Nobody’s Business Theatre is thrilled to announce that the 2010 Steam Whistle Emerging Artist Award was presented to Johnnie Walker for his work in Redheaded Stepchild at the closing party for SummerWorks. We are immensely proud of our show and its reception, and truly want to thank every person who came to see it (and for those who didn’t get in, we will do our best to give you another chance to see it!).

The award statue is beautiful (and designed by OCAD student Chao Gao). We will have to construct a mantel over at NBT HQ. Lots of other amazing artists were recognized last night as well, including Edwige Jean-Pierre, Adam Lazarus, Jacob Richmond, Jordan Tannahill, Camellia Koo, and other people we think are great.

Nobody’s Business Theatre is now looking forward to a well deserved rest after an incredible summer of shows and festivals across Canada. But stay tuned: we’re light sleepers, and we’re sure to have new projects to announce in the upcoming months.

Full list of winners over at the SummerWorks blog.

UPDATE: NOW Magazine has just run their annual SummerWorks “Best of the Fest” column, and Redheaded Stepchild got two mentions: Outstanding Production and Oustanding Performance (Johnnie Walker).

Reviews have started trickling in for Redheaded Stepchild’s SummerWorks run, and we are pleased as punch! Here’s what NOW Magazine‘s Glenn Sumi had to say:

“NNNNN + Critic’s Pick
The put-upon hero of writer/performer Johnnie Walker’s wonderful new play is a precocious 12-year-old loner named Nicholas who hates his red hair, loathes his new stepmother and is bullied by the rest of the school.

He finds solace in listening to Gilbert & Sullivan records, studying other redheads throughout history and trying to impress his English teacher, who wants him to audition for A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Although some of his characters initially seem a touch broad, Walker wins us over with his honest, heartfelt and funny details, and director Morgan Norwich makes magical use of props that naturalistically tumble out of Nicholas’s bedroom trunk. The climax is surprising yet inevitable, making Nicholas the most charming theatrical preteen since a troubled girl named Claudia.”

And for CBC Radio fans, here’s what Lynn Slotkin had to say on Here and Now:

“Redheaded Stepchild is written and performed by Johnnie Walker. It’s about Nicholas, a 12 year old ‘sweet disaster’ who has to cope with having red hair and all the attendant teasing, meanness and bullying that entails, plus an uninterested step-mother, and being a loner. The writing is sharply observed, the performance is wonderful as is the inventive direction. A terrific, moving, very, very funny production”.

UPDATE: Here are some more kind words we found.

Via Classical 96.3 FM‘s Paul Citron:

“Redheaded Stepchild is a must see. The solo show, written and performed by the adorable Johnnie Walker, is a very clever and droll monologue about a gifted 12-year-old loser.”

And from The Visitorium:

“Redheaded Stepchild by Johnnie Walker… was a dynamite way to start any day. Johnnie pretty much dazzles with a variety of characters telling the central story of sweet ginger preteen Nicholas, his alter-ego Rufus, and tomboy Stepmom Mary-Anne. There’s plenty of costume changes, a musical flourish, some Shakespeare, and a simple relateable story at it’s rather large heart. Walker is killer talented, and director Morgan Norwich (and they both appear to have worked together before, one assumes quite well) doesn’t miss a step. Highly recommended.”