ANNUAL MEETING &HAMMY AWARDS COMING UP!
The 63rd Season of the Putnam County Playhouse came to an end a few weeks ago. The last event of the season will be the Annual Meeting which will be held on Sunday, October 13, at 2 p.m. It will be conducted in the Michael McClaine Rehearsal Center at the Hazel Day Longden Theatre. Light refreshments will be served. The public is invited.
Committee chairs will give their annual reports and the officers will present a round up of the season’s activities. New board members will also be elected.
As always the highlight of the event will be the presentation of the Upstage Award – the annual recognition of the performance by an actor in a non-leading role that stood out because of its audience appeal and skill of the performer.
This year’s nominees are:
From Oklahoma!, director Joshua Saul Bain has nominated Kate Baughman in her role as Gertie Cummins. He said, “I cannot say enough about how great Kate was to work with in Oklahoma! She took her role as ‘Gertie’ to a fun new level! Her comedic timing was perfect! She was always prepared and not afraid to try new things. Every time Kate came on stage, she brought laughter not only to the audience but to all of those involved on stage with her. She was an absolute delight to work with and I can not wait to see what she does next!”
From The Pink Panther Strikes Again, director Shelly McFadden has nominated Tara Smith in her role of the Little German Girl, who tried to dispatch Jacques Clouseau with a poisoned pretzel. McFadden said: “Tara Smith is the Hammy nominee for The Pink Panther Strikes Again for her portrayal of ‘The Little German Girl,’ an assassin who attempted to kill Inspector Clouseau with a poison pretzel. She was foiled because pretzels gave the Inspector ‘petrol,’ so he passed it along to the unfortunate messenger. Tara had just a few lines in The Pink Panther Strikes Again, but she definitely made the most of her stage time and made us laugh! “
For Something Rotten, the nominee is John Reach in his role as Robin, a member of the acting troupe. Director Vickie Parker said: ” John Reach delighted our audience with his unexpected character portrayal of the queen. His acting was only topped by his wig!”
The final nominee of the season is from Flowers For Algernon. Director Jack Randall Earles said: “Karen K. Temple in her dual role of Mrs Donner and Mrs. Mooney added some much needed humor to the show. My cousin’s husband asked me why Mrs. Donner didn’t come out in the bows, and I had to tell him that the same actress played both parts – he was astonished! Thanks, Karen!”