The 2018 Outstanding Awards of Excellence will be announced at the Gala on March 30th, 2019 in Newton, Iowa – the Festival and the Gala will be held in Newton March 28-31, 2018 – please save the dates and plan to attend this fantastic opportunity the network and share in the success of community theater across the great state of Iowa!
List of award finalists are available as a download: 2018 Finalists
Direction in a Play
| Abby J.
Sturtevant Sharp | All My Sons | Webster City Community Theatre |
| Benjamin Mauritz | Leading Ladies | The Sioux City
Community Theatre |
| Nancy Wright | Inherit the Wind | Mills Masquers |
| Vivian M. Cook | Twelve Angry Jurors | Story Theater Company
of Ames |
| Wayne Blum | Noises Off | The Sioux City
Community Theatre |
Direction in a Musical
| Aaron
Kvale | Next to Normal | New Minowa Players – Decorah |
| Cheri Moser | Mary Poppins | Opera House Players –
Elkader |
| John Olson | Annie | Performing Arts &
Education Association of Southwest Iowa |
| Greg Holt | Annie | Waterloo Comm
Playhouse/ Black Hawk Children’s Theatre |
| Greg Holt | The Full Monty | Waterloo Comm
Playhouse/ Black Hawk Children’s Theatre |
Ensemble in a Play
| The cast of Almost Maine | Almost Maine | Ankeny Community Theatre |
| Cast of Noises Off | Noises Off | Newton Community
Theatre |
| Ensemble from Calendar Girls | Calendar Girls | Great River Players |
| The cast of Leaving Iowa | Leaving Iowa | The Sioux City
Community Theatre |
| The cast of Twelve Angry Jurors | Twelve Angry Jurors | Story Theater Company
of Ames |
Ensemble in a Musical
| Lead
Orphans in Annie | Annie | Performing Arts & Education
Association of Southwest Iowa |
| The cast of Mary Poppins | Mary Poppins | Opera House Players –
Elkader |
| Sarah Crockett, Jessica Jacobsen and Misty Wissel as the Doo-Wop
Girls | Little Shop of
Horrors | Performing Arts &
Education Association of Southwest Iowa |
| Sarah Crockett, Megan Beery, Julie Murren | Little Women the
Musical | Southwest Iowa
Theatre Group, Inc. Park Playhouse |
| The Wives in The Full Monty | The Full Monty | Waterloo Comm
Playhouse/ Black Hawk Children’s Theatre |
Lead Actor in a Play
| Benji
Cotter | Leading Ladies | The Sioux City Community Theatre |
| Josh Zirkle | Passing Notes | Ankeny Community
Theatre |
| Tyler French | The Boys Next Door | Great River Players |
| Tim Snyder | The Boys Next Door | Great River Players |
| Dale Arends | All My Sons | Webster City
Community Theatre |
Lead Actor in a Musical
| Cameron
Berges | Mary Poppins | Opera House Players – Elkader |
| Asher Suski | Honk! | Ankeny Community
Theatre |
| Gabe Twedt | Next to Normal | New Minowa Players –
Decorah |
| Ian Curtis | The Last Five Years | Shot in the Dark
Productions |
| Jordan Makinster | The Full Monty | Waterloo Comm
Playhouse/ Black Hawk Children’s Theatre |
Lead Actress in a Play
| Sara
Jerome | Leading Ladies | The Sioux City Community Theatre |
| Nicole Titus | A Few Good Men | Ankeny Community
Theatre |
| Connie McCracken | Calendar Girls | Great River Players |
| Joeann Tesar | A Comedy of Tenors | Opera House Players –
Elkader |
| Loween Getter | All My Sons | Webster City
Community Theatre |
Lead Actress in a Musical
| Gina
Brooks | Annie | Waterloo Comm Playhouse/ Black Hawk
Children’s Theatre |
| Karen Esterl | Next to Normal | New Minowa Players –
Decorah |
| Kristy Fleming | Mary Poppins | Opera House Players –
Elkader |
| Misty Wissel | Little Women the
Musical | Southwest Iowa
Theatre Group, Inc. Park Playhouse |
| Rebecca Vernon | She Loves Me | Starlighters II Comm
Theatre |
