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Acclaim Hall of Fame

Acclaimed Productions for 06-07 Theatre Season
	1:23 Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Eva Kaminsky, Supporting Performance Production Design: Douglas Stein, Peter Ksander, Kaye Voyce, David Weiner, Marc Gwinn & Ruppert Bohle

	Ace Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Greg Anthony, Orchestration Gabrielle Boyadjian, Outstanding Juvenile Performance Noah Gavin, Musical Lead Performance David Kreppel, Musical Direction Richard Oberacker/ Robert Taylor, Outstanding New Work Andrew Palermo, Choreography Production Design: David Kornis, Marie Anne Chiment, Christopher Akerlind, John H. Shivers & David Partridge

	Cabaret UC College-Conservatory of Music k. Jenny Jones, Musical Supporting Performance

	Charley’s Aunt UC College-Conservatory of Music Terrell Finney, Outstanding Direction Ensemble Performance Production Design: Tanner Cosgrove, Bonnie J. Snowden, Travis Hagenbuch & Krissa Lent

	Eenie Meanie Cincinnati Fringe Festival Theresa Willis, Solo Script

	Jane Eyre Cincinnati Arts Association Outstanding Touring Production

	Of Mice and Men Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Ed Stern, Outstanding Direction Ensemble Performance Production Design: Paul Shortt, Kristine Kearney, James Sale, Chuck Hatcher Outstanding Revival

	Opus Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati Drew Fracher, Outstanding Direction Warren Kelley, Supporting Performance Ensemble Performance Outstanding Play

	Pure Confidence Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Maureen Silliman, Supporting Performance

	Ragtime Jersey Productions Kelly Martin, Musical Direction

	See What I Wanna See Know Theatre of Cincinnati Molly Binder, Supporting Performance Jason Bruffy, Outstanding Direction Liz Holt, Lead Performance Alan Patrick Kenny, Musical Direction Sean Savoie, Lighting Design Ensemble Performance Outstanding Musical

	Songs From an Unmade Bed New Stage Collective and Know Theatre of Cincinnati Outstanding Cabaret

	Souvenir Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati Neva Rae Powers, Musical Lead Performance

	String of Pearls Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati Annie Fitzpatrick, Supporting Performance Ensemble Performance

	The Cherry Orchard Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Giles Davies, Supporting Performance

	The Goat or Who Is Sylvia? New Stage Collective Brian Isaac Phillips, Lead Performance Amy Warner, Lead Performance Outstanding Play

	The Last Sunday in June Know Theatre of Cincinnati Samantha Reno, Scenic Design

	The Pajama Game UC College-Conservatory of Music Roger Grodsky, Musical Direction Diana Lala, Choreography

	The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Northern Kentucky University Theatre & Dance Denise Devlin, Alternative Performance

	The Tempest Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Bruce Cromer, Lead Performance Giles Davies, Lead Performance Drew Fracher, Outstanding Direction Production Design: Will Turbyne, Heidi Jo Scheimer, Sean Savoie & Chris Gunthrie

	Twelve Angry Men Broadway Across America Outstanding Touring Production

	Urinetown the Musical Northern Kentucky University Theatre & Dance Jane Green, Choreography Ken Jones, Outstanding Direction Roderick Justice, Musical Lead Performance Jamey Strawn, Musical Direction

Most Valuable Players for 06-07 Theatre Season
	k. Jenny Jones During the 2006-2007, k. Jenny Jones became the first female Fightmaster of the Society of American Fight Directors. A long-time faculty member of College-Conservatory of Music at University of Cincinnati, Jones has taught internationally and created stage combat for theaters across Cincinnati, creating some of the best darned fights seen on area stages.

	Nathan Gabriel Nathan Gabriel is the first recipient of the Acclaim Trailblazer Award for inspiration and execution of an idea that benefits the theater scene. He led a New Edgecliff team in introducing the Cincinnati Directors Competition which showcased the work of 9 directors in one-act plays.

