Constellation Theatre Company

Constellation Theatre Company

File:The logo of the Constellation Theatre Company of Washington, D.C.jpg Constellation Theatre Company Logo
Formation	2007
Type	Theatre group
Location	Washington, D.C.
Artistic director(s)	Allison Arkell Stockman (Founding Artistic Director)
Website	www.constellationtheatre.org

Constellation Theatre Company is a non-profit theater company located in Washington, D.C., performing at the Source Theatre, a black box theatre. Since its founding in 2007, Constellation has received several Helen Hayes Awards, including the John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company in 2009.

File:Source Theater Washington D C 2013 02 1-.jpg

The Source Theater, Washington, D.C., during the run of Constellation Theatre Company's production of Zorro

Artistic leadership

Constellation Theatre Company's founding artistic director is Allison Arkell Stockman. Stockman was a freelance director in Washington, D.C., and New York City. In 2006, she quit her job as a teacher, and started the theater company in 2007. A.J. Guban has been managing director since the founding of Constellation. He has received eight Helen Hayes Nominations for scenic and lighting design: Outstanding Lighting Design for The Wild Party and Avenue Q, 36 Views; and Outstanding Set Design for The Little Shop of Horrors, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Arabian Nights, Journey to the West, and 36 Views.

Productions

Current productions

2018–2019 Season: Epic Love

• Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce by Sarah Ruhl
• Aida with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang
• The Master and Margarita adapted by Edward Kemp
• The White Snake by Mary Zimmerman, based on the Chinese legend of the white snake

Production history

2017–2018 Season: Survival Instincts

• The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the silent film with live music by Tom Teasley
• The Wild Party with book, lyrics, and music by Andrew Lippa
• The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder
• The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht

2016–2017 Season

• Metropolis, the silent film with live music by Tom Teasley
• Urinetown music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann, book and lyrics by Greg Kotis
• Peter and the Starcatcher by Rick Elice
• The Arabian Nights by Mary Zimmerman

2015–2016 Season: Playtime for Grownups

• The Adventures of Prince Achmed by Lotte Reiniger with live music by Tom Teasley
• Avenue Q music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, book by Jeff Whitty
• Equus by Peter Shaffer
• Journey to the West by Mary Zimmerman, based on the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West

2014–2015 Season

• Right You Are (if you think so) by Luigi Pirandello, adapted by Martin Sherman
• The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh
• The Fire and the Rain, by Girish Karnad and drawn from The Mahabharata

2013–2014 Season

• 36 Views by Naomi Iizuka
• Scapin by Bill Irwin and Mark O'Donnell adapted from Les Fourberies de Scapin by Molière
• The Love of the Nightingale, by Timberlake Wertenbaker

2012–2013 Season

• Taking Steps by Alan Ayckbourn
• Zorro^* by Janet Allard and Eleanor Holdridge
• Gilgamesh, Poetry by Yusef Komunyakaa, concept & dramaturgy by Chad Gracia

^* world premier

2011–2012 Season

• The Ramayana (remount)
• Arms and the Man
• Blood Wedding
• Metamorphoses

2010–2011 Season

• Women Beware Women
• On The Razzle
• The Green Bird

2009–2010 Season

• A Flea in Her Ear
• Three Sisters
• The Ramayana

2008–2009 Season

• Temptation
• The Marriage of Figaro
• Crazyface

2007–2008 Season

• A Dream Play by August Strindberg adapted by Caryl Churchill
• The Arabian Nights by Mary Zimmerman
• The Good Woman of Setzuan
• The Oresteia

Grants

In September 2013, the American Theatre Wing (the founder of the Tony Awards) awarded a National Theatre Company Grant to Constellation Theatre. The grant is for general operating support to companies that "have articulated a distinctive mission, cultivated an audience, and nurtured a community of artists in ways that strengthen and demonstrate the quality, diversity, and dynamism of American theatre".

