Renaissance Players wrap up first season with gala, awards

Release Date: 8/6/2003. Expired: 8/12/2003

The Renaissance Players celebrate the conclusion of their first season of community theatre with a gala and awards program at The Renaissance Center on Aug. 12.

The Renaissance Players is the community troupe formed last summer to encourage involvement in the community theatre program of The Renaissance Center. Membership is open to anyone who would like to work with community theatre, either on stage or behind the scenes.

“We kicked off the formation of the Renaissance Players with our production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat last year and it has continued to grow through this season, which just concluded with Annie Get Your Gun,” said Kim Leavitt, director of Theatre Education and managing director of the Renaissance Players. “Our first year was terrific with new people getting involved in each play. Now we want to celebrate and kick off our 2003-04 season.”

The Renaissance Players Gala begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, in the rotunda at The Renaissance Center. There will be a reception for participants and then the evening wraps up with the first annual Jimmy Awards. Named for the late Dr. Jimmy Jackson, founder and original board chairman of The Renaissance Center, the Jimmy Awards will be presented annually to community theatre participants in both on-stage and behind-the-scenes roles.

“We have sent out ballots for several categories such as best lead actor and actress, best featured actor and actress, best supporting actor and actress, best young actor and actress and several others,” Leavitt said. “Everyone involved in The Renaissance Players received a ballot to vote and the winners will be announced at the awards ceremony during the Gala. It’s our own version of the Tony Awards and we expect it to get bigger and better each year.”

Entertainment for the awards program will be provided by Elaine Sherrill, senior director of Music at The Renaissance Center who recently portrayed Patsy Cline in the Gaslight Dinner Theatre’s production of Always... Patsy Cline, and Marilyn Fair, who played Louisa on the off-Broadway production of The Fantasticks and will be conducting an audition workshop at the center.

The Renaissance Players Gala is open to anyone who has participated or is interested in participating in any community theatre production at The Renaissance Center and attire for the evening is semi-formal. The 2003-04 Renaissance Players season includes productions of The Mousetrap, Cinderella, The Miracle Worker and The Wizard of Oz.

Anyone interested in attending the gala or getting involved with the Renaissance Players can contact Leavitt at (615)740-5551 or kim.leavitt@rcenter.org.

The Renaissance Center is an arts and technology education and performing arts center at 855 Highway 46 South in Dickson, just 35 miles west of Nashville on Interstate 40 at exit 172.

Visit the Theatre page for more about community and professional theatre.

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