Barrymore Awards

The Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre is an annual, nationally-recognized award program that is sponsored by Theatre Philadelphia for professional theater productions in the Greater Philadelphia area. Each season culminates with an awards ceremony.

The Barrymore Award

The Barrymore Awards was founded by the Performing Arts League of Philadelphia (PALP) in 1994 and was named after the Barrymore family. PALP was renamed the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia in 1997 and presided over the awards until 2012. Theatre Philadelphia has handled the awards since 2012.

History

Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia (1994–2012)

Named in honor of the famed American theatrical family, the Barrymore family, the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre have served as Philadelphia's professional theatre awards program since the 1994–1995 season.[1] It was founded by the Performing Arts League of Philadelphia (PALP) in September 1994.[1] PALP was renamed the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia in 1997.[2] The group used the Helen Hayes Awards (Washington, D.C.) and Joseph Jefferson Awards (Chicago) as guidelines in devising the structure of the Barrymore Awards.[3] The program cost $95,000 in its first year.[3] In 1995, there were 40 members of the nominating committee.[1]

The awards ceremony was held at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts for the first two years in 1995 and 1996,[2] the Walnut Street Theatre in 1997 and 1998.[4] and the Irvine Auditorium starting in 1999.[4] The awards ceremony moved to the Independence Seaport Museum in 2001,[5] and it returned to the Annenberg Center in 2002.[6] The ceremony took place at the Academy of Music in 2004,[7] and the Merriam Theater in 2005.[8] The Barrymore Awards moved to Wanamaker's for the 2007 ceremony.[9] The ceremony was held at the Walnut Street Theatre in 2009 in honor of the theatre's 200th season.[10]

In December 1999, the Walnut Street Theatre, the largest theatre in the region, announced it would withdraw from consideration from the Barrymore Awards, in protest for one of their shows being deemed ineligible for an award.[11] By January 2000, the Walnut agreed to rejoin after the Alliance of Greater Philadelphia instituted an appeals process in their system.[12] The appeals process was removed for the 2000–2001 season, and the Walnut again withdrew from consideration from 2003 through 2006, citing a perceived bias against the theatre by nominators.[13] The Media Theatre also withdrew during the 2002–2003 season, its first season submitting shows for consideration, but returned for the 2002–2003 season.[13] The Walnut Street Theatre began submitting again for consideration in 2007.[14]

The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia folded on June 30, 2012, due to funding issues.[15] It still announced nominations for the Barrymore Awards for the 2011–2012 season in August 2012.[16] Many of the 2011–2012 awards were announced via email in September,[17] with the top three awards (the lifetime achievement award, Brown Martin Philadelphia Award, and F. Otto Haas Award) given at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, at an event called "Theatre Philadelphia: A Celebration" in October 2012.[18]

Theatre Philadelphia (2013–present)

By November 2013, 11 theatre administrators and artistic directors formed Theatre Philadelphia to replace the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia.[18][19] The awards with cash prizes attached to them were handed out for the 2012–2013 season, with category-specific awards resuming for the 2013–2014 season.[19]

The first full awards ceremony under Theatre Philadelphia in 2014 was held at the Merriam Theater.[20] The awards moved to the Bok Building for 2018.[21] The Media Theatre and Walnut Street Theatre did not submit for consideration starting with the 2014 awards.[22] Media returned and submitted a show for the 2017–2018 season.[23]

In June 2018, Theatre Philadelphia announced the removal of gender identifiers from performance categories.[24] In 2018, the awards included an adjudication of twenty-four categories, including five cash awards totaling up to $118,000 for artists and organizations each year.[25]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a Barrymore Awards ceremony was not held in 2020.[26]

Notable awardees

Outstanding Production of a New Play

Outstanding Direction of a Play

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

Leading Actor (1995–2017)

Leading Actress (1995–2017)

Leading Actor (1995–2017)

Leading Actress (1995–2017)

Leading Performance (2018–present)

Supporting Actor (1995–2017)

Supporting Actress (1995–2017)

Supporting Performance (2018–present)

Supporting Actor (1995–2017)

Supporting Actress (1995–2017)

Supporting Performance (2018–present)

