2021 Thespys Showcase

Viewers who were logged on to the event were treated to stunning performances from nominees, all live from their communities across the country. Layla Abu Saada from Troupe 5078 opened the show with “Lost in the Brass” from Band Geeks, knocking the virtual house down. And the feels didn’t stop there, with Grace Sorensen (Troupe 7715) sharing the giddiness of young love in “Changing My Major” from Fun Home. Other performances included songs from Wonderland and The Three Musketeers.

Straight plays were well represented, too, with riveting snippets from award-winning shows. Winners for Duet Acting Jordan Brandt and Dane Lackey (Troupe 3701) brought some levity to the showcase with a hilarious pantomime from Leading Ladies. And actor Corinne Fischer (Troupe 5832) flexed her range with a pair of contrasting, back-to-back monologues from Eleemosynary and Dance Nation. Later in the program, Arya Hanumara performed monologues from A Thousand Splendid Suns and Much Ado About Nothing—switching not just from one character and genre to another, but from modern English to Shakespearean.

Host Michael James Scott interviewed two other acting honorees who, because of licensing issues, couldn’t perform over Zoom: Cody Dixon and Trysten Williams (Troupe 6753). Though the pair couldn’t act out their roles of father and son in Jitney, they did learn they’d be going on an all-expenses-paid trip to next year’s Thespys awards, scheduled to take place in person in Bloomington, Indiana.

The Thespys also took viewers backstage with the sharpest minds in theatre tech. Caroline Yim (Troupe 3422) put together a time-lapse video of the atmospheric Victorian set she designed for The Hound of the Baskervilles. And Bennett Cooper (Troupe 1506) nearly stole the show with a knockout custom-made gown for Phantom of the Opera’s Christine Daaé. (Said one attendee in the virtual chat: “I want that dress for prom!”) Other presentations included behind-the-scenes looks at marketing posters, a stage manager’s detailed binder and schedule, and clips from an expertly crafted sound design.

While the showcase looked back at the previous year in theatre, it also looked forward. Ten thespians were announced as winners of the Princess Grace Awards. And one talented thespian also received the Amy Bennett Scholarship—a tearful Grace Sorensen, who the broadcast cut to live.

Michael James Scott summed it up best when he gave the audience some advice as the event closed: “I will say this to you as just a little something to think about because it’s obvious all of you are already living in your light. Believe the thing that you have is special, because no one else has it. Because they are not you.”

Find a list of this year’s winners here.  ■

Andrew Koch is a writer, editor, and theatre lover from Cincinnati.