Grreg Smith in Precious Heart
Over 180 theater enthusiasts gathered at Sinclair Community College’s Ponitz Center Saturday, August 13 for the eighth annual DayTonys and 10th annual Dayton Theatre Hall of Fame ceremonies.
Emceed by Hall of Fame member Greg Smith, the gala saluted outstanding performers, designers and productions from the 2010-11 season as voted on by individuals from participating theaters (Beavercreek Community Theatre, Cedarville University, Clark State Community College, Dayton Playhouse, Dayton Theatre Guild, Epiphany Lutheran Church, Playhouse South, Sinclair Community College, Troy Civic Theatre, University of Dayton and Young at Heart Players). The winners, separated by collegiate and community theater distinctions, were awarded medallions of excellence or merit.
Six shows received top honors for Outstanding Overall Production: “A Piece of My Heart” (Playhouse South), “Hello, Dolly!” (Cedarville University), “Once On This Island” (Sinclair Community College), “Precious Heart” (Dayton Theatre Guild), “Seussical” (Whoville Cast, Epiphany Lutheran Church) and “Southern Comforts” (Young at Heart Players).
Shocking snubs are commonplace in the DayTonys universe…
I’m sure the DayTonys organization didn’t anticipate controversy this year, but there’s no excuse for the absolutely appalling, bizarre shut-out of the Dayton Playhouse’s splendid non-professional local premiere of “The Producers,” a huge community theater undertaking which I proudly considered to be among the Top 10 productions of 2010. Impressively staged last summer, the knockout, sell-out production, a crowning achievement for the Playhouse which rivaled and surpassed aspects of the Broadway original, not only deserved Outstanding Overall recognition, but a clean sweep of every category in which it was eligible. I’m pleased to mention the individuals who notably contributed to director/set designer Chris Harmon’s fantastic presentation: performers Saul Caplan, David Sherman, Danika Haffenden, Charles Larkowski, Kevin Rankin, Jonathan Berry, Terry Lupp, Cameron Elliott, Betsy Fesser, Jeannine Geise, Sandra Hyde, Cheryl Kayser, Jeremy King, Zach King, Marabeth Klejna, Adrianne Krauss, Robert Martin, Nicklaus Moberg, Tara Nicole Murphy, Matthew Owens, Megan Vander Kolk, Bryan Wilcox and Madeline Zofkie; musical director Ron Kindell; choreographer Annette Looper; costume designer Josh Hollister; lighting designer Anita Bachmann; and sound designer Tony Fende.
Shocking snubs are commonplace in the DayTonys universe (I still can’t believe Sinclair’s marvelous production of “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead” was ignored last year), but perhaps the overtly and remarkably egregious omission of “The Producers,” which might not have happened if credible, unbiased outsiders could adjudicate, will finally spark a serious overhaul of the voting procedures. If action is not taken, the artistic legitimacy of the DayTonys will be continually tarnished.
Also oddly bypassed for Outstanding Overall Production were: “The Boys Next Door” (Dayton Theatre Guild), “The Importance of Being Earnest” (Cedarville University), “Mauritius” (Dayton Theatre Guild), “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” (Beavercreek Community Theatre), “The Spitfire Grill” (Beavercreek Community Theatre) and “The Sugar Witch” (Dayton Theatre Guild). Additional oversights included: the complete shut-out of “Mauritius”; the ensembles of “Ravenscroft” (Dayton Theatre Guild), “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and “The Sugar Witch”; performers Amy Askins, Nicolas Bauer (both “Fat Pig,” Dayton Theatre Guild) and Karen Righter (“La Cage aux Folles,” Dayton Playhouse); and director Natasha Randall (“The Boys Next Door”).