Outstanding Set Design

Outstanding Original Music

Outstanding Lighting Design

Outstanding Costume Design

Outstanding Choreography/Movement

F. Otto Haas Award

The F. Otto Haas Award, named after philanthropist F. Otto Haas, who died in 1994,[3] is an annual honor acknowledging an emerging theatre artist for artistic excellence and promise.[49] It is given along with a $10,000 prize.[1]

Distinguished Artist in the Theater

See also
  • Cushman Award, also presented during the Barrymore ceremony since 1995

References
  1. Nelson, Nels (September 9, 1994). "Move over, Tony, for Barrymore". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. Keating, Douglas J. (August 11, 1997). "Barrymore ceremony leaves the Annenberg". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Keating, Douglas J. (September 12, 1994). "Barrymore Awards to boost area theater". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Keating, Douglas J. (September 6, 1999). "Site of Barrymores moves to the Irvine at Penn". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Keating, Douglas J. (October 23, 2001). "Freedom takes five awards". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Keating, Douglas J. (October 8, 2002). "'Equus' leads Barrymore honors". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Ryan, Desmond (November 16, 2004). "Seven Barrymores for 'Constant Star' set new high mark". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Sotoyama, Sono (October 11, 2005). "Theatre Company, Arden pace 2005 Barrymore Awards". The Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Jones, Kenneth (October 2, 2007). "Caroline, Nerds, 42nd Street, Of Mice and Men Among 2007 Barrymore Winners in Philly". Playbill.com. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  10. Shapiro, Howard (October 6, 2009). "15th Barrymore Awards: Best of shows". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. Keating, Douglas J. (December 9, 1999). "Walnut decides to do without Barrymores". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. Ridley, Clifford A. (January 1, 2000). "Walnut back to Barrymores, thanks to new appeals process". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. Keating, Douglas J. (October 26, 2003). "Two theaters' absences dog awards". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. Zinman, Toby (August 2, 2007). "Walnut leads contenders for Barrymore Awards". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. Shapiro, Howard (April 12, 2012). "Area Theatre Alliance set to shut down". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. Shapiro, Howard (August 16, 2012). "Last Barrys? Area theater nominations announced". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. Shapiro, Howard (September 25, 2012). "11 plays win Barrymores, in a possible swan song". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. Shapiro, Howard (October 23, 2012). "In Philadelphia theater, the plot thickens". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. Stearns, David Patrick (November 5, 2013). "Phila.'s Barrymore Awards resurrected". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. Stearns, David Patrick (October 28, 2014). "Inis Nua and Lantern Theatre come out on top in Barrymores". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. Timpane, John (August 20, 2018). "Barrymore Awards nominations: More diverse, with surprises galore". Inquirer.com. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  22. Stearns, David Patrick (August 28, 2014). "Barrymore nominations are in". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. Timpane, John (October 10, 2017). "Theater Beat". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. Timpane, John (June 27, 2018). "Barrymore Awards go gender neutral". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. Hilario, Kenneth (November 6, 2018). "Barrymore Awards winners announced, record $118K in grants given to artists". Philadelphia Business Journal. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  26. Crimmins, Peter (November 15, 2020). "Celebrating Philly theater artists' advocacy in a year of pandemic-limited performance". WHYY.org. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  27. Ridley, Clifford A. (October 24, 1995). "Wilma Theater stars at Barrymores". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. "Congratulations to the recipients of the first annual Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 3, 1995. Retrieved June 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. Ridley, Clifford A. (October 20, 1999). "'Lebensraum,' 'Floyd Collins' are the tops at the Barrymores". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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  37. Shapiro, Howard (October 5, 2010). "'Piazza,' 'Becky Shaw' big winners". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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  40. Harden, Brandon T. (October 15, 2019). "Barrymores". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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  42. Ryan, Desmond (October 28, 2003). "Barrymore leaders are Prince and People's Light". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. Shapiro, Howard (October 7, 2008). "Star turns for best of local theater". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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  45. Stearns, David Patrick (October 25, 2016). "Barrymores". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. Timpane, John (November 5, 2018). "Barrymore Awards: Dulé Hill, People's Light, and Arden big winners". Inquirer.com. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  47. Ridley, Clifford A. (October 22, 1996). "'Love! Valour! Compassion!', 'Cabaret' each take five Barrymore Awards". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  48. "Walnut Street Theatre, Arden Company lead Barrymore winners". The Philadelphia Daily News. October 2, 2007. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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