2018 Cloris Leachman Awards Nominees Announced

Founded in 2015, the Cloris Awards celebrate excellence in theatre in Greater Des Moines. The annual awards program brings together the theatre community and the public to celebrate their work and enhance the visibility of locally-produced theatre. The 2017-2018 season featured 43 productions by 12 participating companies.

The Cloris Leachman Excellence in Theatre Arts Awards, affectionately known as the Clorises, celebrate excellence in theatre in greater Des Moines. The annual awards program brings together the theatre community and enhances the visibility of local theatre companies and their productions.

The Cloris Awards are named for the legendary actress Cloris Leachman, who was born in Des Moines in 1926, started performing at age 7 at Drake University's Children Theater and continued at the Kendall Playhouse (now the Des Moines Community Playhouse) while a student at Roosevelt High School. She attended Northwestern University and, as Miss Chicago, parlayed a run for the 1946 Miss America crown into a stint on Broadway. She married actor-director-producer George Englund in 1953, moved to Los Angeles in 1954 and raised five children before stepping into the roles that made her a household name in the 1970s. She starred as the nosy landlady Phyllis Lindstrom in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and its spin-off "Phyllis," as Frau Blucher in "Young Frankenstein," and as Nurse Diesel in "High Anxiety." She won an Oscar for her role as a neglected housewife in the 1971 film "The Last Picture Show" and appeared in many other shows, including "The Facts of Life," "The Beverly Hillbillies," "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Dancing with the Stars.

The Awards will be handed out on August 26th.

Check out this year's list of nominees below!

BEST PLAY

THE FLICK, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

ON GOLDEN POND, Tallgrass Theatre Company

PROWESS, Pyramid Theatre Company

SOUVENIR, Noce

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

BEST MUSICAL

BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL, Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre

A CHORUS LINE, Des Moines Community Playhouse

COMPANY, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

ELEPHANT & PIGGIE'S "WE ARE IN A PLAY!," Des Moines Community Playhouse

RAGTIME, Des Moines Community Playhouse

YOUTH & FAMILY PRODUCTION

BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL, Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre

DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID, Des Moines Community Playhouse

ELEPHANT & PIGGIE'S "WE ARE IN A PLAY!," Des Moines Community Playhouse

I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY, Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre

A LITTLE HOUSE CHRISTMAS, Des Moines Community Playhouse

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE, PLAY

Debra Garner as Ethel in ON GOLDEN POND, Tallgrass Theatre Company

Gina Gedler as Florence Foster Jenkins in SOUVENIR, Noce

Vic(toria) O'Bryant as Zora in PROWESS, Pyramid Theatre Company

Kerry Skram as Beatrice in A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Davida Williams as Sharonne Chapin in DEAD DOG PARK, Open Door Rep

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE, PLAY

Jim Arthur as Norman in ON GOLDEN POND, Tallgrass Theatre Company

Ryan Joseph Broussard as Mark in PROWESS, Pyramid Theatre Company

Jonathan Delima as Pastor Paul in THE CHRISTIANS, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Michael Ladell Harris as Sam in THE FLICK, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Shawn Wilson as Eddie Carbone in A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE, PLAY

Alison Buechler as Sister James in DOUBT, Ankeny Community Theatre

Maia Craddock as Avery in RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Kim Haymes as Jenny in THE CHRISTIANS, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Kellie Kramer as Angela MacDonald in DEAD DOG PARK, Open Door Rep

Alissa Tschetter-Siedschlaw as Gwen RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE, PLAY

Thomas Gill as Fred in A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Michael Ladell Harris as Rodolpho in A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Louis Reyes McWilliams as Andy in PROWESS, Pyramid Theatre Company

James Serpento as Alfieri in A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Aman Soni as Jax in PROWESS, Pyramid Theatre Company

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE, MUSICAL

Dani Boal as Mother in RAGTIME, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Kellie Kramer as Donna Sheridan in MAMMA MIA!, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Lauren Malcomson as Janet Weiss in THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, Kata Klysmic Productions

Allyson Martens as Piggie in ELEPHANT & PIGGY'S "WE ARE IN A PLAY!" Des Moines Community

Playhouse

Marisa Spahn as Campbell in BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL, Des Moines Young Artists' Theater