Awards

In 2009, Constellation received the John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company. Constellation has received 81 Helen Hayes Nominations and has won 17. All six of Constellation’s eligible productions from the past two years have been nominated. Outstanding Production in a Musical Little Shop of Horrors, 2020 The Wild Party, 2018 Urinetown, 2017 Avenue Q, 2016 - Won Outstanding Production in a Play Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce, 2019 - Won Equus, 2017 Outstanding Direction in a Musical Nick Martin, Little Shop of Horrors, 2020 Allison Arkell Stockman, The Wild Party, 2018 Allison Arkell Stockman, Urinetown, 2017 Allison Arkell Stockman, Avenue Q, 2016 - Won Outstanding Direction in a Play Nick Martin, Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce, 2019 - Won Outstanding Choreography in a Musical Ilona Kessell, Little Shop of Horrors, 2020 Ilona Kessell, The Wild Party, 2018 Ilona Kessell, Urinetown, 2017 Rachel Leigh Dolan, Avenue Q, 2016 Outstanding Musical Direction Walter "Bobby" McCoy, Little Shop of Horrors, 2020 Walter "Bobby" McCoy, Aida, 2019 Walter "Bobby" McCoy, The Wild Party, 2018 Jake Null, Urinetown, 2017 Jake Null, Avenue Q, 2016 - Won Outstanding Costume Design Frank Labovitz, Little Shop of Horrors, 2020 Kelsey Hunt, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, 2019 Erik Teague, The Arabian Nights, 2018 Erik Teague, The Wild Party, 2018 Kendra Rai, Journey to the West, 2017 Kara Waala, Avenue Q, 2016 Kendra Rai, The Green Bird, 2012 - Won Outstanding Set Design A.J. Guban, The Little Shop of Horrors, 2020 A.J. Guban, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, 2019 A.J. Guban, The Arabian Nights, 2018 Tony Cisek, The Wild Party, 2018 A.J. Guban, Journey to the West, 2017 A.J. Guban, 36 Views, 2014 Outstanding Lighting Design A.J. Guban, The Wild Party, 2018 Colin K. Bills, Journey to the West, 2017 A.J. Guban, Avenue Q, 2016 A.J. Guban, 36 Views, 2014 Outstanding Sound Design Tom Teasley & Chao Tian, The White Snake, 2020 Gordon Nimmo-Smith, Matthew Schleigh, Brian Lotter,The Caucasian Chalk Circle, 2019 Tom Teasley, The Arabian Nights, 2018 Justin Schmitz, The Wild Party, 2018 Palmer Hefferan, Equus, 2017 Tom Teasley, Journey to the West, 2017 - Won Tom Teasley, The Fire and The Rain, 2016 Tom Teasley, The Love of the Nightingale, 2015 Tom Teasley, The Green Bird, 2012 - Won Tom Teasley, The Ramayana, 2011 - Won Tom Teasley, Crazyface, 2010 - Won Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical Little Shop of Horrors, 2020 The Wild Party, 2018 Avenue Q, 2016 - Won Outstanding Ensemble in a Play Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce, 2019 Peter and the Starcatcher, 2018 - Won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical Shayla S. Simmons, Aida, 2019 Katy Carkuff, Avenue Q, 2016 - Won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical Christian Montgomery, Little Shop of Horrors, 2020 Jimmy Mavrikes, The Wild Party, 2018 Matt Dewberry, Avenue Q, 2016 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical Alana Thomas, Little Shop of Horrors, 2020 Chani Wereley, Little Shop of Horrors, 2020 Kari Ginsburg, The Wild Party, 2018 - Won Jenna Berk, Urinetown, 2017 Emily Zickler, Avenue Q, 2016 - Won Jenna Berk, Avenue Q, 2016 Justine "Icy" Moral, Avenue Q, 2016 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical Marty Austin Lamar, Little Shop of Horrors, 2020 Da'Von Moody, Aida, 2019 Matt Dewberry, Urinetown, 2017 Vaughn Ryan Midder, Avenue Q, 2016 - Won Mikey Cafarelli, Avenue Q, 2016 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play Tonya Beckman, The Skin of Our Teeth, 2019 Billie Krishawn, Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce, 2019 Megan Graves, Peter and the Starcatcher, 2018 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play Scott Ward Abernethy, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, 2019 Dallas Tolentino, Journey to the West, 2017 Matthew Aldwin McGee, Taking Steps, 2013 - Won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play Justine "Icy" Moral, Journey to the West, 2017 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play Jordan Campbell, Peter and the Starcatcher, 2018 Matt Dewberry, Peter and the Starcatcher, 2018 Alex Vernon, Peter and the Starcatcher, 2018 Ryan Tumulty, Journey to the West, 2017 Outstanding Choreography in a PlayCasey Kaleba, Matthew R. Wilson, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, 2016 The Constellation Theatre Company was nominated for the following Audience Choice Awards

• 2008 Crazyface (Favorite Ensemble)
• 2009 Three Sisters (Favorite Plays, Favorite Actress in a Play)
• 2013 Taking Steps (Best Play, Best Actor in a Play), Zorro (Best Ensemble Cast, Best Actor in a Play)

Costume Designer Kendra Rai was awarded a 2014 Princess Grace Foundation honorarium to be used for the company's 2014–2015 season costumes

See also

• Helen Hayes Award
• List of theaters in Washington, D.C.