Memphis magazine and the Memphis Arts Council honored the best shows and brightest stars of Memphis’ 2011-12 theater season when the Ostrander Awards were handed out at the Botanic Garden, Monday, August 27th. Glengarry Glenn Ross scored the Ostrander for Best Play, Avenue Q won for Best Musical, but no one show dominated in the community division. The University of Memphis owned the college awards.
The reasons for this outstanding season’s unusual results? Younger, smaller community companies, like Hattiloo and the New Moon Theatre Company, came into their own this year, and the University of Memphis’ ambitious centennial season was stacked with hits like The Phantom of the Opera and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. It was a lineup built to impress, and it did.
Community Winners
SET DESIGN
Mark Guirguis • Present Laughter
Circuit Playhouse
COSTUMES
Amie Eoff • Present Laughter
Circuit Playhouse
LIGHTING
John Horan • God of Carnage
Playhouse on the Square
PROPS
Betty Dilley • The Spitfire Grill
Germantown Community Theatre
HAIR/MAKEUP
Mitch Baker and Liz Sharpe • Chicago
Theatre Memphis
MUSIC DIRECTION
Angelo Rapan
A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline
Playhouse on the Square
SOUND DESIGN
Gene Elliott • King Lear
New Moon Theatre
CHOREOGRAPHY
Christi Hall • Bye Bye Birdie
Theatre Memphis
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Robin Wilcox • The Spitfire Grill
Germantown Community Theatre
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Ben Laxton • Next To Normal
Playhouse on the Square
LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Renee Kemper
A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline
Playhouse on the Square
LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Ben Laxton • Avenue Q
Circuit Playhouse
DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Gary John La Rosa • Next To Normal
Playhouse on the Square
MUSICAL PRODUCTION
Avenue Q
Circuit Playhouse
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Claire D. Kolheim
In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)
Circuit Playhouse
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
John Dylan Atkins • King Lear
New Moon Theatre
LEADING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Claire Hayner • Present Laughter
;
Circuit Playhouse
LEADING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Jerre Dye • Present Laughter
Circuit Playhouse
SMALL ENSEMBLE ACTING
(Cast of 7 or less)
God of Carnage
Playhouse on the Square
LARGE ENSEMBLE ACTING
(Cast of 8 or more)
The Bluest Eye
Hattiloo Theatre
FEATURED ROLE
James Dale Green
The Boys Next Door
Germantown Community Theatre
DIRECTION OF A DRAMATIC PRODUCTION
Anita Jo Lenhart • King Lear DIRECTION OF A
New Moon Theatre
DRAMATIC PRODUCTION
Glengarry Glen Ross
DIRECTION OF A
Theatre Memphis
BEHIND THE SCENES AWARD
Whitney Jo 
Playhouse on the Square
THE JANIE MCCRARY PUTTING IT TOGETHER AWARD
Michael Detroit
THE LARRY RILEY RISING STAR AWARD
John Dylan Atkins
THE EUGART YERIAN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Jude Knight and Ann Sharp
ORIGINAL SCRIPT
Judas Hands
Hattiloo Theatre
PRODUCTION OF AN ORIGINAL SCRIPT
Aesop’s Fable-ous Christmas Tree
Circuit Playhouse
College and University Winners
SET DESIGN
Dave Nofsinger • The Phantom of the Opera
University of Memphis
COSTUMES
Janice Benning Lacek • The Phantom of the Opera • University of Memphis
LIGHTING
Ben Fichthorn • Wit
University of Memphis
PROPS
Mandy K. Heath • Arcadia
University of Memphis
MAKEUP
Miriam Patterson-Smith • Urinetown:
The Musical • McCoy Theatre
MUSIC DIRECTION
Jacob Allen • The Phantom of the Opera
University of Memphis
SOUND DESIGN
Eric Sefton • Treefall • McCoy Theatre
CHOREOGRAPHY Courtney Oliver • The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee • University of Memphis
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Katie Liesner • The Phantom of the Opera
University of Memphis
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Lucas Hefner • The Phantom of the Opera
University of Memphis
LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Christina Hernandez
The Phantom of the Opera
University of Memphis
MUSICAL PRODUCTION
The Phantom of the Opera
University of Memphis
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Jessica Otis • Wit
University of Memphis
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Caleb Pless • Arcadia
University of Memphis
LEADING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Katie Zisson • Wit
University of Memphis
LEADING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Sean Carter • Arcadia
University of Memphis
LARGE ENSEMBLE (Cast of 13 or more)
The Arabian Nights • University of Memphis
SMALL ENSEMBLE (Cast of 12 or less)
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
University of Memphis
FEATURED ROLE/CAMEO
AJ Bernard • The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee • University of Memphis
DRAMATIC PRODUCTION
Wit • University of Memphis
DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Bob Hetherington • The Phantom of the Opera • University of Memphis
DIRECTION OF A DRAMATIC PRODUCTION
Michael Bolinski • Arcadia
University of Memphis