Longtime arts patrons Don & Lois Bigler, Dayton Theatre Guild president Carol Finley and Beavercreek Community Theatre president Doug Lloyd were inducted into the Hall of Fame. A special lifetime achievement award was presented to costumer Gerri Nichols, who has worked with Troy Civic Theatre for 46 years. The awards and inductions, effectively held for the first time in Ponitz Hall Auditorium, were preceded by a touching memorial tribute to Hall of Fame members Nelson D’Aloia and Marsha Hanna. Kay Frances Wean, who also passed away last season, was fittingly acknowledged as well.
Collegiate Theater Recipients
Awards of Excellence
Acting
Melissa Kerr Ertsgaard, “The Foreigner” (Sinclair Community College)
Keely Heyl, “See How They Run” (Cedarville University)
Jessica Diane Hickling, “Hello, Dolly!”
Risa Hillsman, “Once On This Island”
Isaac Hollister, “The Foreigner”
Gabriel Pyle, “Hello, Dolly!”
Rachel Wilson, “The Women of Lockerbie” (Sinclair Community College)
Choreography
Katy Russell and Alexandra Turner, “Hello, Dolly!”
Costumes
Ruth Clements, “Hello, Dolly!”
Direction
David Brush, “Once On This Island”
Robert and Ruth Clements, “Hello, Dolly!”
Ensemble
The casts of “Hello, Dolly!” and “The Women of Lockerbie”
Lighting Design
Gina Neuerer, “Once On This Island”
Properties
Terry Stump, “Once On This Island”
Set Design
Terry Stump, “Once On This Island
Special Acknowledgements
The Band, “Flash: The Musical” (Clark State Community College)
Jessica Diane Hickling (hair/makeup design), “Hello, Dolly!”
Awards of Merit
Acting
Steven Brotherton, “The Foreigner”
William Courson, “The Women of Lockerbie”
Angela Dermer, “The Women of Lockerbie”
Corinne Derusha, “Once On This Island”
Allison Husko, “The Women of Lockerbie”
Josiah Hutchings, “Hello, Dolly!” and “See How They Run”
Patrick Lillis, “The Diviners” (University of Dayton)
Lindsay McGee, “Hello, Dolly!”
Alexander Mol, “Hello, Dolly!”
Anna Zavodney, “Hello, Dolly!”
Choreography
Rodney Veal, “Once On This Island”
Costumes
Debbie Henderson, “Flash: The Musical”
Kathleen Hotmer, “Once On This Island”
Direction
Kimberly Borst, “The Women of Lockerbie”
Nelson Sheeley, “The Foreigner”
Ensemble
The casts of “The Importance of Being Earnest” and “Once On This Island”
Lighting Design
Robert Clements, “See How They Run”
Dan Hunt, “Flash: The Musical”
Gina Neuerer, “The Women of Lockerbie”
Musical Direction
John Faas, “Once On This Island”
Beth Cram Porter, “Hello, Dolly!”
Properties
Emily Dykman, Doug Malcolm and Kristin Troyer, “Hello, Dolly!”
Donald N.C. Jones, “See How They Run”
Set Design
Robert Clements, “Hello, Dolly!”
