Pleasure of the Paynes 2016

Sometimes at a ceremony where awards are being handed out, there's one show that just seems to have generated some special magic and on which a lotta love is lavished. So it was at the 42nd edition of the B. Iden Payne Theatre Awards on Monday, where the Vortex Repertory Company production of Terminus received a total of 11 awards.

Gabriel Jason Dean's drama of a family caught between the past and the present was voted the 2015-16 season's outstanding original script, and Vortex's staging took home the award for production of a drama, with Rudy Ramirez honored for his direction. The lead actress and actor prizes were given to Jennifer Underwood and Jacques Colimon, respectively; Cara Canary received the outstanding young actress award; and the entire cast was honored for its work as well. The show's designers weren't ignored either, with awards going to Ann Marie Gordon for her set, Patrick Anthony for his lighting, Helen Parish for her props, and David DeMaris for his sound.

Among the special honors handed out by the Payne Council was a Distinguished Service Award to photographer Steve Rogers for his efforts in chronicling the work in Austin's improv and performance communities and an award to Steven Fay, a longtime member of the theatre community who has contributed years of service to it, with a significant portion of spent as a volunteer member of the nominating committee for the Payne Awards.

The full list of awards follows:

THEATRE FOR YOUTH

Production
Cowboy in the Kitchen, Pollyanna Theatre Company

Director
Bethany Lynn Corey, Cowboy in the Kitchen

Actor
Jesus I. Valles, Just a Minute

Actress
Lena Owens, The Steadfast Tin Soldier

Young Actor
Diego Rodriguez, James and the Giant Peach

Young Actress
Cara Canary, Terminus

IMPROV THEATRE

Production
Hard-ish Bodies, Institution Theater

Direction
Joseph Dailey, Dinner for Six

Cast of an Improvised Show
Dinner for Six, ColdTowne Theater

Rudy Kloptik Award for Outstanding Improvisational Troupe
Damn, Gina!

COMEDY

Production
Doper Than Dope, Institution Theater, Base Reality Productions, and Heckle Her

Direction
Adrienne Dawes, Doper Than Dope

Lead Actor
Jay Byrd, Naked as a Gaybird

Lead Actress
Genevieve Kinney, Siege of the Dark Nebula

Featured Actor
Judd Farris, Trevor

Featured Actress
Taji Senior, Doper Than Dope

DRAMA

Production
Terminus, Vortex Repertory Theatre

Direction
Rudy Ramirez, Terminus

Lead Actor
Jacques Colimon, Terminus

Lead Actress
Jennifer Underwood, Terminus

Featured Actor
Robert Matney, Clybourne Park

Featured Actress
Amber Quick, A Streetcar Named Desire

MUSIC THEATRE

Production
The Gondoliers, Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin

Direction
Michelle Haché, The Gondoliers

Musical Direction
Austin Haller, Sunday in the Park With George

Lead Actor
Michael Ferstenfeld, Into the Woods

Lead Actress (tie)
Sarah Marie Curry, The Last Five Years
Jill Blackwood, Mary Poppins

Featured Actor
Jonathan Itchon, The Mikado: Reclaimed

Featured Actress
Cene Hale, Love Me Tinder

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY AWARDS

Set Design
Terminus, Ann Marie Gordon

Lighting Design
Terminus, Patrick Anthony

Costume Design
The History of King Lear, Jenny McNee

Sound Design
Terminus, David DeMaris

Media Design
The Back Pack Presents (Summer 2016), The Back Pack (Pete Betcher, Katie Kohler, Justin Morley, Jeremiah Rosenberger)

Properties Design
Terminus, Helen Parish

Puppetry
Frankenstein: The Trouble Puppet Show, Trouble Puppet Theater Company

Stage Management
Katy Taylor, The History of King Lear

GENERAL CATEGORY AWARDS

Original Script
Terminus, Gabriel Jason Dean

Original Score
Brian Kremer and Ammon Taylor, Love Me Tinder

Theatrical Event
Hands Up/Hoodies Down, Vortex Repertory Company

Fight Choreography
Toby Minor, One Man, Two Guvnors

Dance Choreography
Sadé Jones and Jesse Martinez, Hands Up Hoodies Down

Ensemble Performance
Amber Quick & Kim Stacy, James and the Giant Peach

Cast Performance
Terminus, Vortex Repertory Company

Featured Music Performance
The consort, The History of King Lear

Featured Music Performance
"Step in Time" dancers, Mary Poppins

DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Steve Rogers
For his work in documenting live improv and performance in Austin, Texas

SPECIAL RECOGNITION CERTIFICATES

Steven Fay
For decades of service to the Austin theatre and performance communities

Visual Voice Interpreting
For audience engagement across the community

TILT Performance Group, Congregation Beth Israel, and Austin Jewish Repertory Theatre
For the production of As Butterflies

Witchcraft in Her Lips
For adaptation and dramaturgy

Tara Cooper
For the mask designs for Mr. Burns, a post-electric play