Supporting Actor in a Play
| Scott
Nielson | Passing Notes | Ankeny Community Theatre |
| Brandon Douglas | A Comedy of Tenors | Opera House Players –
Elkader |
| Jakob Regal | A Comedy of Tenors | Opera House Players –
Elkader |
| Kevin Sharp | All My Sons | Webster City
Community Theatre |
| Brennan Fehr | All My Sons | Webster City
Community Theatre |
Supporting Actor in a Musical
| Brandon
Douglas | Mary Poppins | Opera House Players – Elkader |
| James Odegaard | Next to Normal | New Minowa Players –
Decorah |
| Jedd Sherman | Annie | Performing Arts &
Education Association of Southwest Iowa |
| Josh Pannhoff | The Full Monty | Waterloo Comm
Playhouse/ Black Hawk Children’s Theatre |
| Ron Hines | Annie | Performing Arts &
Education Association of Southwest Iowa |
Supporting Actress in a Play
| Jessica
Sloan | A Comedy of Tenors | Opera House Players – Elkader |
| Abby Knisley | Glass Menagerie | Great River Players |
| Bobbi Jo Lutzen | Steel Magnolias | Old Fort Players,
Inc. |
| Jenna Pollock | A Comedy of Tenors | Opera House Players –
Elkader |
| Lynda Wunder | All My Sons | Webster City
Community Theatre |
Supporting Actress in a Musical
| Jill
Gandy | Annie | Performing Arts & Education
Association of Southwest Iowa |
| Kyna Henson | Next to Normal | New Minowa Players –
Decorah |
| Taryn Moser | Mary Poppins | Opera House Players –
Elkader |
| Tracy Rhodes | Annie | Performing Arts &
Education Association of Southwest Iowa |
| Jennifer Parra | Grease | The Sioux City
Community Theatre |
Choreography
| Kathy
Banta | Grease | The Sioux City Community Theatre |
| Mindy Breaux | Honk! | Ankeny Community
Theatre |
| Meredith McKay | Mame | Newton Community
Theatre |
| Joy Tunnicliff | Annie | Performing Arts &
Education Association of Southwest Iowa |
| Candace Van Hove | Annie | Waterloo Comm
Playhouse/ Black Hawk Children’s Theatre |
Musical Direction
| Angela
Iversen | Grease | The Sioux City Community Theatre |
| Mindy Breaux | Honk! | Ankeny Community
Theatre |
| Jessica Palmer | Beauty and the Beast | City Circle Acting
Company |
| Tim Marsden | Annie | Performing Arts &
Education Association of Southwest Iowa |
| Pam Lewis | Little Women the
Musical | Southwest Iowa
Theatre Group, Inc. Park Playhouse |
Costuming
| All My
Sons cast | All My Sons | Webster City Community Theatre |
| Kerri Drake | Inherit the Wind | Mills Masquers |
| Sue Buekema | A Few Good Men | Newton Community
Theatre |
| Sue Buekema | Mame | Newton Community
Theatre |
| Kelen Panec | Annie | Performing Arts &
Education Association of Southwest Iowa |
Scenic Design
| Carol
Wisner, Shari Buehler and John Olson | Annie | Performing Arts & Education
Association of Southwest Iowa |
| Mark Tracey | Beauty and the Beast | City Circle Acting
Company |
| Cary Kann & Joeann Tesar | Mary Poppins | Opera House Players –
Elkader |
| Robert Kurt | She Loves Me | Starlighters II Comm
Theatre |
| Dale Arends | All My Sons | Webster City
Community Theatre |
Technical, Lighting, & Sound Design
| Aaron
Kvale | Next to Normal | New Minowa Players – Decorah |
| Joe Kirwen and Matt Tuttle | You’re a Good Man,
Charlie Brown | Ankeny Community
Theatre |
| Jonathon Moser | Mary Poppins | Opera House Players –
Elkader |
| Carol Wisner and Bryan Wilson | Annie | Performing Arts &
Education Association of Southwest Iowa |
| Scott Schuster | The Full Monty | Waterloo Comm
Playhouse/ Black Hawk Children’s Theatre |
Children’s Show
| Mary Poppins Jr. | Webster City Community Theatre |
| Singin’ In the Rain, Jr. | Great River Players |
| We Are Monsters | Great River Players |
