The Alliance Theatre was the big winner of the evening, taking home prizes for Outstanding Play (Tarell Alvin McCraney's In the Red and Brown Water) and Outstanding Musical (Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris). Atlanta's Tony-winning theatre also nabbed 11 other awards.

The ceremony also included the presentation of the Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award to Pearl Cleage for her drama A Song for Coretta; and the "Spirit of Suzi" Award to local actress, director and educator, Carol Mitchell-leon.

The Suzi Bass Awards were created, according to press notes, to "recognize and foster professional theatrical excellence in the Atlanta area, to honor the late and beloved actress Suzi Bass, and to provide a valuable regional and national marketing tool for individual theatres and for the Atlanta professional theatre community as a whole."

The 2007-2008 nominees follow (winners names are in bold preceded by an asterisk)

Production - Play
A Song for Coretta, 7 Stages
Eurydice, Alliance Theatre & GA Shakespeare
In Darfur, Horizon Theatre
*In the Red and Brown Water, Alliance Theatre
Richard III, GA Shakespeare Director - Play
Freddie Ashley for dark play or stories for boys, Actor's Express
Lisa Adler for In Darfur, Horizon Theatre
Rachel May for Expecting Isabel, Synchronicity Performance Group
Richard Garner, Eurydice, Alliance Theatre & GA Shakespeare
Richard Garner, Richard III, GA Shakespeare
*Tina Landau, In the Red and Brown Water, Alliance Theatre

Lead Actress - Play
Ayesha Ngaujah, Angela's Mixtape, Synchronicity Performance Group
Courtney Patterson, My Name is Rachel Corrie, Synchronicity Performance Group
Jackie Prucha, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, Georgia Ensemble
Jill Jane Clements, Southern Comforts,Theatrical Outfit
Joanna Daniel, Lettice & Lovage, Shakespeare Tavern
*LaLa Cochran, The Little Dog Laughed, Theatre in the Square
Suehyla El-Attar, The Clean House, Horizon Theatre

Lead Actor - Play
David De Vries, Sleuth, Alliance Theatre
Eric Little, Blue Door, Theatre in the Square
*Joe Knezevich, Richard III, GA Shakespeare
Jon Hayden, Diary of a Madman, Metropolis Port Theater
Travis Smith, Of Mice and Men, Shakespeare Tavern

Featured Actress - Play
*Bethany Anne Lind, The Last Schwartz, Jewish Theatre of the South
Donna Biscoe, Doubt, Alliance Theatre
Donna Biscoe, Gee's Bend, Theatrical Outfit
Kate Donadio, Rabbit Hole, Theatre in the Square
Maria Sager, Expecting Isabel, Synchronicity Performance Group
Tess Malis Kincaid, Richard III, GA Shakespeare
Tess Malis Kincaid, The Missionary Position, Horizon Theatre

Featured Actor - Play
*Andrew Benator, Eurydice, Alliance Theatre & GA Shakespeare
Chris Kayser, Eurydice, Alliance Theatre & GA Shakespeare
Daniel Thomas May, In the Red and Brown Water, Alliance Theatre
Don Finney, Some Men, Actor's Express
Doug Kaye, Of Mice and Men, Shakespeare Tavern
James Donadio, Richard III, GA Shakespeare
Tom Thon, Some Men, Actor's Express

Ensemble - Play
Angela's Mixtape, Synchronicity Performance Group
A Song for Coretta, 7 Stages
*In the Red and Brown Water, Alliance Theatre
It's a Wonderful Life, Theatrical Outfit
Some Men, Actor's Express

Production - Musical
Annie Get Your Gun, Aurora Theatre
Godspell, Theatrical Outfit
*Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Alliance Theatre
Little Shop of Horrors, Atlanta Lyric Theatre
The Women of Brewster Place, Alliance Theatre

Director - Musical
Brandt Blocker, Little Shop of Horrors, Atlanta Lyric Theatre
Kate Warner, The Last Five Years, Actor's Express
Molly Smith, The Women of Brewster Place, Alliance Theatre
*Susan V. Booth, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Alliance Theatre
Tom Key, Godspell, Theatrical Outfit

