Communities celebrate theater awardees with watch parties

SEMBACH, Germany — Community theater teams throughout Installation Management Command Europe gathered May 7 for watch parties of the 2022 TOPPERs awards. Otherwise generally known as the Tournament of Plays, the 61st annual awards acknowledged the very best in theater efficiency and manufacturing throughout the area.

“We do it for three reasons,” stated Dane Winters throughout a stay interview on AFN Europe recognizing the occasion and the night’s winners. The awards are to “capture and honor some really great theater that’s going on in the field.”

The skilled adjudicators, who judged 13 reveals in 9 communities this yr, additionally offered suggestions to the actors and crews to assist them additional their careers. And the final purpose, Winters stated, “we do it is to thank the thousands of Soldiers, family members and civilians who give hundreds of thousands of hours every year putting on live theater in their community. It makes their communities better places to live.”

IMCOM-Europe Director and TOPPERs host Tommy Mize thanked the Army Europe Entertainment workers in addition to the group volunteers.

“Army Entertainment programming provides a sense of community and a touch of home as we’re away from home,” Mize stated. “Additionally, the shows, as well as the workshops and classes offered each year, enhance morale while teaching valuable skills. They provide models of teamwork; they hone leadership abilities; and they promote overall well-being – all of which increases the resiliency of our communities and also contributes to the readiness of our fighting force.”

Some of the massive winners for the night included the all-youth produced “Dear Anne from Nina,” from U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden’s Amelia Earhart Playhouse. The youth picked the present, produced it, directed it and acted it, Winters stated. Their efforts garnered them a particular award for Outstanding All-Youth Production.

Outstanding Play went to The SHAPE Players Performing Arts Center manufacturing of “Art,” from USAG Benelux whereas Outstanding Musical went to “Into the Woods” by USAG Rhienland-Pfalz’s KMC Onstage.

The USAG Ansbach Terrace Playhouse was acknowledged with a particular award for its all-Soldier manufacturing of “Ten-Hut. An All Soldier Show.” The distinctive one-act performs had been produced from “Blue Print Specials,” a WWII-era e book containing scripts and instructions for Soldiers to placed on reveals with the sources they’d in warzones.

Vikki Hanrahan, the leisure director at Ansbach’s Terrace Playhouse who unearthed the Blue Print Special within the theater basement, joined Winters to emcee the stay TOPPERs occasion April 30 at KMC Onstage. Little did Hanrahan know, she was presenting from an alternate script.

Hanrahan invited Mize to the stage to current and launched the 2022 IMCOM Norman H. Marcus Award for unprecedented contributions to Family and Morale, Recreation and Welfare packages in Europe. She turned in shock as Winters then proceeded to call her the recipient.

“During a career spanning approximately 41 years in and around USAG Ansbach,” Winters learn, “Ms. Hanrahan provided vision, passion and leadership and ensured success across the spectrum of MWR services and activities.”

Celebrity presenters for the night included actor, singer-songwriter, playwright and filmmaker Lin Manuel Miranda who introduced Grant Coleman from Stuttgart’s “Xanadu, Jr.” and Capt. Phoun “Leone” Quach from Ansbach’s “Ten-Hut! An All Soldier Show” as tie recipients for Outstanding Debut Performance. Actor Harvey Fierstein additionally bought to acknowledge two performers from KMC Onstage’s “Into the Woods” for Outstanding Lead Female Role in a Musical – Rachel Gardner as “The Baker’s Wife” and Christine Lumpkin as “The Witch.”

Actor Chris Pine acknowledged Anna Moritz as “Little Red Riding Hood” from KMC Onstage’s “Into the Woods” as Outstanding Youth Female Role in a Musical. And, actor David Hyde Pierce introduced Spc. Ethan Hamblin as “Laurie” from the Amelia Earhart manufacturing of “Little Women” because the winner of the Outstanding Military Performance in a Musical award.

“Sixty-one years of the TOPPER awards. I just have to say, ‘Why?’ Doesn’t the Army have other things to do?” Hyde Pierce joked. “Well yes they do. But here’s why the TOPPERs have been around for 61 years – because they’re important. The arts and theater does the same thing for you in the service as it does for us civilians. It gives us a chance to be creative, a chance to unwind, a chance to laugh, to think about our lives. And whatever service we’ve devoted ourselves to, we get a chance to go back to it refreshed because of our time in the theater. So listen, one of the most important freedoms you’ve devoted your lives to defending is the freedom of expression. So that’s why Army Entertainment is important and that’s why the TOPPERS are important and they’re going to be around for another 61 years.”

Whether in entrance of the lights or backstage, be taught extra about getting concerned in your native theater group: https://www.armymwr.com/ArmyEuropeEntertainment/get-involved

For an entire checklist of winners, go to https://www.army.mil/article/256315/

View extra occasion pictures at: 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/vise_media/albums/72177720298599193

Watch the present: https://youtu.be/mhDNQWoW08g

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