DM Playhouse Debuts Acting Awards At 2010 Dionysos Volunteer Recognition

The Des Moines Community Playhouse held the 2010 Dionysos Awards on Sunday, July 18. The theatre honored 19 backstage, front-of-house, and education volunteers. New this year were eight acting awards. The theatre also recognized the contributions of two titans of Des Moines area theatre, and announced a new staff member.

Steve Claussen and Gloria Filean received the Dick Brown Superior Volunteer Awards. The award is named for longtime Playhouse volunteer, Dick Brown, who embodied the theatre's volunteer program and was nationally recognized for his community theatre volunteer service. Claussen received the Superior Volunteer Award for routinely tackling difficult, detailed, and time-consuming projects. This season, that included a tracking system that allowed a railroad car to magically appear in The Boxcar Children and building a trap door in the stage floor for Curtains. Filean is the
quintessential volunteer, currently serving in the ticket office as director of subscriber services. Her dedication to the theatre and its patrons has built The Playhouse's reputation for caring and personal customer service.

Dan Goss received the Gypsy Award. The Gypsy Award, nominated by the season's stage managers, is given to an actor, typically not a lead, who has shown dedication to the show, assisting in ways above and beyond their role. Goss was a cast member of The Boxcar Children. Off stage, he was heavily involved in Spotlight: Literacy, a program in which actors visit schools prior to the students' field trip to the theatre, followed by letter exchanges between the students and actors. Goss also helped build the show's set.

Receiving the 2010 Volunteer of the Year Awards were Brian Cornell, Cheryl Critelli, Sue Dittmer, Annette Duffy, LaDonna Edson, Lisa Ely, Cedric Fevrier, Beth Claypool Flynn, Abby LeBlanc, Megan Helmers, Bonnie Hodson, Susie McCauley, Arielle Roberts, Matt Sieren, Carter Smith, and Lois
Taylor. This group of volunteers, ranging in age from 16 to 60+, gave their time to building sets and props, sewing costumes, shifting scenery, running lights and sound, acting, organizing auditions, visiting classrooms, corresponding with students about shows, touring the state with radio shows, tearing tickets, and welcoming motorcoach groups.

Actor awards were given in both the Mainstage and Kate Goldman Children's Theatres. Actors were nominated by audiences with winners chosen by season ticket holders.

In the Mainstage Theatre, Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Musical went to Lenny Houts, who played the motorcycle-riding roustabout, Chad, in All Shook Up. Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical was awarded to Preshia Paulding, who brought to life Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall in Beyond the Rainbow. Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Play went to newcomer Paul Valleau for his comedic turn as Robert In the farce, Don't Dress for Dinner. Valleau's costar, Karen Schaeffer, received Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Play for her role as Suzette, the cook who is mistaken for the mistress.

In the Kate Goldman Children's Theatre, Peter Dean received Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Musical for his sensitive pirate, Sharktooth, in How I Became a Pirate. Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical went to Madison Barnes and Anne Teeling, who shared the role of Annie in Annie. Barnes returned to Des Moines from Chicago, where she is currently appearing in Billy Elliot, to accept her award. Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Play went to Sam Bates-Norum for his portrayal of the eldest Alden orphan, Henry, in The Boxcar Children. Kate Courter won
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Play for her impish turn as the title character in Ramona Quimby.

The nearly 300 volunteers and Playhouse subscribers at Sunday's awards paid tribute to the memory of two important members of the Des Moines theatre community who died during the past season: Kathi Fieldsend and Paul Dieke. Fieldsend was a versatile actress whose Playhouse roles ranged from The Baker's Wife in Into the Woods and Evita in Evita, to title roles in the comedies The Heidi Chronicles and Sylvia. She was also on The Playhouse staff, serving as marketing and development director, in the 1980s. Dieke was musical director for nearly 50 musicals at The Playhouse, from Oliver! in 1980 to Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story in 2003.

John Viars, executive director of The Playhouse, announced the return of Tim Wisgerhof as resident designer. Wisgerhof was on staff in the early 1990s, leaving Des Moines for New York City to design sets for theatre and, as vice president at Saks, that store's annual holiday display windows.
This past year, he designed the set for The Playhouse production of The Farnsworth Invention.

The Playhouse annually recognizes the more than 1,400 active volunteers who give more than 77,000 hours to the theatre. The Dionysos Awards are named for the Greek god and patron deity of the theater.

The Playhouse volunteer program is open to ages 14 and up for backstage and front-of-house opportunities, and ages 8 and up for acting opportunities. Training is provided. 

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