Category Archives: On Stage

2024-2025 Orchid & OCTAfest Convention Awards

Scroll down for links to Orchid Awards by Theatre Group

NAMED AWARDS 

  • ART ROUSE AWARD – Robert Weidle
  • MARIO PITOCCO AWARD – Carolyn Martinez
  • ROGER GROOMS AWARD – Douglas Berlon
  • PRESIDENT’S AWARD – Mark Culp, Jon Scheiding, & Amanda Emmons Shumate
  • THE SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY THEATRE AWARD – Betsy & C. J. Bossart
  • JOLE LIND RISING STAR AWARDSCurtis Perea (ACTUP) | Nor White (BPI) | Allie Webber (CSP) | Savannah Kennedy (CMT) | Evan Blanton (FLI) | Michaela Cramer (INNOVA) | Kyle Echols (LSC) | Matthew O’Brien (MPI) | Eva Bower (MCP) | Lauren Davidson (QCP) | Elise Gillespie (RTP) | Parker Dreier (SSP) | Lisa White (TDW) | Mindi Emmons (TCP) | Drue Harris (VP)

OCTA_logoEXCERPTS INVITED TO REPRESENT THE SOUTHWEST REGION AT STATE

  • DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS – Footlighters, Inc.
  • DISENCHANTED – Loveland Stage Company
  • MY THREE ANGELS – The Drama Workshop
  • SOUTHERN BELLS – Sunset Players (Alternate)

EXCERPT AWARDS 

Below is the list of OCTA awards for the shows that excerpted over the convention weekend.

THESE SHINING LIVES
The Village Players of Fort Thomas

  • Evan Beckmeyer – Excellence in Acting as Tom Donahue
  • Sydney Vollmer – Excellence in Acting as Catherine Donahue
  • Nathan Turner – Merit in Acting as Announcer
  • The Village Players of Ft. Thomas – Merit in Set Transitions
  • Sydney Vollmer/Tamara Sanow/Madelynn Meredith/Claudia Covarrubias – Merit in Acting as Ensemble Quartet

PUFFS
Tri-County Players

  • Niki Rasmussen – Merit in Acting as Megan
  • Niki Rasmussen/Mason Glass/James Pinkley – Merit in Ensemble Trio as Megan/Oliver/Wayne

12 ANGRY JURORS
Queen City Productions

  • Jenny Caplan – Merit in Acting as Juror 10
  • Rockford Koehler – Merit in Acting as Juror 3
  • Rae Moretti – Merit in Acting as Juror 7

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS
The Footlighters, Inc.

  • Carolyn Martinez/Kristie Marasch– Outstanding in Costumes
  • Kimmie Anne Thierauf/Jerry Wiesenhahn – Outstanding in Choreography
  • Jerry Wiesenhahn – Outstanding in Direction
  • The Cast of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – Outstanding in Ensemble
  • Wayne Wright – Outstanding in Musical Theatre Performance as Lawrence
  • Robert Breslin – Outstanding in Musical Theatre Performance as Freddy
  • Laura Petracco – Outstanding in Musical Theatre Performance as Jolene
  • Rebecca Wall – Excellence in Vocal Performance as Christine
  • Jen Drake – Excellence in Vocal Performance as Muriel
  • Ryan Oelker – Excellence in Set Design
  • Footlighters, Inc. – Excellence in Set Transitions
  • Wes Ledyard – Excellence in Props
  • Greg Dastillung – Outstanding in Vocal Direction
  • Charlie Wilhelm – Outstanding in Musical Direction

MOON OVER BUFFALO
Mariemont Players Inc.

  • Linda Roll – Excellence in Costumes
  • Aimee Ward – Excellence in Acting as Rosalind
  • Evan Blanton – Merit in Acting as Howard
  • John Conrard – Merit in Acting as George

SOUTHERN BELLES
Sunset Players

  • Dennis Murphy – Excellence in Directing
  • Dennis Murphy – Excellence in Playwriting
  • The Cast of Southern Belles – Excellence in Ensemble
  • Rilla Foster – Merit in Acting as Gaybelle Reardon
  • Kathie Labanz – Merit in Acting as Sally Belle Robinson
  • Virginia Venegas – Merit in Acting as Maribelle Wainwright

THE CEMETERY CLUB
Mason Community Players

  • Ray Lebowski – Excellence in Directing
  • Kally Turner – Merit in Costumes
  • The Cast of The Cemetery Club – Merit in Ensemble
  • Bob Brunner – Merit in Acting as Sam

DOG SEES GOD
CenterStage Players, Inc.

