On the last night of the 2023 Winnipeg Fringe, we gathered at Across the Board Game Cafe for our 30th Jenny Awards. A huge thanks to Nick and the staff at Across the Board for hosting us again this year. Big thanks to Ray Yuen for MCing and taking pictures (those will be posted soon).

Our lovely Jenny Awards were created by hand by Michelle Cook, and were spectacular once again. The theme this year was “Banned Books” with each award having a different set of tiny books that had been banned somewhere in the world.

Below are the categories with the winners highlighted in bold:

1. So You Think You Can Prance: A Hoofin’ It Award

1. Pull Yourself Together – hiljames movement
2. The Murky Place – Subscatter Productions
3. Twenty Four – Wind Flower Dance Company
4. My Body of Work – Holly M Brinkman
5. Adventure of the Little Rooster – the Grand Salto Theatre
6. A Work in Progress – Crosswalk Productions
7. Generic Male: Just What We Need Another Show About Men – PUSH Physical Theatre

2. Take It Up the Ass: An Award for Puppets Having All the Fun

1. The Family Crow: A Murder Mystery – The Pucking Fuppet Co.
2. Lia & Dor – Catun
3. Everything is Super Wow – Spec Theatre
4. Washed Up – Awkward Cheese Co.
5. Break Time – Swingset
6. Opera Mouse – Melanie Gall Presents for Kids
7. African Folktales with Erik de Waal – YAP Theatre

3. The How to Include an Audience Award

1. Muse: an experiment in storytelling and life drawing – Cameryn Moore
2. The Smallest Stupid Improv Show – The Improv Company
3. August Quarterly Report – Tattooed Egg
4. Saplings – One Trunk Theatre
5. The Barbarian Bombshells – The Barbarian Bombshells
6. Bruce Ryan Costella’s: RAT MAN HAPPY PLACE – Bruce Ryan Costella
7. Mail Ordered – Shanice Stanislaus
8. indecision – Drawing Board Productions

4. School’s Out for Summer: An Award for Lessons Learned

1. Staffroom – Scatter Minds Theatre
2. All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten – Shoestring Players
3. Field Zoology 101 – Shawn O’Hara
4. Teaching Shakespeare – Dr Keir Co.
5. A Masters Advanced Class To Beginners Improv – Sensible Chuckle Theatre
6. Lessons They Won’t Let Us Teach in School – Joseph Herd Productions
7. Laughing Yoga – The Musical – Laughing Lion Wellness Therapy
8. FOR SCIENCE! – Small Matters Productions

5. History Lessons: An Award for Deep Dives into Obscure Topics

1. The Life Henri – Still Your Friend
2. World’s Fair 1876: The Centennial Exposition – JHG Creative
3. Obsession: The Elizabeth Smart Musical – Goltsman–Ferris Productions
4. Conquest of the Air – Conquest of the Air
5. Countdown to Babylon – MaxQ Productions
6. Sapphire Butterfly Blue – MTYP’s Summer Studio
7. The American Songbook Experience – Melanie Gall Presents
8. Eleanor’s Story: Life After War – Ingrid Garner

6. Crossing the Picket Line: An Award for Writers and Actors not in Hollywood

1. A One Man Batman Parody – Rod Peter Jr
2. Six Chick Flicks – PKF Productions*
3. I Lost on Jeopardy – So Lonely Productions
4. Matt & Ben – Hill Party Productions
5. The Tempest – Indifferently Reformed
6. The Dungeons ‘n’ Dragons Improv Show XIV – Miki Media
7. Pramkicker – An Seanchai

Editors Note: Six Chick Flicks was the winner but was not present, so the award went to The Dungeons ‘n’ Dragons Improv Show XIV

7. The Truth Is Out Here: An Award for Aliens & Unidentifiable Fringe Objects

1. Specimen Sherman – Dark Horse Theatre
2. Okie Dokie – Physically Speaking
3. Aliens of Extraordinary Ability – Crosseyed Rascals
4. The Dreams of Nebuchadnezzar – Gerauschbiest
5. Epidermis Circus – Ingrid Hansen’s Spicy Puppet Show – SNAFU
6. Stacey–Jean At Your Side! – SJeanS Productions
7. Little Shop of Horrors – The Dramatic Theatre Company

8. Mind and Body: The Health and Wellness Award

1. A is for Anxiety Apples – B12 Theatre Productions
2. The Comaback Kid – Lykos Theatre
3. ANATOMICA – Ragmop Theatre
4. Good Grief – Gangland Productions
5. Neurohilarity – Neurohilarity
6. How I Met My Neurodivergent Friend – Autistic Productions
7. ONE NIGHT ONLY – duh dum duh dum productions
8. Keeping The Moon – It’s all relative productions
9. friendzone – Megan Phillips
10. Fake ‘n’ Bake – Oh Hello Productions!

9. A Can Full of Earworms: An Award for the Musically Inclined

1. Broadway at the Blue Elephant – 7 Ages Productions
2. Midnight – Meraki Theatre Productions
3. Hooked? – All about Theatre Kids
4. Creating Rem Lezar – Rem Lezar Theatre
5. The Last Five Years – Hot Reject Productions
6. Grease, Too! – Tyson Comedy
7. Ma–Buhay! The Road To Rainbow Stage – Ma–Buhay! A New Musical
8. Sad Girl Songs: A Comedy Show – Gwen Coburn
9. A One Human Being, Potentially Comedic Performance of Les Mis – Living the Dream

10. The Abracapocus, Pocuscadabra Award

1. At The Table with Keith Brown – Keith Brown
2. The Magician’s Apprentices – Comedy Illusions of Greg Wood
3. An Evening of Magic & Illusion – Horus Eye Productions
4. A Series of Card Tricks Done in a Row – Brad Micholson Magician
5. Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry – Dirk Darrow Investigations
6. The Magic of Chanelle Munroe Presents: 5 Ways to Kill a Magician – Magician and the Muse Inc
7. Mindreader – Gregoire Entertainment

11. Pennywise Knows: An Wward for Clowning Around

1. Tree – Natasha Mercado
2. The FOOL – Monster Theatre
3. Old God – Splash Time
4. The Perfect Pants – Blanket Fort Theatre
5. Influenced – Theatre Enthused
6. James & Jamesy: Easy as Pie – James & Jamesy
7. Stroke of Luck – Gravity Still Works

12. Fringe of the Fringe: An Award for the Far-out Venues

1. The Elephant in the Room – Priyanka Shetty
2. Bookmarks – Local Rascal Productions
3. Neechies – Broken Record Productions
4. Pool – No Water – 10…9…8..Productions
5. World’s Greatest* Dad – Morgan Cranny
6. Private Parts: The Secrets We Keep – Gravity Theatre
7. Let’s Talk about Your Death – Allspice Theatre
8. Women – The Sexy Snakes
9. Everybody – Actors Studio

13. Friends of Dorothy Award

1. LESBIHONEST – Pitchin’in Productions
2. The Seat Next to the King – Root Sky Productions
3. God Is A Scottish Drag Queen – Mike Delamont
4. Drag Me to the Opera – Aida Cupcake Presents
5. Always Because: The Adventures of Maggie and Meghan – Us<3
6. me: roar – Alembic Theatre Creations
7. Flourish – Yours Queerly, Arts Collective

Editors Note: Drag Me to the Opera was the winner but was not present, so the award went to God Is A Scottish Drag Queen.

Congratulations to all the winners. Thanks to all the nominees and all the great shows out there. Sorry we could not nominate everyone.

Murray Hunter