Each year, the NCTC Board of Directors presents the NCTC Awards to companies, schools, and individuals that are active NCTC members and have exhibited leadership roles in their community, as well as artistic, professional, or educational excellence. Board members and NCTC staff will travel to each recipient’s theatre or school to make award presentations at events in the winter and spring.
NCTC is proud to announce the recipients of the 2012 NCTC Awards!
NCTC Marian A. Smith Distinguished Career Award – Dan Shoemaker (Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte)
In 1989, Dan Shoemaker served as one of the founders and Managing Director of Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, which was formed for the purpose of broadening the appreciation for contemporary theatre in the Charlotte region. In 2002, Dan was named the Executive Artistic Director of Actor’s Theatre and then became the full-time Executive Director in 2004. Dan has guided Actor’s Theatre’s membership in Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization of the American Theatre, Metrolina Theatre Association (MTA), NCTC, and The National New Play Network (NNPN). He has served on grant panels for the North Carolina Arts Council and TGC, and adjudicated Middle and High School Play Festivals for NCTC. He helped guide Actor’s Theatre to their new status with Actors Equity, now operating under the AEA Small Professional Theatre contract. Most recently at Actor’s Theatre, Dan was instrumental in creating Nuvoices for a Nugeneration, a national playwriting competition to “honor and encourage emerging playwrights of the American Theatre.” In its first year, the program featured hundreds of scripts from across the country. A panel selected 4 scripts to be presented as staged readings, and a distinguished panel of judges chose one script to receive a full production at Actor’s Theatre. He has been a steady, visionary force in growing theatre in Charlotte and the surrounding region in recent decades, and has been the recent recipient of MTA’s “Theatre Person of the Year” Award. The NCTC Board is proud to honor Dan’s professional accomplishments and leadership in the statewide theatre field with our Distinguished Career Award.
NCTC Herman Middleton Distinguished Service Award - Judy Osborne (Union Pines High School)
Judy Osborne has been a Theatre Arts Educator for the past 20 years, and is currently the director of the theatre program at Union Pines High School. Judy has served on the Board of Directors for NCTC as well as Arts NC, where she became known as one of the states’ leading advocates for arts education. As an arts advocate, Judy worked to communicate with legislators about arts education issues and was asked to serve as a featured panelist at the Emerging Issues Forum on creativity (an incredibly high honor, as these panels also included former governors and presidential candidates). Judy has received the 2006 NCTC Theatre Educator Award, the 2009 NC State University Inspirational Teacher Award, and the peer-awarded title of Teacher of the Year at Union Pines High School. Under Judy’s artistic direction, Union Pines High School has received numerous accolades at NCTC Festivals and was awarded the top prize of Distinguished Play at the 2005 State High School Play Festival, going on to represent the state of North Carolina at the SETC Festival. Judy and her students at Union Pines have served NCTC and the greater theatre field by hosting the NCTC High School Play Festivals on both the regional and state levels. They have also been part of the NCTC Fundraising Partner Program since its inaugural year. Since her service on the NCTC Board, Judy has continued to volunteer her time to work on the Play Festival committee and to serve as an organizational representative at regional festivals. The NCTC Board is extremely appreciative of Judy’s service to the statewide theatre field and celebrates her many achievements with this award!
NCTC College/University Award – Lenoir-Rhyne University
The theatre department at Lenoir-Rhyne University provides an exceptional theatrical training experience while also encouraging students to become leaders and innovators in their field. Theatre department coordinator Mia Self leads the liberal arts program that is tailored to fit each student’s individual needs. Lenoir-Rhyne students supplement their classroom learning with a rigorous production schedule involving main stage shows and studio productions, as well as professional theatre internships. Lenoir-Rhyne is an active participant in many NCTC programs. Mia Self serves on the NCTC Board of Directors and has been one of the primary coordinators of our College Discovery Day event. Mia and Stacey Brackett, Associate Director of Admissions at Lenoir-Rhyne, are both frequent presenters at College Discovery Day. Lenoir-Rhyne students understand the importance of giving back and are active participants in the NCTC Fundraising Partner program, raising funds to support scholarships and education programs. NCTC is also grateful to Lenoir-Rhyne for serving as a Scholarship Partner for our High School Play Festival program, awarding scholarships to the top actor and actress each year. Lenoir-Rhyne University is far deserving of our 2012 award! Congratulations to Mia, Stacey, and the entire theatre program!