  • Ellis Quinne – Excellence in Acting as CB
  • The Cast of Dog Sees God – Excellence in Ensemble
  • Roman Harris-Richardson – Excellence in Acting as Beethoven
  • Deanna Berryhill/Faith Von Handorf – Merit in Duo Acting as Tricia & Marcy
  • Christine Gallagher – Merit in Acting as CB’s Sister
  • Parker Culp – Merit in Directing

MY THREE ANGELS
The Drama Workshop

  • Dennis Murphy/Anne Connor Stanforth – Outstanding in Costumes
  • Dennis Murphy – Excellence in Directing
  • Dennis Murphy – Excellence in Set Design
  • Chris Eyers – Merit in Acting as Henri
  • Michael Kiser – Merit in Acting as Felix
  • The Cast of My Three Angels – Excellence in Ensemble
  • Christie Bishop – Merit in Acting as Jules
  • Ken Macke – Merit in Acting as Joseph

DISENCHANTED
Loveland Stage Company

  • Monica Weber – Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance as Snow White
  • Pettrina Barresi – Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance as Cinderella
  • Kayla Haas – Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance as Sleeping Beauty
  • Melinda Hubbard – Outstanding in Costumes
  • Christina Siciliano – Excellence in Hair and Make-up
  • The Cast of Disenchanted – Outstanding in Vocal Ensemble
  • Tom Cavano – Merit in Set Pieces
  • Carissa Sloan – Excellence in Directing
  • Jon Scheiding – Outstanding in Musical Direction
  • Jon Scheiding & Bob Schwartz – Outstanding in Pit Performance

SEUSSICAL, THE MUSICAL
INNOVAtheatre

  • Michaela Back & Michelle Back – Excellence in Costumes
  • Angela Dixon – Excellence in Vocal Performance as Sour Kangaroo
  • Janiya Nickell – Merit in Vocal Performance as Baby Kangaroo
  • Charlie MacPherson – Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance as JoJo

ORCHID AWARDS

The Orchid Awards are presented at the end of each season determined by an adjudication system of providing three judges per production for each of the ACT of Greater Cincinnati member groups. Orchid awards for the 2024-2025 Season:

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URINETOWN the Musical Runs July 13-20

URINETOWN the Musical
Commonwealth Artists Student Theatre
July 13-20
NKU Corbett Theatre [Highland Heights]

Official cast list |

In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission for one of humanity’s most basic needs. Amid the people, a hero decides that he’s had enough and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom!

  • Fri-Sat, July 11-12 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, July 13 at 2pm
  • Fri-Sat, July 18-19 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, July 20 at 2pm

Official page |

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AN EVENING OF CULTURE Runs July 11-20

AN EVENING OF CULTURE
Stage Right Musical Theatre Company
July 11-20
Williamstown Performing Arts Center

AN EVENING OF CULTURE is non-stop laughter from beginning to end. The fictional Mineola Council for Cultural Recognition is working diligently to mount a production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” in the gymnasium of the Mineola Magnet Middle School, but life keeps getting in the way. Even if the cast doesn’t quite have their lines memorized, the set isn’t quite finished, and a dog keeps barking offstage, they are still determined to give it a go!

  • Fri-Sat, July 11-12 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, July 13 at 2:30pm
  • Fri-Sat, July 18-19 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, July 20 at 2:30pm

Official page | Facebook event |

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THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW Runs July 10-27

THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW
Mariemont Players
July 10-27
[Walton Creek]

Directed by David Derringer
Produced by Natasha Boeckmann and Kelly Holtgrefe

Cast: Chad Brinkman as Sidney Brustein, D’Waughn Hazard as Alton Scales, Anna Hazard as Iris Parodus Brustein, Mike Nalley as Wally O’Hara, Christie Bishop as Max, Katie Jensen as Mavis Parodus Bryson, Michael Sanchez  as David Ragin & Molly Simpson as Gloria Parodus

Lorraine Hansberry’s second Broadway play is the probing, hilarious and provocative story of Sidney, a disenchanted Greenwich Village intellectual, his wife Iris, an aspiring actress, and their colorful circle of friends and relations. Set against the turmoil of a stormy 1964 political campaign, the play follows its characters in their unorthodox quests for meaningful lives in an age of corruption, alienation and cynicism. With compassion, humor and poignancy, the author examines questions of morality, ethics, interracial relationships, drugs, rebellion, conformity, global responsibility and the fragility of love.

  • Thu-Sat, July 10-12 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, July 13 at 2pm
  • Thu-Fri, July 17-18 at 7:30pm
  • Sat, July 19 at 2pm & 7:30pm
  • Sun, July 20 at 2pm
  • Thu-Sat, July 24-26 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, July 27 at 2pm

Official page |

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THE TRAGEDIE OF MACBETH Runs July 10-13

THE TRAGEDIE OF MACBETH: The Blessed Feast of Holinshed
Southbank Shakespeare
July 10-13
Thomas More University Observatory Lawn [Crestview Hills]

Directed by Timothy Andrew Leonard

Cast: David Goble as Macbeth & Elizabeth Durham as Lady Macbeth
Dutiful Chorus: Parker Culp, Sophia DiPuccio, Natalie Hayslett, Jun Holubeck, Ashley Matt, Joe Mitchell, Regan Utrup & Anna Verderber

FREE Performance – Estimated to have been written and first performed in 1606, The Scottish Play has been a centerpiece of Shakespeare’s canon since its inception. The tale of witchcraft, prophecy, and bloody ambition has fueled countless ghost stories over the years, and is sure to fill countless more as years continue to fold over and over. Join us this summer as we travel thousands of years divorced from Shakespeare’s pen, and enter an age when the context dividing secular and religious scripture has been completely forgotten. Witness the small nomadic tribe pass through our land as they make their yearly sacrifice to ensure successful migration to more fertile lands, and pray to their Gods for a bountiful harvest.

  • Thu-Sun, July 10-13 at 7:30pm

Official page |

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