Toasting the season on Edmonton stages: the 37th annual Sterling Awards, led by Brick Shithouse

The Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards:

Outstanding Choreography, Fight/Intimacy Direction

Sam Jeffery (Fight & Intimacy Direction), Brick Shithouse (Fenceless Theatre & Common Ground Arts) - WINNER

…But it was a new play, produced with visceral bone-crushing physicality in a warehouse, that proved decisively the top choice of jurors at the celebration, named for theatre pioneer Elizabeth Sterling Haynes. Ashleigh Hicks’ Brick Shithouse, which took us into the world of disaffected 20-something underachievers gravitating to the dangerous illusion of online anonymity, picked up six Sterlings of its eight nominations. In addition to top honours in the indie category, the fenceless theatre production (developed by Common Ground Arts Society at its Found Festival) took away a best director award for Sarah J Culkin, as well as Sterlings for Even Gilchrist’s lighting, Sam Jeffery’s fight direction, and Culkin’s ensemble cast. And it garnered the playwright the top award in the highly competitive best new play category where contenders included Stephen Massicotte, Kole Durnford, Andrew Ritchie and AJ Hrooshkin.