2011-2012 ELLY Nomination Snapshots | Big Idea Theatre

Big Idea Theatre is honored to be awarded nine Elly Nominations for our 2011 - 2012 seasons!  We couldn't be more appreciative of the artistic talent contributed by our fantastic company members and other collaborating Sacramento area theatre professionals.

The nominations for the 2011 season kick off with The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh, an unflinching examination of the very nature and purpose of art.  Police interrogate a writer about the gruesome content of his short stories and their similarities to a series of child murders. The Pillowman takes home three nominations: Best Overall Production - Drama, Best Direction (Kirk Blackinton) and Best Supporting Actor (Shawn B. O'Neal).

Twelfth Night, or What You Will, adapted by Brian Harrower, gives Shakespeare's classic cross-dressing comedy a modern twist.  Re-imagined during Mardi Gras in a post-hurricane New Orleans, this riotous, fun-filled romp amused us with drag queens, shipwrecked pirates, lovesick counts and earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actor (Joel Ellinwood).

Big Idea patrons celebrated the joys of friendship in the delightful 2011 Little Bit Players holiday production of A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail by James W. Rodgers.  The 100-Acre-Woods friends are on an adventure: to find Eeyore's missing tail! Pooh grabs the nomination for Best Supporting Young People's Play Actress (Andrea Kersten).

Big Idea's 2012 season opened with Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, a beautiful exploration of truth and time.  This complex, sexy, and witty play moves seamlessly between 1809 and the present, asking us: Can we truly understand the past, and what does the future hold? Arcadia takes the nomination for Best Costume Design (Rachel Malin).

The 2011 - 2012 Elly nominations are rounded out by Tracy Letts' alluringly offensive and uncompromisingly violent white-trash, Texas crime thriller Killer Joe.  The Smith family got more than they bargained for when they hired full-time cop, part-time killer, Joe Cooper, to knock of a not-so-beloved family member for her insurance money.  This edgy piece earned three nominations: Best Lead Actress (Shannon Mahoney), Best Lead Actor (Rick Eldredge) and Best Lighting Design (Brian Harrower).

From the Director's Chair | Moonlight and Magnolias

Director Jouni Kirjola on Big Idea's Moonlight and Magnolias.

From the Director's Chair | Arcadia

Director Benjamin T. Ismail on Big Idea's Arcadia.

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