and “[title of show]” for Best Musical. See the complete list of award recipients below.
The Richmond Divas!
Every RTCC awards event has featured dazzling musical performances from each of the productions nominated for Best Musical. As a bonus, this year the event featured a special performance by The Richmond Divas — Cathley Motley-Fitch, Desiree Roots Centeio, and Debra Wagoner. These three vocal powerhouses have come together at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen for elecrifying concerts in the past and we were lucky that they were willing to lend their talents to our festivities that year.
People’s Choice Award
This was the first year attendees at the RTCC Awards were able to vote on their choice for the best production of the past season. Those who voted were entered into a drawing for a beautiful necklace donated by Carreras Jewelers. Casting a vote cost $5, all proceeds going directly to the Theatre Artists Fund. The drawing was won by Morrie Piersol who immediately (and wisely) gave the necklace over to his wife, Artistic Director for the Firehouse Theatre Project, Carol Piersol.
Ernie McClintock Best Ensemble Award
This was the year that the RTCC renamed the Best Ensemble award in honor of Ernie McClintock, the great director and local theater innovator. When Mr. McClintock passed away 8 years ago, he had initiated the Black Theatre Festival and his Jazz Actors Theatre was one of Richmond’s most innovative companies helping theater artists develop their potential. A host of local theater professionals carry on his vision today and several of them were on hand at the Artsies to pay tribute to Ernie.
Outstanding Achievement in Puppetry
In 2011, the RTCC honored puppeteer Terry Snyder whose innovative work was a highlight of several productions of the 2010-11 season, including “The Winter’s Tale” (a co-production of Richmond Shakespeare and Henley Street Theatre Company) and Barksdale’s “The Velveteen Rabbit.”