Lead Actress - Musical
Courtenay Collins, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Alliance Theatre
Claci Miller, Little Shop of Horrors, Atlanta Lyric Theatre
*Natasha Drena, Annie Get Your Gun, Aurora Theatre
Natasha Drena, The Last Five Years, Actor's Express
Tina Fabrique, The Women of Brewster Place, Alliance Theatre

Lead Actor - Musical
*Craig A. Meyer, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Alliance Theatre
Craig Waldrip, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Actor's Express
Googie Uterhardt, Five Course Love, ART Station
Jahi Kearse, Godspell, Theatrical Outfit
Jeff Juday, Little Shop of Horrors, Atlanta Lyric Theatre

Featured Actress - Musical
Angela Motter, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Actor's Express
Barbara Cole Uterhardt, Annie Get Your Gun, Aurora Theatre
Felicia Boswell, Little Shop of Horrors, Atlanta Lyric Theatre
Harriet D. Foy, The Women of Brewster Place, Alliance Theatre
*Marva Hicks, The Women of Brewster Place, Alliance Theatre

Featured Actor - Musical
Bryan Terrell Clark, Sophisticated Ladies, Alliance Theatre
Craig A. Meyer, Forever Plaid, Atlanta Lyric Theatre
Geoff Uterhardt, Annie Get Your Gun, Aurora Theatre
Geoff Uterhardt, Little Shop of Horrors, Atlanta Lyric Theatre
*Eric Moore, Godspell, Theatrical Outfit

Ensemble - Musical
Forever Plaid, Atlanta Lyric Theatre
Godspell, Theatrical Outfit
*Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Alliance Theatre
Little Shop of Horrors, Atlanta Lyric Theatre
The Women of Brewster Place, Alliance Theatre

Music Direction
Ann-Carol Pence, Annie Get Your Gun, Aurora Theatre
Ann-Carol Pence, Godspell, Theatrical Outfit
B.J. Brown, Forever Plaid, Atlanta Lyric Theatre
Brandt Blocker, Little Shop of Horrors, Atlanta Lyric Theatre
*Michael Fauss, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Alliance Theatre
William Foster McDaniel, The Women of Brewster Place, Alliance Theatre

Choreography
*Byron Easley/Kent Gash, Sophisticated Ladies, Alliance Theatre
Craig A. Meyer, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Alliance Theatre
Dawn Axam, Godspell, Theatrical Outfit
Heidi Cline/Jeff McKerley, The Water Coolers: An Office Musical, Horizon Theatre
Jen MacQueen/Ricardo Aponte, Annie Get Your Gun, Aurora Theatre
Ricardo Aponte, Little Shop of Horrors, Atlanta Lyric Theatre

Costume Design
*Christine Turbitt, The Merchant of Venice, GA Shakespeare
Douglas J Koertge, All's Well That Ends Well, GA Shakespeare
Joanna Schmink, The Persians, Theatre in the Square
Miranda Hoffman, Eurydice, Alliance Theatre & GA Shakespeare
Sydney Roberts, Richard III, GA Shakespeare

Lighting Design
Jessica Coale, In Darfur, Horizon Theatre
Justin Townsend, Eurydice, Alliance Theatre & GA Shakespeare
Ken Yunker, The Persians, Theatre in the Square
Mike Post, Richard III, GA Shakespeare
*Scott Zielinski, In the Red and Brown Water, Alliance Theatre

Scenic Design
Dex Edwards, The Persians, Theatre in the Square
Edward E. Haynes, Jr., Sleuth, Alliance Theatre
*Kat Conley, Eurydice, Alliance Theatre & GA Shakespeare
Kat Conley, Richard III, GA Shakespeare
Leslie Taylor, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Alliance Theatre
Leslie Taylor, The Merchant of Venice, GA Shakespeare
Todd Rosenthal, Doubt, Alliance Theatre

Sound Design
*Chris Bartelski, In Darfur, Horizon Theatre
Chris Bartelski, It's a Wonderful Life, Theatrical Outfit
Clay Benning & Kendall Simpson, Eurydice, Alliance Theatre & GA Shakespeare
Haddon Givens Kime, Richard III, GA Shakespeare
Joseph P. Monaghan III, Octopus, Actor's Express
Mimi Epstein, In the Red and Brown Water, Alliance Theatre