Sterling Award Nominations Announced
Liz Nicholls, The Edmonton Journal
Published: Tuesday, June 06, 2006
EDMONTON - Maybe they'll have to rename happy hour at the Next Act. Something like Exhilaration and/or Despair Hour: one more round, with feeling. Edmonton's big, loud, opinionated theatre community assembled in the Strathcona actors' pub Monday to hoist a glass and spring roll in honour of the season's achievements onstage.

Among the nominees:

- Outstanding Fringe new work (award to playwright): Breathe by Adrian Lackey (Tuna Melt), Nighthawk Rules by James Hamilton and Collin Doyle (40 Foot Theatre), Soul Mate by David Belke (ACME Theatrics), Spring Alibi by Linda Wood Edwards (Northern Sabbatical Productions)

- Outstanding Fringe performance by an actress: Clarice Eckford, A Day for Surprises/The Love Course (SPIRIT), Caroline Livingstone, Never Swim Alone (Scarface Productions), Tracy Penner, Simple Gifts (That's Life Productions), Liana Shannon, Afterplay (Blarney Productions)

Also, a special Sterling will go to the versatile Gerald Osborn (the Margaret Mooney Award in Administration).

Voting by the theatre community, 500 strong, is next (next year, voting is by jury). Then comes the divvying up of the Lucite hardware. The Sterlings will be distributed at a June 26 gala at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre, hosted by veteran arts commentator Colin MacLean and actor Kate Ryan.
lnicholls@thejournal.canwest.com