Betty Award

{{Infobox award

| name = Betty Award

| current_awards = 22nd Betty Awards

| image =

| imagesize =

| alt =

| caption =

| awarded_for = Outstanding achievement in Calgary's professional theatre community

| presenter =

| country = {{CAN}}

| year = {{Start date and age|1998}}

| website = {{URL|bettymitchellawards.com}}

}}

Betty Mitchell Awards were created in 1998 to celebrate and honour outstanding achievement in Calgary's professional theatre community. It is commonly called the Betty Award and is named for Calgary theatre pioneer Dr. Betty Mitchell.{{Citation

| last = Northof | first = Anne

| title = Betty Mitchell

| publisher = The Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia, Athabasca University Press

| date = February 18, 2018

| url = http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Mitchell%2C%20Betty

| access-date = June 16, 2019 }}{{Citation

| last = Morrow

| first = Martin

| title = City theatre launches Betty Mitchell Awards

| newspaper = Calgary Herald

| pages = E2

| date = 18 June 1998

| url = https://www.newspapers.com/image/485661225/?terms=%22betty%2Bmitchell%2Baward%22

| access-date = 15 June 2019}}{{Citation

| last = Brooks

| first = Bill

| title = Betty Mitchell Awards honor the best of city's theatre world

| newspaper = Calgary Herald

| date = 4 September 2014

| url = http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Betty+Mitchell+Awards+honour+best+city+theatre+world/10177957/story.html

| access-date = 15 June 2019}}

Awards

The awards ceremony for the 2018–19 season was held on June 24 at the Vertigo Theatre in Calgary.Louis B. Hobson, [https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/theatre/schemers-and-spies-top-the-betty-mitchell-award-nominations Schemers and spies top the Betty Mitchell Award nominations], Calgary Herald, June 5, 2019

In 2019, Pakistani-Canadian actor Ahad Raza Mir, the first Pakistani actor to play Hamlet in Canada,News Desk, [https://dailytimes.com.pk/371438/ahad-raza-mir-becomes-first-pakistani-to-star-as-hamlet-in-canada/ Ahad Raza Mir becomes first Pakistani to star as Hamlet in Canada], Daily Times (Pakistan), March 31, 2019 won the Betty for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Drama for his performance of the title role[https://www.hipinpakistan.com/news/1158042 Ahad Raza Mir Wins the Betty Mitchell Award for Hamlet!], Hip In Pakistan In that same year Tiffany Ayalik became the first Inuk recipient of a Betty Award.{{cite web |title=Inuit actress wins 'Outstanding Performance' prize |url=https://windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/inuit-actress-wins-outstanding-performance-prize |website=Windspeaker |date=June 27, 2019}}

=Categories=

Awards are given in the following categories:

  • Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble
  • Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
  • Outstanding Lighting Design
  • Outstanding Set Design
  • Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"

|+ style="text-align: left;"|{{nowrap|•Outstanding Projection or Video Design}}

style="background:#bebebe;"! scope="col" | Year! scope="col" | Designer! scope="col" | Production

! rowspan="6"| 2024

style="background:#B0C4DE"

| Beth Kates

| Meteor Shower

Scott Reid

| A Christmas Carol

Brendan Briceland

| Selma Burke

David Bengali

| Beaches The Musical

Brendan Briceland

| Girl on the Train

rowspan="6"| 2023
Andy Moro

| Hookman

Scott Reid

| Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express

Andy Moro

| The Extractionist

Cindy Mochizuki (Video Design & animation), Sammy Chien/Chimerik Collective (Projection Design)

| Forgiveness

style="background:#B0C4DE"

| Wladimiro A. Woyno R.

