{"id":127017,"date":"2022-07-13T09:40:37","date_gmt":"2022-07-13T13:40:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=127017"},"modified":"2023-07-13T14:58:05","modified_gmt":"2023-07-13T18:58:05","slug":"wright-state-theatre-productions-saluted-by-dayton-com-as-among-areas-best-in-2021-22","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2022\/07\/13\/wright-state-theatre-productions-saluted-by-dayton-com-as-among-areas-best-in-2021-22\/","title":{"rendered":"Wright State Theatre productions saluted by Dayton.com as among area\u2019s best in 2021\u201322"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Tassy Kirbas, who graduated from Wright State in April with a bachelor\u2019s degree in acting, was honored for the Breakthrough Female Performance in a Musical for her starring role of Charity Hope Valentine in \u201cSweet Charity.\u201d (Photos by Erin Pence)<\/p><\/div>\n

Wright State University Theatre students and faculty members were saluted for their excellent performances in a roundup of the best Miami Valley productions in 2021\u201322 by Dayton.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In an article reviewing the theatre season, Russell Florence Jr., the team leader\/coordinator of the Lifestyles section of the Dayton Daily News and Dayton.com, singled out Wright State Theatre\u2019s productions as among the best in the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cWright State University scored with a joyous \u2018Mamma Mia!,\u2019 an outside-the-box, thrillingly danced \u2018Sweet Charity\u2019 featuring a Broadway-ready Tassy Kirbas, and a visceral production of Lynn Nottage\u2019s Pulitzer Prize-winning socioeconomic drama \u2018Sweat,\u2019\u201d said Florence, who earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in mass communications from Wright State.<\/p>\n

Florence named Wright State\u2019s productions of \u201cSweat\u201d and \u201cSweet Charity\u201d as the best local university productions.<\/p>\n

\u201cSweat\u201d was named the Best Collegiate Production of a Play. It was guest directed by Shaun Patrick Tubbs, who graduated from Wright State in 2002 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Wright State\u2019s production of \u201cCircle Mirror Transformation\u201d and \u201cLend Me a Tenor\u201d were also nominated for best university play.<\/p>\n

\u201cSweet Charity\u201d was honored as the Best Collegiate Production of a Musical. It was directed Marya Spring Cordes, associate professor of theatre, and music directed by F. Wade Russo.<\/p>\n

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Acting major Tommy Cole was honored for the Breakthrough Male Performance in a Play for his portrayal of Jason in \u201cSweat.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n

Wright State\u2019s production of \u201cMamma Mia!\u201d was also nominated for best university musical.<\/p>\n

Acting major Tommy Cole was honored for the Breakthrough Male Performance in a Play for his portrayal of Jason in \u201cSweat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tassy Kirbas, who graduated from Wright State in April with a bachelor\u2019s degree in acting, was honored for the Breakthrough Female Performance in a Musical for her starring role of Charity Hope Valentine in \u201cSweet Charity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brandon Kelly, a graduate of Wright State\u2019s B.F.A. Dance Program<\/a>, was honored for Best Local Choreography as the guest choreographer on \u201cSweet Charity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pam Knauert Lavarnway, professor and chair of the Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures, was honored for Best Scenic Design of a Play for \u201cLend Me a Tenor\u201d and for Best Scenic Design of a Musical for \u201cMamma Mia!\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cSweat,\u201d which was directed by Wright State theatre graduate Patrick Tubbs, was named the Best Collegiate Production of a Play.<\/p><\/div>\n

Numerous Wright State students and faculty members also received nominations from Dayton.com, including:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Best Leading Actor in a Play: Aidan Lord as Max, \u201cLend Me a Tenor\u201d<\/p>\n

Best Leading Actress in a Play: Mady McCabe as Tracey, \u201cSweat\u201d<\/p>\n

Best Supporting Actor in a Play: Cole Frasher as Tito Merelli, \u201cLend Me a Tenor\u201d<\/p>\n

Best Supporting Actress in a Play: Zavi Odetta as Cynthia, \u201cSweat\u201d<\/p>\n

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical: Mitchell Lewis as Oscar Lindquist, \u201cSweet Charity\u201d<\/p>\n

Breakthrough Male Performance in a Play: Marcus Antonio as Chris, \u201cSweat\u201d<\/p>\n

Breakthrough Female Performance in a Play: Donya Rahimi as Maria Merelli, \u201cLend Me a Tenor\u201d<\/p>\n

Breakthrough Female Performance in a Musical: Sarah Green as Sophie Sheridan, \u201cMamma Mia!\u201d<\/p>\n

Best Direction of a Play: Joe Deer, \u201cLend Me a Tenor,\u201d and Shaun Patrick Tubbs, \u201cSweat\u201d<\/p>\n

Best Direction of a Musical: Marya Spring Cordes, \u201cSweet Charity,\u201d and Greg Hellems, \u201cMamma Mia!\u201d<\/p>\n

Best Local Choreography: Greg Hellems, \u201cMamma Mia!\u201d<\/p>\n

Best Scenic Design of a Play: Michael S. Brewer, \u201cSweat\u201d<\/p>\n

Best Costume Design of a Play: Zoe Still, \u201cLend Me a Tenor\u201d<\/p>\n

Best Costume Design of a Musical: Michelle Sampson, \u201cMamma Mia!,\u201d and Zoe Still, \u201cSweet Charity\u201d<\/p>\n

Best Lighting Design of a Play: Matthew P. Benjamin, \u201cLend Me a Tenor\u201d and \u201cSweat\u201d<\/p>\n

Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Matthew P. Benjamin, \u201cMamma Mia!\u201d<\/p>\n

Best Sound Design of a Play: James Dunlap, \u201cSweat,\u201d and Aaron Poland, \u201cLend Me a Tenor\u201d<\/p>\n

Best Sound Design of a Musical: Aaron Poland, \u201cSweet Charity,\u201d and Grace Randall, \u201cMamma Mia!\u201d<\/p>\n

Best Orchestra: \u201cSweet Charity,\u201d musical director: F. Wade Russo<\/p>\n

Best Properties: John Lavarnway, \u201cMamma Mia!\u201d and \u201cSweet Charity\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cSweet Charity,\u201d which was directed Marya Spring Cordes, associate professor of theatre, and music directed by F. Wade Russo, was named as the Best Collegiate Production of a Musical.<\/p><\/div>\n

Florence also recognized the following Wright State students for additional artistic acknowledgments:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chap Hollin as Helene in \u201cSweet Charity\u201d<\/p>\n

Tassy Kirbas\u2019 rendition of \u201cIf My Friends Could See Me Now\u201d in \u201cSweet Charity\u201d<\/p>\n

Mady McCabe as Marty in \u201cCircle Mirror Transformation\u201d<\/p>\n

The Vocal Quartet of \u201cSweet Charity\u201d: Tanner Gleason, Melissa Matarrese, Lily Rowan and Alex Tischer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wright State\u2019s productions of \u201cSweat\u201d and \u201cSweet Charity\u201d were honored as the best local university productions. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":127045,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[722,2037,4859,725,747,715],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-arts-scene","category-fine-and-performing-arts","category-home-news-sidebar","category-liberal-arts","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=127017"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127017\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":139671,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127017\/revisions\/139671"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/127045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=127017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=127017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}