Hayley Mills, Party Face, and More Win Origin's 1st Irish Best of Festival Awards

The 10th annual Origin's 1st Irish Theatre Festival, which began on January 9, handed out its Best of Festival awards at a ceremony cohosted by actor Geraldine Hughes at Rosie O'Grady's Manhattan Club tonight.

The list of winners is as follows:

Best Actress
Hayley Mills (Party Face)

Best Actor
Mick Mellamphy (Guy Walks Into a Bar)

Best Director
John Keating (Dyin’ for It)

Best Playwright
Bernard McMullan (Jimmy Titanic)

Best Design
The Only Jealousy of Emer

Best Production
Party Face

A Special Jury prize was awarded to Colin Campbell of Disco Pigs "for his physical and verbal risk-taking in performance." Origin’s Festival Fringe Award was given to three entities: Poor Mouth Theatre in the Bronx, the New York Irish Center in Queens, and the company of A Guy Walks Into a Bar for their combined efforts to create community and new theater for the public.

And finally, the Bairbre Dowling Spirit of the Festival Award, given by the Origin Theatre Company’s board of directors, went to Jenny Green, a New York-based actress and costume designer, for her tireless behind-the-scenes efforts on behalf of the festival.

This year's panel of judges included the Observer's theater writer Harry Haun, actor and opera singer Elmore James, and the Irish Echo's theater critic and cultural correspondent Orla O'Sullivan.

Curated and coordinated by festival founder George C. Heslin, the 10th annual Origin's 1st Irish Theatre Festival is presenting seven productions in competition and 10 special events, either imported or produced locally, from Belfast, Dublin, Boston, the Bronx, and Manhattan.