Dan Hunt, “Flash: The Musical”
Donald N.C. Jones, “See How They Run”
Terry Stump, “The Women of Lockerbie”
Sound Design
John Findley, “The Women of Lockerbie”
Geoffrey D. Moss, “Flash: The Musical”
Community Theater Recipients
Awards of Excellence
Acting
Evan Benjamin, “Seussical” (Whoville Cast)
Amelia Bergmann, “Seussical” (Whoville Cast)
Jonathan Berry, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”
Bryan Burckle, “Seussical” (Whoville Cast)
Catherine Collins, “A Piece of My Heart”
Danielle Dowler, “A Piece of My Heart”
Rich Embry, “Seussical” (Whoville Cast)
Emily Fultz, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” (Playhouse South)
Jeanette Grout, “Seussical” (Jungle Cast)
Franklin Johnson, “The Boys Next Door”
Barbara Jorgensen, “Southern Comforts”
Lynn Kesson, “A Piece of My Heart”
Andrew Larochelle, “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical” (Beavercreek Community Theatre)
Barbara Lurie, “Charley’s Aunt” (Troy Civic Theatre)
Darren Maddox, “The Boys Next Door”
Tammy Makela, “A Piece of My Heart”
Anna Prince, “A Piece of My Heart”
Rebecca Riffle, “Seussical” (Whoville Cast)
Michael Shannon, “Seussical” (Whoville Cast)
Jessica Suba, “A Piece of My Heart”
Costumes
Carol Finley, “The Boys Next Door”
Direction
Fran Pesch, “Southern Comforts”
Kay Frances Wean, “Seussical”
Ensemble
The casts of “A Piece of My Heart” and “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical”
Lighting Design
John Falkenbach, “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical” and “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”
Musical Direction
John Benjamin, “Seussical”
Properties
Blake Senseman, “Precious Heart”
Set Design
Blake Senseman, “The Sugar Witch”
Sound Design
Andrew Spohn, “A Piece of My Heart”
Awards of Merit
Acting
Duante Beddingfield, “Frank’s Life” (Dayton Theatre Guild) and “La Cage aux Folles”
Hannah Berry, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
Brittany Brown, “Frank’s Life”
Jim Brown, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”
Josh Catawick, “I Hate Hamlet” (Playhouse South)
Barbara Coriell, “Wit” (Dayton Playhouse)
Kelsey Celek, “The Spitfire Grill”
Richard Croskey, “La Cage aux Folles”
Corinne Derusha, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (Dayton Playhouse)
Ellen Finch, “Beyond Therapy” (Dayton Playhouse)
William Fulmer, “The Boys Next Door”
Kerri Haldeman, “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical”
Tina Hayes, “Sylvia” (Troy Civic Theatre)
Nathan Hudson, “A Piece of My Heart”
Dan Kuchta, “Charley’s Aunt”
Terry Larson, “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical”
Caleb Magill, “Charley’s Aunt”
Pam McGinnis, “The Spitfire Grill”
Bobby Mitchum, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
Kevin Rankin, “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical”
Lisa Sadai, “The Boys Next Door”
Jeff Sams, “Messiah on the Frigidaire” (Beavercreek Community Theatre)
Libby Scancarello, “Sylvia”
Lindsay Sherman, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
Greg Smith, “Precious Heart” and “Southern Comforts”
Matthew Smith, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
Dean Swann, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”
Wendi Williams, “Fat Pig”
Rachel Wilson, “Messiah on the Frigidaire”
Choreography
Annette Looper, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”
Megan Wean, “Seussical” (Jungle Cast)
Costumes
Carol Finley, “Precious Heart”
Maria Klueber and Lori Watamaniuk, “Seussical”
Tony Mullins, “A Piece of My Heart”
Direction
John Falkenbach, “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical”
Chris Harmon, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”
Doug Lloyd, “The Spitfire Grill”
Craig Smith, “A Piece of My Heart”
Ensemble
The casts of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “The Boys Next Door,”
“Seussical” and “The Spitfire Grill”
Lighting Design
John Falkenbach, “The Spitfire Grill” and “The Sugar Witch”
Jason Vogel, “A Piece of My Heart”
Musical Direction
Dr. James Tipps, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”
Properties
Adrienne Niess and Ann Meyer, “Seussical”
Blake Senseman, “The Sugar Witch”
Set Design
Bruce Brown, “The Octette Bridge Club” (Beavercreek Community Theatre), “Seussical” and “The Spitfire Grill”
John Falkenbach, “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical”
Chris Harmon, “La Cage aux Folles” and “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”
Craig Smith, “A Piece of My Heart”
Greg Smith, “The Boys Next Door” and “Precious Heart”
Set Dressing
Wendi Michael, “Precious Heart”
Blake Senseman and Natasha Randall, “The Boys Next Door”
Sound Design
Craig Roberts, “The Boys Next Door”
K. L. Storer, “The Sugar Witch”
Special Acknowledgement
Greg Smith (hair/wig design), “Ravenscroft”
