MVT — considered to be Honolulu's off-Broadway house — earned the most orchids with two productions. Its manic British murder mystery, "Over My Dead Body," accounted for the most laurels with 11, including best overall play, one of five honored. Its musical, "Working," about the foibles of working class folks, garnered eight slots, including best overall musical, one of four cited.

Diamond Head Theatre — the community's dominant theater organization — amassed a total of 25 prizes, good for second place, fueled by its "Lend Me a Tenor" comedy, which captured six slots, its "Gigi" musical also earning six awards, and two musicals — "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "Sweet Charity" — gaining five honors apiece. "Tenor" was one of the overall play victors and "Millie" was one of the favored overall musicals.

"Sweeney Todd," an Army Community Theatre musical about a London barber who slays customers to provide a pie-maker with ingredients, logged nine slots, second only to "Over My Dead Body." ACT was third in the final count with a total of 11 wins.

The Hawaii State Theatre Council prefers to showcase honorees, rather than single award-winners, so multiple honorees are included in each of its categories.

The complete list of honorees:

Overall Play

i "Over My Dead Body," MVT.

i "The Cherry Orchard," HPU.

i "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," MVT.

i "Jitney," TAG.

i "Lend Me a Tenor," DHT.

Overall Musical

i "Working," MVT.

i "Oklahoma!," Paliku.

i "Sweeney Todd," ACT.

i "Thoroughly Modern Millie," DHT.

Director (Play)

i Joyce Maltby, "The Cherry Orchard," HPU.

i Glenn Cannon, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," MVT.

i Betty Burdick, "Fully Committed," MVT.

i Rob Duval, "Lend Me a Tenor," DHT.

i Derrick Brown, "Jitney," TAG.

Director (Musical)

i Brad Powell, "Working," MVT.

i Stephanie Conching, "Sweeney Todd," ACT.

i Andrew Sakaguchi, "Sweet Charity," DHT.

i Vanita Rae Smith, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," ACT.

Leading Male in a Play

i Paul T. Mitri, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," MVT.

i Tom Holowach, "The Lion in Winter," HPU.

i Greg Howell, "Fully Committed," MVT.

i Jim Andrews, "Jitney," TAG.

Featured Male in a Play

i Gerald Altwies, "Over My Dead Body," MVT.

i Elitei Tatafu Jr., "Over My Dead Body," MVT.

i Stephen Mead, "Over My Dead Body," MVT.

i Derrick Brown, "Jitney," TAG.

i F. Quenton Collins, "Jitney," TAG.

i Gerald Altwies, "Lend Me a Tenor," DHT.

Leading Female in a Play

i Karen Bumatai, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," MVT.

i Eden-Lee Murray, "The Cherry Orchard," HPU.

i Elizabeth Wolfe, "Antigone," TAG.

i Jo Pruden, "Over My Dead Body," MVT.

i Becky Maltby, "Sylvia," TAG.

Featured Female in a Play

i Melinda Maltby, "The Cherry Orchard," HPU.

i Genny Wilson, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," MVT.

i Frankie Enos, "Our Town," TAG.

i Euphrosyne V.E. Rushforth, "Sylvia," TAG.

Leading Male in a Musical

i Leonard Piggee, "Annie," ACT.

i Laurence Paxton, "Sweeney Todd," ACT.

* Scott Wallace, "Gigi," DHT.

Featured Male in a Musical

i Scott Moura, "Sweeney Todd," ACT.

i Omar Williams, "Working," MVT.

i Matthew Pennaz, "Urinetown," MVT.

i Steve Wagenseller, "Oklahoma!," Paliku.

i Scott Wallace, "Sweet Charity," DHT.

i Gary Morris, "Gigi," DHT.

Leading Female in a Musical

i Pomai Lopez, "You Somebody," DHT.

i Stefanie Smart, "Sweeney Todd," ACT.

i Loretta Ables Sayre, "You Somebody," DHT.

i Kristin Ing, "Sweet Charity," DHT.

