The Ringgold Playhouse’s “A Streetcar Named Desire” won Production of the Year at the company’s annual awards banquet celebrating its 2015 Season
photo by Catoosa News photo/Matt Ledger
Sherry Dee Allen was named Best Actress in a Comedy for the 2015 Season for her performance as “Myra Marlowe” in the John Patrick comedy “A Bad Year For Tomatoes”.
photo by TRP
The award for Best Ensemble Cast of the season went to the actors from the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “Proof.” Pictured from left, Grant Shell as “Hal,” Joanna Lewis as “Catherine,” John Hammons as “Robert,” and Laurie Shaw as “Claire”.
photo by TRP
The title of Best On-Stage Duo in a Comedy was claimed by Mark Morgan (left) and Joshua Chisholm for their work as “Jonathan Brewster & Dr. Einstein” in “Arsenic and Old Lace.”
photo by TRP
Joanna Lewis won the award for Best Actress in a Drama for her work as “Catherine” in David Auburn’s “Proof”.
photo by TRP
The Ringgold Playhouse held is 2nd annual awards banquet on Thursday with Tennessee Williams’ classic drama “A Streetcar Named Desire” taking home the most awards, including Production of the Year.
TRP’s 2015 Season included a balance of comedy and drama, which included John Patrick’s “A Bad Year For Tomatoes,” David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “Proof,” Joseph Kesselring’s classic comedy “Arsenic and Old Lace,” and the aforementioned “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
"We really had a special season,” said Adam Cook, TRP’s executive director. “Our company was able to entertain so many audiences this year in both genre’s, and all of our shows were very successful.”
The big winner of the night was indeed “Streetcar,” which nabbed five awards overall, followed by “Arsenic and Old Lace” with four. “A Bad Year For Tomatoes,” and “Proof” both garnered two awards each.
“All the shows were very deserving,” said Mr. Cook. “We had crazy characters and situations in ‘Tomatoes,’ a lot of classic laughs with ‘Arsenic’, and then we turned the tide presented a lot of heavier subjects with both ‘Proof’, and ‘Streetcar’.”
Ringgold native Joanna Lewis won the Best Actress in a Drama award for the season for her work as “Catherine” in “Proof,” a category that included equally incredible performances by actresses Sherry Dee Allen, Laurie Shaw and Nikki Sloan.
“The community loves this theatre, and actors love having this company to come to,” Ms. Lewis said during her acceptance speech. “This was the greatest theatre experience I’ve ever had, ever.”
With pre-production already underway on the 2016 Season, Mr. Cook says TRP is looking forward to building on the momentum from the well-received shows of 2015.
“We’re already in rehearsals for Larry Shue’s quirky comedy ‘The Nerd’, so we’re looking forward to kicking the season off in style in January,” Mr. Cook said. “It’ll be hard to surpass some of the work we’ve already created, but that’s the kind of people we have involved with this company….no one ever settles. Our actors and directors are always looking for the next challenge, and they all seem to pride themselves in raising the bar with each production.”
Full list of award winners for the 2015 Season
-Best Costume Design: “Arsenic and Old Lace”
-Best Set Design: “A Streetcar Named Desire”
-Best Ensemble Cast: “Proof”
-Techie of the Year: Corbin Sloan
-Best Villain: Adam Cook as “Stanley Kowalski” in “A Streetcar Named Desire”
-Outstanding TRP Debut Performance: Nikki Sloan as “Stella” Kowalski” in “A Streetcar Named Desire”
-Volunteer of the Year: Sayra Cook
-Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Pound as “Officer O’Hara” in “Arsenic and Old Lace”
-Best Supporting Actress: Ayana Winchester as “Elaine Harper” in “Arsenic and Old Lace”
-Best On-Stage Duo in a Comedy: Mark Morgan and Joshua Chisholm as “Jonathan & Dr. Einstein” in “Arsenic and Old Lace”
-Best On-Stage Duo in a Drama: Sherry Dee Allen and Adam Cook as “Blanche DuBois & Stanley Kowalski” in “A Streetcar Named Desire”
-Best Actor in a Comedy: Ronald King as “Piney” in “A Bad Year For Tomatoes”
-Best Actress in a Comedy: Sherry Dee Allen as “Myra Marlowe” in “A Bad Year For Tomatoes”
-Best Actress in a Drama: Joanna Lewis as “Catherine” in “Proof”
-Best Actor in a Drama: Adam Cook as “Stanley Kowalski” in “A Streetcar Named Desire”
-Production of the Year: “A Streetcar Named Desire”