Christopher Blank - The Commercial Appeal -

A play about a dysfunctional family and a musical full of Gershwin tunes were the top winners at the 28th annual Ostrander Awards Sunday night at the Memphis Botanic Garden.

Although Playhouse on the Square's production of "August: Osage County" and Theatre Memphis' "Crazy for You" came out ahead at the ceremony that recognizes achievement in community and college theater, the evening wasn't without surprises in big categories.
"August: Osage County," the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Tracy Letts, was the show to beat with its 12 nominations. It got only four awards, including best drama, best director for Rob Satterlee, supporting actor for Ed Porter and set design for Mark Guirguis.

Best musical winner "Crazy For You" had 11 nominations and won five of them. Its director Robert Hetherington, leading actor Jordan Nichols, choreographers Kathy Caradine and Pam Hurley and prop designer Christopher McCollum all won the Ossies in their categories.

Interestingly, all 10 acting awards went to performers from 10 different plays. Leading actor David Foster starred in this summer's "Dividing the Estate," while leading actress Crystin Gilmore starred in "Black Pearl Sings" early last season.

The Ostrander judges remembered Kirie Walz's fine leading musical actress turn in "Annie Get Your Gun" at Theatre Memphis, which opened the 2010-11 season. Clair Kolheim, who won for supporting actress, appeared in Playhouse's more recent production of "Ragtime."

Harrell Theatre in Collierville won two awards; Germantown Community Theatre scored one award for the ensemble in the play "The Dixie Swim Club;" and Hattiloo Theatre's "The Wiz" earned an award for director Tony Horne.

"I think the fact that not one show swept the awards this year illustrates how strong we're getting as a community," said Lindsey Roberts, organizer of the event on behalf of Memphis Magazine and ArtsMemphis and due to take over fully next season from outgoing Ostrander organizer Janie McCrary, who was honored at the ceremony. "There are so many exciting people to see, that you can expect something really strong in almost anything you go to."

Memphis' version of Broadway's Tony Awards has been a gala event for the theater community for 28 years. Ten years ago, the awards were named after the late actor Jim Ostrander.

Ed Porter, a graduate student at Rhodes College, won the Larry Riley Rising Star Award for young actors.

But the evening's biggest honor, the Eugart Yerian award for lifetime achievement, went to Ron Gephart, who came to Memphis in 1980 and quickly became a fixture on local stages. The semi-retired adjunct professor at Southwest Tennessee Community College most recently starred in a critically acclaimed performance of Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman" at TheatreWorks.

In the college categories, Rhodes College won best musical for its production of "The Robber Bridegroom," while the University of Memphis won best drama for "Stuff Happens."