'Steel Magnolias' top winner of Gold Hill's Albert Awards

By Karen Woodmansee

Appeal Staff Writer

The Gold Hill Theater Troupe, which celebrates its plays as "Way, way off Broadway," held its annual Albert Awards - its version of the Oscars - Sunday.

Then they all got together in the Gold Hill Hotel's great room to watch the telecast of the Hollywood version.

The big winner in Gold Hill was "Steel Magnolias," which was performed last spring and won Best Play, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Young Actor, Best Female Comedic Performance and Best Stage Manager.

The play's director, Cameron Crain, said the actresses in the production were the reason for its success at the hotel.

"I give it all back to the ladies," he said. "It was their butts on stage, not mine."

The play, written by Robert Harding, is the saga of six women and takes place in a beauty parlor in Louisiana.

Jo Kilmer starred as M'Lynn, Emma Musser as Shelby, Cathylee James as Truvy, Michele Crain as Annelle, Leslie Stevens as Claree and Jeanne Weber as Ouiser.

"It was one of the most wonderful things this troupe has ever done," said an emotional Kilmer, who also won the Best Actress award for her performance. "It changed my life."

"I enjoyed playing a clueless white trash woman," Michele Crain said. "Seriously, it was so much more than entertaining the audience, it brought us together."

The Producer's Showmanship Award went to Cameron Crain.

"It's hard to select one thing out of all the good things we've done to get the big award," said Bill Fain, the troupe's founder and producer. He honored Crain, he said, for being an actor, director and many other things, and was rewarded with a hug.

"I've come to love this place and can't imagine not having this in my life," Crain said.

Performances in the troupe's 2007 plays and Follies were honored, complete with film clips shown from a flat screen TV and computer hookup.

Though the evening didn't have Jon Stewart or the pomp of the Academy Awards, the Gold Hill troupe made up for it with humor, shown by some of the more unusual awards.

For Most Costume Changes in a Single Play - Mark Stevens in "The Dream." Stevens played a killer, The Killer - Jerry Lee Lewis, and 1970s pro wrestler Killer Kowalski in the offbeat story of a hotel owner's dream.

The Best Emergency Fill-in award went to Musser for "Steel Magnolias."

Best Kiss - a traditional award at the Alberts - went to married couple Michele and Cameron Crain and led to a few jokes about how things get started, since Michele is pregnant with twins.

The Best Fight was given to Emma Musser and Jo Kilmer, who played Shelby and M'Lynn in "Steel Magnolias"

Peter Rilea won an award for Best Loincloth for "The Dream," "Biggest Stud" went to Smokey, Ballinger's paint horse who put in a cameo in "Much Ado About Nothing," and Best Spanking went to Alexandra Muntean Musser and Michael Schwalb, also for a scene in "Much Ado About Nothing." Schwalb was the recipient.

There were also special awards given for Photography to Redarle Baker, Sharon McCrary and Mark Stevens; for Film, to Lisa Light and Stevens, and Music to Michele Crain. Richard Rondeau received a special award for being the troupe's only key grip.

Fain said the Alberts were the traditional closing of a year's productions.

"We have really completed the year's productions, because we have not only done them, we have complimented each other," he said.

• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111 ext. 351.

Winners

Plays

Best Play - "Steel Magnolias"

Best Actor - Mark Stevens in "The Dream"

Best Actress - Jo Kilmer in "Steel Magnolias"

Best Director - Cameron Crain for "Steel Magnolias"

Best Playwright - Paul Sweetwood for "The Dream"

Best Supporting Actress - Jeanne Weber in "Steel Magnolias"

Best Supporting Actor - Dan Morgan in "Much Ado About Nothing"

Best Young Actor - Emma Musser in "Steel Magnolias"

Most Promising Newcomer - Lydia Jones in "The Uninvited

Best Female Comedic Performance - Jeanne Weber in "Steel Magnolias"

Best Male Comedic Performance - Mark Stevens in "The Dream"

Best Stage Manager - Katie Dotson for "Steel Magnolias"

Best Set Design - Richard Rondeau and Robert Boehme for "Much Ado About Nothing"

Best Costumes - Bevin Wilslow for "Much Ado About Nothing"

Producer's Showmanship Award - Cameron Crain

Follies

Best Dance - Perry Marshall Arnn and Lisa Light

Best Duet - Teresa Cumberland and Bryan Ballinger

Best Comedic Performance - Michele Crain, Rene Anderson & Lydia Jones

Best Group - "Cell Block Tango"

Best Director - Redarle Baker and Leslie Stevens

Best Emcee - Michael Schwalb

Best Female Performer - Teresa Cumberland

Best Male Performer - Bryan Ballinger