An entertaining evening punctuated by brief moments of people sharing sheer ecstasy with their closest colleagues and fans. That’s exactly what Rick Broussard, the co-creator and chairman of the N.H. Theater Awards board said people can expect Saturday.
“And that’s not everyone’s taste,” he said. “But if you enjoy award ceremonies with that kind of pomp and moments of passion on display, then you will enjoy the whole evening.”
In what is touted as an entire year’s worth of theater packed into one night, the 15th annual N.H. Theater Awards will hit the Capitol Center for the Arts on Saturday at 7 p.m. The event is both recognition of and a showcase for community and professional theater companies from across the state. Broussard said all are welcome to get dolled up and join in the glamour and fun of the evening.
And there will be plenty for nominees, recipients and the public to enjoy about the evening, he added. The event, which is being produced and directed by Bryan Halperin, will be peppered with music from a live band as well as live performances from some of the year’s best productions including scenes from the Community Players of Concord’s Once On This Island; the Majestic Theatre’s Spitfire Grill; the Winnipesaukee Playhouse’s Carrie the Musical; the Peacock Players’s Aida; the Amherst PTA’s Shrek; and, Actorsingers’s Rock of Ages.
“(Halperin) really knows what he’s doing,” Broussard said. “It’s a good show punctuated with a lot of award getting.”
One of those recipients that night Rob Koch – founding member and current managing director of Actors’ Circle Theatre – who will receive a lifetime achievement award. Koch’s theater experience has taken him from the stage as an actor to behind the scenes as director and technical support in both professional and community theatres for more than 50 years, according to NHTA officials. Koch is also on the board of trustees at the Peterborough Players. According to his biography provided by NHTA, Koch has played dozens of roles ranging from Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls to Thomas Cromwell in A Man for All Seasons and his directing and technical credits are numerous and equally eclectic. In addition to his work with the Actor’s Circle Theater, he has also performed with the Antrim Players, Raylynmor Opera, Granite State Opera, The Milford Area Players, Branch River Theater and The Peterborough Players.
Jack-of-all-trades Andrew Pinard will also be recognized with the Vision and Tenacity Award on Saturday, Broussard said. Pinard is not only known for his acting, directing, stage and lighting design and script adaptations, but also for his close up magic which he has performed all across the Northeast.
The award, however, is honoring one of his most recent achievements, the development of Hatbox Theatre in Concord. With the help of volunteers, Pinard turned a former 4,500-square-foot retail storefront at a mall into a cooperative 99-seat theatre venue that has already featured over 120 performances, according to the NHTA.
As for the numerous others up for awards this year, they are chosen after six adjudicators are sent to a show where they are required to score and comment on various elements of the production and its actors, according to the NHTA web site. The final scores omit the highest and lowest scores in order to avoid bias. Adjudicator comments are made available to theatre companies after the awards night and are anonymous, according to the NHTA website.
On awards night, the top three finalists will be announced, but the award will go to only one winner. Broussard said the production team has worked extra hard this year to tighten up the show so that it will be over about 10 p.m. in order to get people off to the after party.
Broussard said nights like this are important because New Hampshire is rich in talent, but not everyone knows that.
“New Hampshire is spread out and there’s not a lot of communication between the parts,” he said. “And this is about bringing the theater community together once a year to celebrate. It’s a networking opportunity for the community, but it’s also potentially a huge advertisement for the year that tells people theater is alive and well in New Hampshire and excellent in so many ways.”
Tickets for the ceremony cost between $32.50 and $50 and can be purchased through the Capitol Center for the Arts website atccanh.com. Tickets for the after party – which go for $10 to $25 – can be purchased on eventbrite.com.