Check out the full list of nominees here!
And the winner is ... local theater in greater Des Moines for returning to the stage after the pandemic finally moved out of the spotlight.
After skipping a year, the seventh (almost) annual Cloris Awards will honor eight local theater companies that produced 33 shows during the 2021-2022 season. The outdoor ceremony is set for 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28 (or Aug. 29 in case of rain), at the Jamie Hurd Amphitheater, 4100 Mills Civic Parkway in West Des Moines. A reception will begin at 7 p.m., and guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnic items. Admission is free.
The Cloris Leachman Excellence in Theatre Awards were founded in 2015 and named for the Oscar-winning Des Moines native who attended the 2016 ceremony and passed away in 2021. The awards celebrate outstanding contributions, both on stage and behind the scenes, to local theater across the metro.
This year's ceremony will honor shows that were staged between Aug. 1, 2021, and July 31, 2022, from the following eight participating companies: Ankeny Community Theatre, Carousel Theatre of Indianola, The Des Moines Playhouse, Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre, Iowa Stage Theatre Co., Pyramid Theatre Co., Tallgrass Theatre Co. and Urbandale Community Theatre.
Below is a list of the nominees in 16 categories for acting, directing and design - plus the young actors who have been named Jeanne Hopson Rising Stars, all of whom will be recognized during the ceremony.
For more information, please visit clorisawards.org.
"The Cake," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
"Calendar Girls," The Des Moines Playhouse
"It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
"King Lear," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
"The Revolutionists," Tallgrass Theatre Co.
"Cabaret," The Des Moines Playhouse
"Heathers: The Musical," Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre
"Into the Woods," Tallgrass Theatre Co.
"Matilda," The Des Moines Playhouse
"Next to Normal," Carousel Theatre of Indianola
"Charlotte's Web," The Des Moines Playhouse
"Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus," The Des Moines Playhouse
"Heathers: The Musical," Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre
"Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells," The Des Moines Playhouse
"Pippi Longstocking," The Des Moines Playhouse
Riley Devick as Lena in "Cry It Out," Ankeny Community Theatre
Debra Garner as Jessie in "Calendar Girls," The Des Moines Playhouse
Kim Haymes as Jen in "The Cake," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
Richard Maynard as Lear in "King Lear," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
Kiera McGregor as Marianne Angelle in "The Revolutionists," Tallgrass Theatre Co.
John Robinson as Harry Heywood in "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
Becky Scholtec as Della in "The Cake," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
Jordyn Wiser as Sugar in "Tiny Beautiful Things," Tallgrass Theatre Co.
Madison Green as Natalie in "Next to Normal," Carousel Theatre of Indianola
Charlotte Proctor as Veronica Sawyer in "Heathers: The Musical," Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre
Charlie Reese as Don Lockwood, "Singin' in the Rain," The Des Moines Playhouse
Ashley Rogers as Rosie Alvarez in "Bye Bye Birdie," Urbandale Community Theatre
Stephanie Schneider as Kathy Selden in "Singin' in the Rain," The Des Moines Playhouse
Brett Spahr as the Pigeon in "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus," The Des Moines Playhouse
Dane Van Brocklin as Jack in "Into the Woods," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
Hunter West as Jason Dean in "Heathers: The Musical," Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre
Rae Davis Fehring as Macy in "The Cake," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
Thomas Gill as Edmund in "King Lear," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
Jen Green as Goneril in "King Lear," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
Amy McGrew as Steele in "A Piece of My Heart," Ankeny Community Theatre
Cate Miller as Helen Hubbard in "Murder on the Orient Express," The Des Moines Playhouse
Brittny Rebhuhn as the Fool in "King Lear," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
James Serpento as Tim in "The Cake," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
Nancy Zubrod as Dot in "Girls' Weekend 2," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
Mia Alaimo as Miss Jennifer Honey in "Matilda," The Des Moines Playhouse
Alison Buechler as Rapunzel in "Into the Woods," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
Abby Fickbohm as Heather Chandler in "Heathers: The Musical," Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre
Katelyn Hughes as Miss Agatha Trunchbull in "Matilda," The Des Moines Playhouse
Sage Johnson as Liesl von Trapp in "The Sound of Music," The Des Moines Playhouse
Craig Petersen as Herr Schultz in "Cabaret," The Des Moines Playhouse
Maggie Schmitt as Lina Lamont in "Singin' in the Rain," The Des Moines Playhouse
Dane Van Brocklin as Gabe in "Next to Normal," Carousel Theatre of Indianola
"Beaufield Berry's Buffalo Women," The Des Moines Playhouse & Pyramid Theatre Co.
