As Christmas approaches I get to offer, with considerable delight, my picks for the best of Olympia theater. This was a banner year, with something for everyone and more than enough deserving candidates for each of the five categories. Those exceptional nominees who made a difficult cut have been listed below in alphabetical order, with winning choices printed in bold. I was out of town the opening weekend of OLT's Red Herring, so I apologize to that show's cast and crew. As further disclosure, yes, Amanda Stevens is my wife. I very nearly excluded her for that reason - but she was damn good in Chamber Music, and I challenge anyone who saw that show to argue otherwise.

Actor

Mike Dooly, Middletown (Harlequin Productions)

Joanna Gibson, Barefoot in the Park (Olympia Little Theatre)

Bill Johns, Middletown (Harlequin)

Xander Layden, The Head! That Wouldn't Die! (Theater Artists Olympia)

Karen Nelsen, Fighting Over Beverley (Harlequin)

Vanessa Postil, The Head! That Wouldn't Die! (TAO)

Kaaren Spanski-Dreffin, Educating Rita (OLT)

Terri Weagant, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe (Harlequin)

Dennis Worrell, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] (TAO)

David Wright, Fighting Over Beverley (Harlequin)

Director

Pug Bujeaud, The Head! That Wouldn't Die! (TAO)

Kathy Dorgan, Orphan Train (Olympia Family Theater)

Aaron Lamb, Middletown (Harlequin)

Robert McConkey, The Tempest (OLT)

Linda Whitney, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Harlequin)

Supporting Cast

Mark Alford, A Rock 'n' Roll Twelfth Night (Harlequin)

Alayna Joelle Chamberland, The Tempest (OLT)

Scott Douglas,The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Animal Fire Theatre)

Rachel Fitzgerald, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Harlequin)

Meghan Goodman, Blithe Spirit (OLT)

Jason Haws, Clybourne Park  (Harlequin)

Russ Holm, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Harlequin)

Miguel Pineda, A Rock 'n' Roll Twelfth Night (Harlequin)

Amanda Stevens, Chamber Music (TAO)

Ashley Wagaman, The Exonerated (South Puget Sound Community College)

Show

Boeing Boeing (OLT)

Clybourne Park (Harlequin)

The Head! That Wouldn't Die! (TAO)

A Rock 'n' Roll Twelfth Night (Harlequin)

The Tempest (OLT)

Tech

Boeing Boeing (OLT)

Busytown(OFT)

A Rock 'n' Roll Twelfth Night (Harlequin)

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe(Harlequin)

The Tempest (OLT)