| STRUCK

rowspan="6"| 2022
Nicolas Dostie, Irina Litvinenko, Rick Miller

| Boom YZ

style="background:#B0C4DE"

| Jamie Nesbitt

| Cipher

Jamie Nesbitt

| In Wonderland

Scott Reid

| A Christmas Carol

Scott Reid

| Million Dollar Quartet

rowspan="6"| 2019Louis B. Hobson, [https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/theatre/betty-mitchell-theatre-awards-go-crazy-for-theatre-calgary Schemers and spies top the Betty Mitchell Award nominations], Calgary Herald, June 5, 2019
Nicolas Dotsie

| BOOM X

Bretta Gerecke

|The Invisible Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Amelia Scott

| A Love Letter to Emily C

Andy Moro

| Honour Beat

style="background:#B0C4DE"

| Elaine J. McCarthy

|Everest

rowspan="6"| 2018Louis B. Hobson, [https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/theatre/betty-mitchell-theatre-awards-go-crazy-for-theatre-calgary Puppets and sisters big winners at Betty Mitchell Awards], Calgary Herald, June 26, 2018
style="background:#B0C4DE"

| Jamie Nesbitt

| Nine Dragons

Remy Siu

| Empire of the Son

T. Erin Gruber

| Easter Island

Corwin Ferguson

| Julius Caesar

Amelia Scott

|To the Light

rowspan="6"| 2017Louis B. Hobson, [https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/theatre/betty-mitchell-theatre-awards-go-crazy-for-theatre-calgary Betty Mitchell Theatre Awards go Crazy for Theatre Calgary], Calgary Herald, August 22, 2017
Corwin Ferguson

| Richard III

David Leclerc

| BOOM

Jamie Nesbitt

| The Big Sleep

style="background:#B0C4DE"

| Amelia Scott with illustrations by Tyler Jenkins

| Crime Does Not Pay

JP Thibodeau

|Lest We Forget

rowspan="6"| 2016Louis B. Hobson, [https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/theatre/best-of-calgary-theatre-honoured-at-betty-mitchell-awards Best of Calgary theatre honoured at Betty Mitchell Awards], Calgary Herald, August 23, 2016
style="background:#B0C4DE"

| Jamie Nesbitt

| Calamity Town

Sean Nieuwenhuis

| The Little Prince

Scott Reid

| Die Tote Stadt

JP Thibodeau

| The Boy’s Own Jedi Handbook

Amelia Scott and Joel Adria

|Cockroach

rowspan="6"| 2015Bill Brooks, [https://www.newspapers.com/image/487101118/ Betty honors Calgary's shining stars], [Calgary Herald], September 12, 2015
Andrzej Goulding

| Silent Night

Jamie Nesbitt

| Liberation Days

Jamie Nesbitt

| Farewell, My Lovely

Kalyna Conrad

| Legoland

style="background:#B0C4DE"

| Wladimiro A. Woyno R., Matthew Waddell and Laura Anzola

|The Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst

rowspan="6"| 2014Bill Brooks, [http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Betty+Mitchell+Awards+honour+best+city+theatre+world/10177957/story.html Betty Mitchell Awards honor the best of city's theatre world], Calgary Herald, September 5, 2014
Kaely Dekker

| n00b

Corwin Ferguson

| You Will Remember Me

T. Erin Gruber

| A Bomb in the Heart

style="background:#B0C4DE"

| Jamie Nesbitt

| The Hound of the Baskervilles

style="background:#B0C4DE"

| Sean Nieuwenhuis

|The Mountaintop

  • Outstanding Costume Design
  • Outstanding Sound Design or Composition
  • Outstanding Choreography or Fight Direction
  • Outstanding Musical Direction
  • Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Comedy or Musical
  • Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Comedy or Musical
  • Outstanding New Play
  • Outstanding Direction
  • Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Drama
  • Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Drama
  • Outstanding Production of a Musical
  • Outstanding Production of a Play