	Playhouse in the Park Tech Crew An award-winning design is just a piece of paper until the three dozen-strong Playhouse tech crew gets to work on painting scenery, building costumes, finding and building props and even creating waterfalls from dry ice. It takes a village to make great theater.

	Reggie Willis Was a most valued player this season for theaters including Queen City Off-Broadway, Children's Theatre, New Edgecliff and Theatre Xavier in globe-trotting roles that found him exploring native characters from South Africa to the Caribbean to inner-city Cincinnati.

	Rob Bucher Rob Bucher is recipient of the first Janet Taylor Unsung Hero Award for his seven-year labor of love Cincinnati Theatre Web which became the invaluable foundation of CinStages.com. Bucher's quiet and unheralded support of the Cincinnati theater community extends far beyond Web efforts and embodies the award's definition of making a long-term, significant contribution that goes unremarked.

	Sean Savoie In 2006-2007 Sean Savoie was the go-to guy for lighting on smaller professional stages Know Theatre, Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival, New Edgecliff Theatre, Cincinnati Fringe Festival, New Stage Collective, Moving Art Dance Company, Jersey Productions and more would have been in the dark without him.

Rising Stars for 06-07 Theatre Season
	Anthony Darnell Darnell "definitely has a big career in front of him," says Know Theatre artistic director Jason Bruffy. "It's fun to work with him before he takes off." The 2007 CCM drama grad has been a standout on campus and off. Local theater audiences first saw him in 2005 doing compelling supporting work for New Stage Collective in "Kimberly Akimbo." He was a core company member last summer with New Stage and returns this summer in "Hello, Again." Darnell will be assistant director "Radiant Baby." Artistic director Alan Patrick Kenny calls Darnell "a true theater artist ... who wants to grow and learn with every project." This season Darnell has been a key onstage player with Know Theatre, in "Gompers," "Hamlet" and "After Ashley," opening April 19. "He has natural talent and he puts all his energy into it," Bruffy observes.

	Roderick Justice Every fan of NKU theater knows Roderick Justice has been a key player since his freshman year. NKU theater-dance department chair Ken Jones says Justice has "it." If "it" means Justice is committed and watchable in every role, from the largest (the title role in "The Elephant Man") to the smallest (a hot dog vendor in "On the Town"), then he is an "it" guy. Jones says Justice has been "the heart and soul of so many productions." Those include an hilarious turn as a fussy robot in "Wild Women of Planet Wongo" and Judas in "Jesus Christ Superstar." Justice created the role of the hamburger flipping hero of the original musical "Burgertown" and capped his NKU career in a stand up-and-cheer performance in "Urinetown" earlier this year. He starred in "Aladdin" for Children's Theatre of Cincinnati earlier this season.

	Sean Montgomery Montgomery "has a remarkable theatrical imagination," says Terrell Finney, head of CCM's Division of Opera, Musical Theatre, Drama, Arts-Administration, Theatre Design and Production. It's Montgomery's ability to "bring a remarkably grounded presence to every character he plays, even the ones that are larger than life," that has charmed audiences, most recently lighting up his scenes as an efficiency expert in "The Pajama Game" and an accountant in "The Full Monty." "Everything he does is believable," Finney adds.Off campus, La Comedia Dinner Theatre audiences delighted in Montgomery as the prince (charming again) in "Sleeping Beauty." CCM musical theater department head Aubrey Berg calls Montgomery "a leader in his class." After "working tirelessly" on the senior showcase, Montgomery is packing for New York and a reprise of the showcase in mid-April. All three Rising Stars, eligible Cincinnati theater artists under 25, receive a $1,000 cash award. Rising Star Awards will be presented at the annual Enquirer Acclaim Awards at the Carnegie Center for Visual and Performing Arts on May 21. The Acclaims celebrate excellence in the Cincinnati area theater season.

Theatre Educator Awards for 06-07 Theatre Season
	Allison Pulskamp Taylor High School