NCTC Community Theatre Award - Raleigh Little Theatre
The NCTC Board of Directors honors Raleigh Little Theatre with the Community Theatre Award for their exceptional educational programs, high-quality productions and passionate commitment to the community. Founded in 1936, Raleigh Little Theatre is one of the oldest continuously producing theatre companies in the country. Haskell Fitz-Simons has served as the Artistic Director of RLT for nearly 30 years and, under his guidance, the theatre produces 11 main stage shows each season. RLT also offers several education programs in their 3 spaces, in addition to their adult and children’s companies that tour to local schools, nursing homes, hospitals and community groups. RLT recently experienced a leadership transition, and new Executive Director Charles Phaneuf has focused significant time and effort on building local, regional and statewide partnerships which have strengthened the stability and vibrancy of the theatre. RLT received the NCTC Community Theatre Award in 1992 and with such strong leadership and rich history of artistic excellence; it is no surprise that Raleigh Little Theatre is receiving the award for a second time. Congratulations to the entire RLT team!
NCTC K-12 Theatre Arts Educator Award – Barbara Dial Mager (David W. Butler High School)
Barbara Dial Mager has been inspiring students and mentoring new teachers as a Theatre Arts Educator for more than 25 years, most recently at David W. Butler High School. Barbara’s demanding teaching schedule includes classroom work and a production season with 15-20 shows each year. In addition to this, she makes time to train and guide new teachers, sharing her passion for education, and pushing them to excel in their own work. Under Barbara’s artistic direction, Butler High School’s high-quality productions have received numerous awards. The long list of her NCTC High School Play Festival achievements includes several Distinguished Play awards and State Festival appearances, as well as the John W. Parker Award for Excellence in Directing in 2012. Barbara’s students have gone on to achieve success in a variety of fields, and a select few have chosen to follow in her footsteps, majoring in theatre and becoming theatre arts educators themselves. The NCTC Board celebrates Barbara’s accomplishments and thanks her for the incredible work she has done to nurture her students and the next generation of arts educators!
NCTC George A. Parides Professional Theatre Award – Cape Fear Regional Theatre
Cape Fear Regional Theatre in Fayetteville, NC is celebrating their 51st season this year. The NCTC Board selected the theatre for this honor, to celebrate their artistic excellence, extraordinary education programs, and the flawless transition the theatre has navigated in the last few years. The theatre’s board and senior staff led an organizational leadership transition as Founding Artistic Director Bo Thorp retired after 50 years, and Tom Quaintance was appointed the theatre’s new leader. This transition was handled with a high level of care and transparency, allowing for an exciting new era to take shape, while also honoring the theatre’s rich history. Another significant transition took place over the last decade as Cape Fear Regional Theatre shifted from a Community Theatre to a Professional Theatre, with the community at the core of its mission and focus. This award marks the second occasion in which the company has been honored by NCTC, the first time being in 1985 when the (then called) Fayetteville Little Theatre received the NCTC Community Theatre Award. Congratulations to the entire Cape Fear staff!
NCTC Constance Welsh Theatre for Youth Award - NC Shakespeare Festival
The NC Shakespeare Festival is presented with this award for their extraordinary education programs that introduce new generations to theatre and provide aspiring young performers opportunities to learn from professional actors, directors and designers. One of NCShakes’ most successful youth programs is Shakespeare To Go, which brings a team of actors to schools across the state, introducing young audiences to the world of Shakespeare. The actors perform edited versions of Shakespeare’s plays, and encourage students to actively participate in speaking the language and assuming roles themselves. The ShakeSpirit program brings a professional actor into the classroom to work with students to recreate scenes and experiences from Shakespeare’s works. These are just a few of NCShakes’ popular programs that engage young artists and audiences. The NCTC Board celebrates all of these exceptional initiatives and congratulations the entire staff of NCShakes on this well-deserved honor!