"The Cake," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
"Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some!)," Tallgrass Theatre Co.
"[title of show]," Carousel Theatre of Indianola
"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," Carousel Theatre of Indianola
"Charlotte's Web," The Des Moines Playhouse
"Heathers: The Musical," Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre
"Matilda," The Des Moines Playhouse
"Pippi Longstocking," The Des Moines Playhouse
The von Trapp children in "The Sound of Music," The Des Moines Playhouse
Brad Dell, "King Lear," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
Jennifer Nostrala, "The Cake," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
Katy Merriman, "The Sound of Music," The Des Moines Playhouse
David VanCleave, "Matilda," The Des Moines Playhouse
Megan Helmers, "Heathers: The Musical," Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre
Claire Barth, "Next to Normal," Carousel Theatre of Indianola
Brenton Brown, "Heathers: The Musical," Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre
Courageous Fire, "Beaufield Berry's Buffalo Women," The Des Moines Playhouse and Pyramid Theatre Co.
Francine Griffith and Ling Hsiao, "Into the Woods," Tallgrass Theatre Co.
Adam Yankowy, "Cabaret," The Des Moines Playhouse
Allison Bollinger, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," Carousel Theatre of Indianola
Megan Helmers, "Cabaret," The Des Moines Playhouse
Megan Helmers, "Heathers: The Musical," Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre
Erin Horst, "Singin' in the Rain," The Des Moines Playhouse
Alison Shafer, "Matilda," The Des Moines Playhouse
Nicholas Amundson, "Escaping the Labyrinth," The Des Moines Playhouse
Nicholas Amundson, "Matilda," The Des Moines Playhouse
Nicholas Amundson, "Murder on the Orient Express," The Des Moines Playhouse
Jay Michael Jagim, "Cabaret," The Des Moines Playhouse
Jay Michael Jagim, "Girls' Weekend 2," Iowa Stage Theatre
Cheryl Clark, "The Revolutionists," Tallgrass Theatre Co.
Angela Lampe, "Cabaret," The Des Moines Playhouse
Angela Lampe, "Singin' in Rain," The Des Moines Playhouse
Angela Lampe, "Matilda," The Des Moines Playhouse
Angela Lampe, "The Sound of Music," The Des Moines Playhouse
Chris Hanian, "Escaping the Labyrinth," The Des Moines Playhouse
Shawn Jensen, "Next to Normal," Carousel Theatre of Indianola
Alex Snodgrass, "Cabaret," The Des Moines Playhouse
Dakota Sommer, "The Cake," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
Sam Stephen, "Matilda," The Des Moines Playhouse
Brandon Kair, "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play," Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
Cory Hug, "Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some!)," Tallgrass Theatre Co.
Michael Meacham, "Murder on the Orient Express," The Des Moines Playhouse
Mark Toebben, "Escaping the Labyrinth," The Des Moines Playhouse
Meredith Toebben, "Charlotte's Web," The Des Moines Playhouse
Michael Beasley as the Children's Entertainer in "Matilda" and a narrator in "Charlotte's Web," The Des Moines Playhouse
Ruth Christie as a narrator in "Charlotte's Web" and Lucille in "Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!" The Des Moines Playhouse
Me'Lisa Dudley as Heather Duke in "Heathers," Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre
Emmersyn Gustafson as Junie B. Jones in "Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!" The Des Moines Playhouse
Liliana Haaland as Matilda in "Matilda," The Des Moines Playhouse
Dawson Huinker as Mal in "Disney's Descendants: The Musical," Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre
Price Jacobsen as Harvey Johnson in "Bye Bye Birdie," Urbandale Community Theatre
Gbomi Kayode as a narrator in "Charlotte's Web," The Des Moines Playhouse
Tatum Lowell as Heather McNamara in "Heathers," Des Moines Young Artists' Theatre
Charlotte Rempe as Wilbur in "Charlotte's Web," The Des Moines Playhouse
Isabella Rempe as Pippi in "Pippi Longstocking," The Des Moines Playhouse
Nina Spahr as Matilda in "Matilda," The Des Moines Playhouse
Amaya Veldkamp as Pippi in "Pippi Longstocking" and May in "June B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!" The Des Moines Playhouse
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