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE, MUSICAL

Blake Clyde as Coalhouse Walker Jr. in RAGTIME, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Greg DiMarco as Gilligan in GILLIGAN'S ISLAND THE MUSICAL, Carousel Theatre of Indianola

Derek Phelp as William Barfée in THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTMAN COUNTY SPELLING BEE, Ankeny

Community Theatre

Charlie Reese as Robert in COMPANY, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Connor Ripperger as Hedwig Robinson in HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, Kata Klysmic Productions

ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE, MUSICAL

Lorena Eclatt as Diana Morales in A CHORUS LINE, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Erin Horst as Marta in COMPANY, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Rachel Meyer as Yitzhak in HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, Kata Klysmic Productions

Maddie Ripperger as Bridget in BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL, Des Moines Young Artists' Theater

Jackie Schmillen as Ursula in DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID, Des Moines Community Playhouse

ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE, MUSICAL

Blake Clyde as Sebastian in DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Demarius Fisher Jr. as Richie in A CHORUS LINE, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Spencer Gilbert as Zach in A CHORUS LINE, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Adam Haselhuhn as Drake & Others in HONK!, Ankeny Community Theatre

Mark Maddy as Pop Hanson & Others in MISS NELSON IS MISSING!, Des Moines Community Playhouse

RISING STAR (Performer Under Age 18)

Jack Gabby as Winthrop Paroo in THE MUSIC MAN, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Elyse Hall as Eva in BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL, Des Moines Young Artists' Theater

Ryan Henzi as The Little Boy in RAGTIME, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Sage Johnson as Young Raja in I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY, Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre

Asher Suski as Ugly in HONK!, Ankeny Community Theatre

Savannah Trotter as Ariel in DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID, Des Moines Community Playhouse

YOUTH & FAMILY ENSEMBLE

HAIRSPRAY JR., Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre

HONK!, Ankeny Community Theatre

I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY, Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre

A LITTLE HOUSE CHRISTMAS, Des Moines Community Playhouse

MISS NELSON IS MISSING!, Des Moines Community Playhouse

TECHNICAL AND CREATIVE CATEGORIES

SCENIC DESIGN

Nicholas Amundson, RAGTIME, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Jay Michael Jagim, A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Kimberly Manuel, MISERY, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Kevin Shelby, A LITTLE HOUSE CHRISTMAS, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Ronnie Wells, ON GOLDEN POND, Tallgrass Theatre Company

LIGHTING DESIGN

Jim Trenberth, A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Virgil Kleinhesselink, RAGTIME, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Virgil Kleinhesselink, A CHORUS LINE, Des Moines Community Playhouse

John Pomeroy and Jonathan Cottle, PROWESS, Pyramid Theatre Company

Todd Warming, THE FLICK, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

SOUND DESIGN

Anna Drummond, PROWESS, Pyramid Theatre Company

Josh Jepson, COMPANY, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Josh Jepson, THE FLICK, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Josh Jepson, RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Mark Toebben and Jolie Seitz, I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY, Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre

COSTUME & MAKEUP DESIGN

Angela Lampe, RAGTIME, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Angela Lampe, DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Crimson B. Rosenberg, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, Kata Klysmic Productions

Mel Ziegenfuss, SOUVENIR, Noce

Susanna Douthit, I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY, Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre

CHOREOGRAPHY

David Decker, HAIRSPRAY JR., Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre

Megan Helmers, BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL, Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre

Megan Helmers, A CHORUS LINE, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Megan Helmers, DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Alison Shafer, RAGTIME, Des Moines Community Playhouse

MUSIC DIRECTION (New in 2018)

Brenton Brown, DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Brenton Brown, RAGTIME, Des Moines Community Playhouse

Ben Hagen, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, Kata Klysmic Productions

Rebecca Hunt, COMPANY, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Taylor Anne Weaver, BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL, Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre

DIRECTION

Katy Merriman, ELEPHANT & PIGGIE'S "WE ARE IN A PLAY!" Des Moines Community Playhouse

Ken-Matt Martin, PROWESS, Pyramid Theatre Company

Matt McIver, A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

Megan Helmers, BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL, Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre

Shawn Wilson, THE FLICK, Iowa Stage Theatre Company

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