Harvest festival closing ceremonies and honorable mentions:
Montreal, September 26, 2005: Harvest – The Montreal GLBT Int’l. Theatre Festival concluded Sunday, September 25 at 23h00 with the closing ceremonies held at the Just For Laughs Museum – Studio with a full house in attendance. The festival concluded with the ceremonies to announce the honorable mentions for the productions and performers of the Harvest.
The event was animated by festival coordinator and V.S.P. artistic director Davyn Ryall and started off with an encore performance of the Apple Of Eden the adopted festival theme song performed live by Sergio Apuzzo and Mary Vela. The festival’s major sponsors received thanks, including L’Arrondisment Ville-Marie local city official M. Robert Laramée and The Just for Laughs Museum – Studio’s, Peter Robitaille and staff, among others.
The official name ‘Harvest’ by which the festival will be referred to from now on was declared as well as the official symbol of the Harvest festival, a rainbow colored horn of plenty. The wicker painted cornucopia was presented as an award to each of the recipients of an honorable mention during the ceremonies. The jury was introduced and those present were invited on stage to assist in the presentations.
And the cornucopia goes to:
Most notable set design of a production: Cuthbert’s Last Stand
Most notable promotion and publicity campaign: Dum Blond Productions for Sex and la cite
Most notable original unpublished script: Safe Word by Denis Couillard
Most notable performance by an ensemble cast in an English production: Dum Blond Productions in Sex and la cite
Most notable performance by an ensemble cast in a French production: Kiss Kiss Productions in Surprise Surprise
Most notable performance by an actor in a featured role in a French production: Annick Daigneault – Les Nouvelles Amazones
Most notable performance by an actor in an English production: A tie … Aaron Kyte in After Words and Julien Elia in Seedlings
Most notable performance by an actor in a lead role in an English production: Robert Toms – Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Most notable performance by an actor in a lead role in an French production: Daniel Rousse – La Duchesse de Langeais
Most notable performance by an actor in a solo performance: Rich Kiamco in Unaccessorized
Most notable direction of a production in English or French: Davyn Ryall for Seedlings
Most notable overall production of the festival: Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Shoebox Theatre
Although official figures have yet to be announced, attendance of the festival is expected to have exceeded last years’ 1,700. With 17 productions and 4 special events Harvest ran extremely smoothly and received very positive reviews from the media, participants, and attendees alike. The closing event concluded with a promise from Davyn Ryall that the event would return same time next year with the expectations for a more international flavor and increased French language content.