Tribune staff reports
Jackson County Community Theatre’s annual meeting was conducted May 22 at Royal-Off-the-Square Theatre in Brownstown.
Board President Joe Bradley conducted the business meeting, and Matt Nieman and Katrina Hardwick anchored the entertainment segments.
Bradley recognized sponsors, patrons and grants received this past year and the current board of directors, Hardwick, Dr. John Hiester, treasurer Fred Lewis, Dr. Joel McGill, board administrator Sarah McGill, Nieman, Erin Ortman, Kathy Passereni, Darin Richart and vice president Katherine Stahl.
Members voted to increase the number of board members from nine to 11 due to the extra work and responsibilities required to accommodate the Jackson County Young Artists’ Theatre.
Passereni was elected to a second three-year term, and Kathy Nelson, John and Julie Rohlfing and Stacey Williams will fill newly vacant and newly created board seats.
The meeting included scenes from the four shows this season — “All Shook Up,” “A Christmas Story,” “Boeing Boeing” and “Driving Miss Daisy.”
Nominations from those four mainstage productions were considered for the 2016 Jackie Awards.
Nieman and Hardwick from “Boeing Boeing” won for best performance in a leading role and supporting role, respectively.
The set design and building team won for their work on the “Boeing Boeing” stage, complemented by Stahl’s work as producer for the show. The “Boeing Boeing” cast was on hand to receive the best show award, directed by Hiester.
John Rohlfing won for his leading performance in “A Christmas Story,” and Jacob Dufour won for his supporting role in “All Shook Up.”
Special Jackie Awards of Excellence were presented to Bill Klaes for his audio and visual expertise for all four of the shows this season, Nelson for stepping into the role of the mayor in “All Shook Up” during the last week of rehearsals, Dr. Anthony Alexander for his stage debut and starring role as Hoke, the chauffeur, in “Driving Miss Daisy,” and Michelle Carter for her stage debut and featured role as Gabriella in “Boeing Boeing.”
A summer youth theater workshop was conducted in 2015. It gave rise to a summer musical production of “101 Dalmatians.”
This led to the formation of the Jackson County Young Artists’ Theatre and its January production of “The Ever After.”
Special Jackie Awards of Excellence were given to several adults who were instrumental in bringing those programs to the stage, including Passereni, Richart, Williams and John and Julie Rohlfing.
Bradley announced the mortgage for the 2012 remodeling project for the theater had been paid off a year early.
There have been 172 productions during the 46-year history of the organization.
Productions scheduled for group’s 47th season were announced.
They include the Summer Children’s Workshop led by Williams and John and Julie Rohlfing, followed in July by “A Walk in the Woods,” directed by the Rohlfings, a Jackson County Young Artists’ Theatre production and “Moon Over Buffalo,” directed by John Hardaway.
Also, there will be a special production of a new musical revue, “The Six-Teens,” on Nov. 4, 5 and 6 at The Pines Evergreen Room in Seymour. Mike Tormoehlen will be the director, and Dick Parman will serve as musical director.