Nominees for Outstanding Actor

2009 eligibility for nomination: Any male performer, lead or supporting, regardless of union status, in a 2008-2009 Season production taking place in Washington State.

	Hans Altwies From the nomination panel: In The Seafarer at Seattle Rep, Altwies invested this Irish dirge with a performance that was a landmark of conviction. Beleaguered, ensnared by circumstance and his love for his brother, this character was a loser — but only on paper, and only until Altwies brought him to life.
	Charles Leggett From the nomination panel: Leggett’s shrewdly understated, yet insightful and complex, portrayal of Shylock led the strong performances which abounded in Seattle Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice.
	MJ Sieber From the nomination panel: A perfect blend of physical expression and emotional subtlety, his performance in Strawberry Theatre Workshop’s Elephant Man will stick with you for a very long time. In Strawshop’s Guttenberg: The Musical, he was side-splittingly funny. No matter where you put him, Sieber brings a fresh look, irrepressible energy and complete conviction to every portrayal.
	Paul Morgan Stetler From the nomination panel: In The Adding Machine at New Century Theatre, his was one of the really memorable performances of the season, part of a string of recent outstanding portrayals by Stetler. In ACT’s Eurydice, he was malevolent, childlike, deadly, petulant and utterly unforgettable. Stetler created a character that was a logical extension not only of the text, but of the trickster character seen so often in mythology.