The 15th VDL Awards 2011

The 15^th Victorian Drama League Awards were presented on Sunday December 4, 2011 in Melbourne.

Kym Davies reports, “The fifteenth annual VDL Awards was an energetic and lively night filled with great friends, great food and the chance to celebrate the amazing array of talent in Victorian community theatre.

Big winners at the awards dinner were Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre with 6 awards for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Set Design, Lighting Design, Direction, and Best Drama Production for their outstanding production of Death of a Salesman, and the Beaumaris Theatre Inc. production of The Importance of Being Earnest, which took out gongs for Best Comedy Production,  Best Direction of a Comedy, three acting awards and the Best Costume Design Award.

BEST SET DESIGN in a COMEDY or a DRAMA

Silver Award - John Shelbourn - Williamstown Little Theatre Inc. - Not About Heroes by Stephen MacDonald

Gold Award - Graham Mc Guffie - Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Co.Inc. - Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN in a COMEDY or a DRAMA

Silver Award - Deryk Hartwick - Encore Theatre Inc. - Life After George by Hannie Rayson.

Gold Award - The Frank Donahue Perpetual Trophy - Donated by The 1812 Theatre - Graham McGuffie - Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Co.Inc. - Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.

BEST SOUND DESIGN in a COMEDY or a DRAMA

Silver Award - Neil Williamson - Heidelberg Theatre Company - The History Boys by Alan Bennett.

Gold Award - The Victorian Drama League Perpetual Trophy - Donated by V F Trainor Trophies - Andrea Cole - Eltham Little Theatre Inc. We Happy Few by Imogen Stubbs.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN in a COMEDY or a DRAMA

Silver Award - Shane Ryan - Williamstown Little Theatre Inc. - Not About Heroes by Stephen MacDonald.

Gold Award - The Russell Johnson Perpetual Trophy - Donated by Sonia and Eddy Jager -Kristina Doucouliagos and Emma Sproule - Beaumaris Theatre Inc. - The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

BEST ACTRESS in a MINOR ROLE in a COMEDY or a DRAMA

Rose Jowett Smith as Young David Sarnoff and others - Malvern Theatre Company Inc. - The Farnsworth Invention by Aaron Sorkin.

BEST ACTOR in a MINOR ROLE in a COMEDY or a DRAMA

Peter Emery as Lane and Merriman - Beaumaris Theatre Inc. - The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS in a COMEDY

Jennifer Gilchrist as Lady Bracknell - Beaumaris Theatre Inc. - The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS in a DRAMA

This award resulted in a tie.

The Yvonne Manley Perpetual Trophy - Donated by Sherbrooke Theatre Company - Melissa Karakaltsas as Charlotte Peters - Eltham Little Theatre Inc. - We Happy Few by Imogen Stubbs and Jane Menze as Helen Irving - Eltham Little Theatre Inc.- We Happy Few by Imogen Stubbs

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR in a COMEDY

Daniel O’Kane as Doug - Gemco Players Community Theatre Inc. - Cosi by Louis Nowra

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR in a DRAMA

Joe Dias as Biff - Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Co.Inc. - Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

BEST ACTRESS in a COMEDY

Kristina Doucouliagos as Cecily Cardew - Beaumaris Theatre Inc. - The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

BEST ACTRESS in a DRAMA

The Victorian Drama League Perpetual Trophy

Donated by Waverley Theatre Company

Gail Bradley as Professor Lindsay Graham - Encore Theatre Inc. - Life After George by Hannie Rayson

BEST ACTOR in a COMEDY

The Max Grant Perpetual Trophy

Donated by Mitcham Theatre Group

James Antonas as Norman  - Essendon Theatre Company - Living Together by Alan Ackybourn.

BEST ACTOR in a DRAMA

The David Perkins Perpetual Trophy

Donated by David Perkins

Barry O’Neill as Willy Loman - Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Co.Inc. - Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

BEST DIRECTOR of a COMEDY PRODUCTION

The Edna (Jones) Bartlett Perpetual Trophy

Donated by Gordon Bartlett

Emma Sproule - Beaumaris Theatre Inc. - The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

BEST DIRECTOR of a DRAMA PRODUCTION

The Edna Chandler Perpetual Trophy

Donated by The Basin Theatre Group

Kevin Trask - Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Co.Inc. - Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

BEST COMEDY PRODUCTION

The Victorian Drama League Perpetual Trophy

Donated by Charles 'Bud' Tingwell

Beaumaris Theatre Inc. - The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

BEST DRAMA PRODUCTION

The Victorian Drama League Perpetual Trophy

Donated by V F Trainor Trophies

Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Company - Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.