Drammy Awards for Third Rail!

The Portland theatre community turned out in full force for the 2008 Drammy Awards ceremony on Monday night, to celebrate another year of creativity and to recognize the season's outstanding achievements. Third Rail was delighted to join in the celebration, and we were especially honored that Third Rail productions received a total of seven awards!

Grace
Grace

The first show of our 2007-2008 season, Craig Wright's Grace, was a big winner. The show's sound design (by Jen Raynak) and lighting design (by Michael Mazzola) were recognized with awards. Leif Norby received an award for his passionate performance as a physically and emotionally scarred scientist. Slayden Scott Yarbrough received his fourth Drammy in as many years for his direction. And, to top it all off, Grace was recognized with an Outstanding Production award.

We were delighted to see Bruce Burkhartsmeier receive an award for his performance as John in Shining City. After a 6-year hiatus from the stage, this was a wonderful and much-deserved "Welcome Back!" for Bruce. (If there were a "How Do You Remember All Those Lines" award, he would have gotten that, too!)

Shining City
Grace

Nobody Here But Us Chickens
Grace

Finally, scenic designer Curt Enderle, who received an award last year for his work on A Lesson From Aloes, was honored again this year for cooping up the audience and populating the IFCC with dozens of rollicking hens for Nobody Here But Us Chickens.

Farewell...
What a wonderful way to wrap up Third Rail's second season and to bring down the curtain on our residency at the IFCC. We are so grateful to the IFCC staff for offering Third Rail a home base for its formative years, and we urge you all to continue to support this vital arts center.

...and thank you.
Thanks, too, to the Drammy Committee for heaping so many laurels on Third Rail. Fear not, we don't intend to rest on 'em. We're already busy gearing up for our imminent move to the World Trade Center. 2008-2009 is going to be our most exciting season yet!

Kudos to the Portland theatre community for another memorable season, and congratulations to all of this year's Drammy winners. It's an honor to be included among you.