Featured Female in a Musical

i Danel Verdugo, "Urinetown," MVT.

i Tracy Yamamoto, "Oklahoma!," Paliku.

i Angela Morales, "You Somebody," DHT.

i Cathy Foy, "Thoroughly Modern Millie," DHT.

i Jamie Rolfsmeyer, "Urinetown," MVT.

Ensemble

i Cast of "Working," MVT.

i Cast of "Our Town," TAG.

i Cast of "A Christmas Gift of Aloha," 'Ohi'a.

Choreographer

i Ahnya Chang, "Urinetown," MVT.

i John Rampage, "She Loves Me," MVT.

i Brad Powell, "Working," MVT.

i Andrew Sakaguchi, "Sweet Charity," DHT.

i Grace Bell Humerickhouse, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," ACT.

i John Rampage, "Gigi," DHT.

Musical Director

i Laurence Paxton, "Gigi," DHT.

i Ernest Taniguchi, "Working," MVT.

i Emmett Yoshioka, "Thoroughly Modern Millie," DHT.

i Alethea Train, "Sweet Charity," DHT.

i Lorna Mount, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," ACT.

Costume Design

i Peggy Krock, "The Cherry Orchard," HPU.

i Lorena Jones, "Over My Dead Body," MVT.

i Evette Tanouye, "Oklahoma!," Paliku.

i Karen G. Wolfe, "Gigi," DHT.

i Karen G. Wolfe, "Thoroughly Modern Millie," DHT.

Hair, Wig, Makeup Design

i Jess Aki, "Lend Me a Tenor," DHT.

i Jess Aki, "Gigi," DHT.

i Greg Howell, "Sweeney Todd," ACT.

Lighting Design

i Janine Myers, "The Lion in Winter," HPU.

i Daniel Anteau, "Over My Dead Body," MVT.

i Derron Peterson, "Sweeney Todd," ACT.

Set Design

i Karen Archibald, "The Cherry Orchard," HPU.

i M.J. Matsushida, "Working," MVT.

i Willie Sabel, "Lend Me a Tenor," DHT.

i Dennis Hassan, "Sweeney Todd," ACT.

i David Minkoff, "Over My Dead Body," MVT.

Sound Design

i Mathias Maas, "Over My Dead Body," MVT.

i Mikel J. Humerickhouse, "Lend Me a Tenor," DHT.

i BullDog, "Fully Committed," MVT.

i Jason Taglianetti, "Sweeney Todd," ACT.

i Jason Taglianetti, "Working," MVT.

Non-Resident Guest Artist

i Lolly Susi, director, "Over My Dead Body," MVT.

i Darren Lee, director, "Thoroughly Modern Millie," DHT.

Other honorees (not included in tally)

i Pierre Bowman Award for lifetime achievement: Jo Pruden.

i Gift of aloha to Hawai'i's children: 'Ohi'a.

i Innovative use of puppets in "James and the Giant Peach:" Kat Peviak, Paliku.

i Special effects in "Over My Dead Body:" Shell Dalzell, MVT.

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser

.com or 525-8067.

KEY TO THEATERS:

ACT — Army Community Theatre

DHT — Diamond Head Theatre

HPU — Hawaii Pacific University

MVT — Manoa Valley Theatre

Paliku — Paliku Theatre

TAG — The Actors Group

'Ohi'a — 'Ohi'a Productions

(Note: Other Honolulu theater groups exist but elect not to participate in the adjudication process)

PO'OKELA AWARDS

BY THE NUMBERS

30 — Total awards to Manoa Valley Theatre

24 — Total awards to Diamond Head Theatre

10 — Number of honors for "Over My Dead Body"

8 — Number of honors for "Working"

4 — Number of individuals who earned two slots in the same categories: Karen G. Wolfe (costume design), Jess Aki (hair, wig, makeup design), Jason Taglianetti (sound design), John Rampage (choreographer).