Omaha Community Playhouse Holds 21/22 Awards Night

The Omaha Community Playhouse (OCP) held its annual Awards Night celebration on Monday, August 1, to honor cast and crew members in the 2021/22 season. This year the Outstanding Youth Performance Awards has been renamed to the Jim Eisenhardt Outstanding Youth Award, to honor Jim's passion, work, and devotion to inspiring the youth of Omaha through theatre and the arts. Jim is a former theatre teacher at Omaha South High School and serves on the OCP board of trustees. He's created one-of-a-kind programs in the community, aimed at encouraging students to become involved in the arts.

Award recipients for the 2021/22 season were announced throughout the show, and included the following:

FONDA MCGUIRE AWARD

for the most outstanding performances of the season

• TammyRa' Jackson, The Color Purple

• Roderick Cotton, Kinky Boots

MARY PECKHAM AWARD

for a memorable performance in a feature role

• Angela Jenson Frey, Bright Star (musical)

• Billy Ferguson, Kinky Boots (musical)

• Josh Peyton, Dear Jack, Dear Louise (play)

• Sarah Schrader, Dear Jack, Dear Louise (play)

Barbara Ford AWARD

for outstanding performance in a supporting role

• Brandi Mercedes Smith, The Color Purple (musical)

• Dara Hogan, The Color Purple (musical)

• Jon Hickerson, Kinky Boots (musical)

• Judy Radcliff, Outside Mullingar (play)

• Don Keelan-White, Outside Mullingar (play)

ELAINE JABENIS CAMEO AWARD

for a memorable performance in a small role

• Eric Jordan Sr., The Color Purple (musical)

• Sarah Ebke, Kinky Boots (musical)

• Sue Mouttet, The Giver (play)

• Brennan Thomas, Murder on the Orient Express (play)

JIM EISENHARDT OUTSTANDING YOUTH AWARD

for the most outstanding performance by a youth in the season

• Stella Clark-Kaczmarek, The Giver

• Jane Rohling, The Giver

OUTSTANDING DEBUT YOUTH AWARD

for outstanding performance in a first appearance on an OCP Stage

• Liam Richardson, The Giver

• Courtney "CJ" Jackson Jr., Kinky Boots

Bill Bailey DEBUT AWARD

for outstanding performance in a first appearance on an OCP Stage

• Doriette L. Jordan, The Color Purple (musical)

• Ashari Johnson, The Color Purple (musical)

• Seth Maisel, Murder on the Orient Express (play)

• Kara Davidson, Stick Fly (play)

Charles Jones AWARD

to recognize excellence in performance at the discretion of the artistic director

• Camille Metoyer Moten, Christmas in My Heart

EDWARD F. OWEN AWARD

for corporations, foundations and individuals whose partnership and contribution have nurtured and sustained ongoing development of the Playhouse

• David and Anne Rismiller

Backstage Valuable Service and Staff Awards were also presented.