=Ceremony=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

! colspan= 4 style="background:#DDDDDD;" | Betty Mitchell Award Ceremonies

CeremonyVenueDateHost(s)
1stStage WestAugust 24, 1998Lindsay Burns{{cite news |last1=Boettcher |first1=Shelley |title=Bright Lights |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/485824124/ |access-date=August 25, 2019 |work=Calgary Herald |date=August 30, 1998}}
2ndStage WestAugust 30, 1999{{cite news |last1=Morrow |first1=Martin |title=Sage Theatre dominates Betties |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/485963167/ |work=Calgary Herald }}
3rdStage WestAugust 28, 2000
4thStage WestAugust 28, 2001Dave Kelly
Elizabeth Stepkowski{{cite news |last1=Muretich |first1=James |title=Comedy, drama at Betties |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/486235818/ |access-date=August 25, 2019 |work=Calgary Herald |date=July 3, 1999}}
5thStage WestAugust 26, 2002Dave Kelly
Karen Johnson-Diamond{{cite news |last1=Clark |first1=Bob |title=Calgary's theatre community bestows Bettys |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/486568651/ |access-date=August 25, 2019 |work=Calgary Herald |date=August 27, 2002}}
6thStage WestAugust 25, 2003Mark Bellamy
Kevin Rothery{{cite news |last1=Clark |first1=Bob |title=Filumena, ATP stage major wins |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/486571370/ |access-date=August 25, 2019 |work=Calgary Herald |date=August 26, 2003}}
7thStage WestAugust 30, 2004
8thStage WestAugust 29, 2005Bob White
Laura Parken{{cite news |last1=Clark |first1=Bob |title=Pinocchio, Black Rider lead way at sold-out Bettys |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/486697580/ |page=D2 |access-date=August 25, 2019 |work=Calgary Herald |date=August 30, 2005}}
9thStage WestAugust 28, 2006Grant Linneberg{{cite news |last1=Clark |first1=Bob |title=Betty shines on Calgary stars |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/486984487/ |page=C6 |access-date=August 25, 2019 |work=Calgary Herald |date=September 3, 2006}}
10thStage West2007
11thStage WestAugust 25, 2008Dave Kelly{{cite news |last1=Clark |first1=Bob |title=Ties the tale at 2008 Betty Mitchell Awards |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/487721518/ |access-date=August 25, 2019 |work=Calgary Herald |date=August 26, 2008}}[https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/the-drowning-girls-surfaces-with-4-calgary-theatre-awards-1.763735 "The Drowning Girls surfaces with 4 Calgary theatre awards"]. CBC Arts, Aug 26, 2008
12thMax Bell Theatre, EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing ArtsAugust 24, 2009
13thMax Bell Theatre, EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing ArtsAugust 30, 2010AJ Demers
Julie Orton
14thStage WestAugust 20, 2011Karen Johnson-Diamond
Kevin Rothery
15thStage WestAugust 27, 2012Russell Bowers
16thStage WestAugust 26, 2013Nicole Zylstra
Stafford Perry
17thStage WestAugust 18, 2014Stephen Hair{{cite news |last1=Brooks |first1=Bill |title=Betty Mitchell Awards honour the best of city's theatre world |url=http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Betty+Mitchell+Awards+honour+best+city+theatre+world/10177957/story.html |access-date=August 25, 2019 |work=Calgary Herald |date=September 5, 2014}}
18thVertigo TheatreAugust 24, 2015Julie Orton
19thVertigo Theatre2016Josh Bertwistle, Carly McKee
Chris Enright, Nicole Zylstra
20thVertigo Theatre2017Mark Bellamy
Selena Wong
21stVertigo TheatreJune 25, 2018Katherine Fadum
Michael Tan{{cite news |last1=Theatre Alberta Staff |title=Interview with Braden Griffiths: 21st Annual Betty Mitchell Awards |url=https://www.theatrealberta.com/2018/06/20/news-calgary-interview-with-braden-griffiths-21st-annual-betty-mitchell-awards/ |access-date=August 25, 2019 |work=Theatre Alberta |date=June 20, 2018}}
22ndVertigo TheatreJune 24, 2019Raven Virginia

Statue update

The original Betty Mitchell Award statue, designed by local Calgary sculptor, Petronella Overes, was inspired by the geography surrounding Calgary. It was a steel base containing a glass monolith with motifs of mountains and prairies. For the 10th anniversary of the awards in 2007 she redesigned it replacing the steel base with powder coated aluminum and increased the contrast in the tone and texture of the awards metal and glass.{{Citation

| last = Clark

| first = B

| title = Award gets an update

| newspaper = Calgary Herald

| pages = C2

| date = 27 August 2014

| url = https://www.newspapers.com/image/487996800

| access-date = 15 June 2019}}

The Award received its most recent design update in 2014 when the Overes design was replaced with a multi-colour teardrop-shaped glass sculpture created by a local glass blowing collective, Bee Kingdom Glass. Each one is unique, as they are hand-blown.

See also

References

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