Starkville Community Theatre took the 2009 Mississippi Theatre Association Festival by hook, line and sinker as its entry, Catfish Moon, pulled in seven awards including the top honor, the J. Warren McDaniel Community Theatre Award for Best Production.
Catfish Moon will now advance to regional competition.
The Southeastern Theatre Conference Festival will be held in Birmingham, March 4-8. This year marks the second time in three years SCT has won the MTA Festival and advanced to SETC. In 2007, SCT's production of the musical Smoke on the Mountain won at the state level and earned Runner Up status at the SETC Festival in Atlanta.
In addition to winning Best Production, SCT's performance of Laddy Sartin's play also captured numerous other awards during the three-day festival held in Natchez, January 16-18.
Kris Lee, the show's director, was named Best Director. This win marks the third year in a row that SCT has claimed the Best Director award (Pattye Archer won for directing Smoke on the Mountain in 2007, and MJ Etua won in 2008 for her direction of "Art.")
The Catfish Moon cast - featuring Paul Ruff, Gabe Smith, Krista Vowell and Marcus Vowell - won Best Ensemble. Ruff was also named Best Actor, making him the third consecutive actor to take home that honor for SCT (Kary Rogers won for Smoke on the Mountain in 2007, and Gabe Smith won for "Art" in 2008), and Krista Vowell won Best Supporting Actress honors.
The show also won awards for Overall Technical Excellence and for Best Scenic Design (Thomas La Foe).
Should SCT be named one of the two top shows at SETC, they will advance to the national competition through the American Association of Community Theatres to be held this year in Tacoma, WA.
In addition to SCT's honors at the 2009 MTA Festival, a number of SCT veterans won Individual Event awards; Starkville High School's production of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow captured several awards in competition; and Lousiville High School, directed by SCT's MJ Etua, also won several MTA awards.
Starkville Community Theatre Indivdiual Winners:
- Adult Individual Events Competition - 1st Place, Solo Vocal (Female) - Brenda Mayo
- Adult Individual Events Competition - 2nd Place, Solo Vocal (Female) - Madeline Golden
- Adult Individual Events Competition - 1st Place, Solo Vocal (Male) - Lyle Tate
- Adult Individual Events Competition - 1st Place, Duet Vocal - Cindy Ruff and Paul Ruff
- Adult Individual Events Competition - 1st Place, Monologue (Female) - Madeline Golden
- Adult Individual Events Competition - 2nd Place, Monologue (Male) - Marcus Vowell
- Adult Individual Events Competition - 1st Place, Duet Acting - Terry McDowell and Lyle Tate
Starkville High School MTA Awards:
- All-Star Cast Award - George Bennett, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (adapted by the StarkvilleHigh School Drama Department)
- Most Promising Young Actor - George Bennett, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
- Best Costume Design - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
- Best Adaptation of an Original Source - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
- 10-Minute Play Festival - Best Actress - Maureen Hughes
- 10-Minute Play Festival - Best Actor - Kienan Grice
- Mississippi Theatre Association Scholarships - Maureen Hughes and Cooper Kennard
Starkville High School Indivdiual Winners:
- Secondary Individual Events Competition - 1st Place, Poster Design - Sasha Newman
- Secondary Individual Events Competition - 2nd Place, Monologue (Female) - Abby Cathcart
- Secondary Individual Events Competition - 3rd Place, Monologue (Female) - Danielle Grimes
- Secondary Individual Events Competition - 1st Place, Monologue (Male) - Cal Sullivan
- Secondary Individual Events Competition - 1st Place, Original Scene (Duo) - Claudia Bennett and Cooper Kennard
Louisville High School MTA Awards:
- Best Ensemble Acting - *Marching on to Freedomland* (written by MJ Etua)
- Best Original Play - *Marching on to Freedomland*
The crew of Catfish Moon (standing, from left) Cary Huser, Andrew Watkins, Cindy Ruff (properties), Amanda Clay Powers (costumes), Thomas La Foe (technical director), Lee Dempsey and (kneeling) assistant director Lyle Tate.
The cast of Catfish Moon (from left) Paul Ruff, Gabe Smith, Krista Vowell and Marcus Vowell.
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