Each year, Philadelphia critic Neal Zoren sees hundreds of productions in Philadelphia and beyond. In 2016, he made it to 176 shows. From that huge sample, he chose his favorite productions, directors, and actors from the last year. And the winners are… (see Neals Paper for more coverage and rankings)
BEST PRODUCTION
COLD MOUNTAIN, Opera Philadelphia, Philadelphia
DISGRACED, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, N.J.
AN ILIAD, Lantern Theater, Philadelphia
THE PIANO LESSON, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, N.J.
RICHARD III, People’s Light & Theatre Company, Malvern, Pa.
BEST DIRECTOR
LEONARD FOGLIA, Cold Mountain, Opera Philadelphia, Philadelphia
M. CRAIG GETTING, An Iliad, Lantern Theater, Philadelphia
ADAM IMMERWAHR, The Mousetrap, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, N.J.
MARCELA LORCA, Disgraced, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, N.J.
SAMANTHA READING, Richard III, People’s Light & Theatre Company, Malvern, Pa.
BEST ACTOR
PETER DeLAURIER, An Iliad, Lantern Theater, Philadelphia
MABOUD EBRAHIMZADEH, Disgraced, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, N.J. and An Invisible Hand, Theater Exile, Philadelphia
JAMES IJAMES, An Octoroon, Wilma Theater, Philadelphia
JARRETT OTT, Cold Mountain, Opera Philadelphia
MATTEO SCAMMELL, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Arden Theatre, Philadelphia
BEST ACTRESS
CARLA BELVER, Driving Miss Daisy, Act II Playhouse, Ambler, Pa.
JANIS DARDARIS, Mother Courage and Her Children, Quintessence Theatre Group, Philadelphia
KIERA DUFFY, Breaking the Waves, Opera Philadelphia, Philadelphia
KITTSON O’NEILL, Grounded, InterAct Theatre, Philadelphia and Or, Hedgerow Theatre, Rose Valley, Pa.
PATRICIA RICHARDSON, Steel Magnolias, Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope, Pa.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
JAKE BLOUCH, See What I Wanna See, 11th Hour, Philadelphia, and Mauritius, Act II Playhouse, Ambler, Pa.
LUKE BRAHDT, 1776, Media Theatre, Media, Pa.
JOHN EARL JELKS, The Piano Lesson, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, N.J.
ANTHONY LAWTON, The Carols, 1812 Productions, Philadelphia
CHRISTOPHER PATRICK MULLEN, Richard III, People’s Light & Theatre Company, Malvern, Pa.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
LORI TAN CHINN, South Pacific, Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia
JOYCE EL-KHOURY, Turandot, Opera Philadelphia, Philadelphia
EVE GIGLIOTTI, Breaking the Waves, Opera Philadelphia, Philadelphia
CAMPBELL O’HARE, An Octoroon, Wilma Theater, Philadelphia, and Mauritius, Act II Playhouse, Ambler, Pa.
SUSAN SULLIVAN, Steel Magnolias, Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope, Pa.
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