The Forty-Eighth Annual NEPTA Awards Ceremony

The Northeastern Pennsylvania Theatrical Alliance held its twenty-eighth Annual NEPTA Awards Ceremony for the 2024 year at Mohegan Sun Casino in Pittston on Saturday, April 12, 2025. The annual event highlights and honors the best of the best in community theater of Northeast Pennsylvania of the previous year. NEPTA representatives voted on members' productions of 2024 to come up with nominations and recipients of the best in various categories. Part of NEPTA's mission is to raise funds to award scholarships to graduating area high school seniors entering into the performing arts or the education of the performing arts. Carol Warholak Sweeney and Susan Parrick were the Masters of Ceremonies for the event, and NEPTA president, Paul J. Gallo of Diva Productions gave opening remarks. FlashMilk (Dane Bower and Micheal Wawrzynek) performed an innovative opening for the show.

NEPTA member organizations who were nominated, received awards or took part in the ceremony included: Actors Circle (AC), Diva Productions and Imagine NEPA of Lackawanna County; Drama in Motion Performance Works Factory Theatre (DMPW) both of Schuylkill and Luzerne County; Endless Mountains Theatre Company (EMTC) of Susquehanna County; Gaslight Theatre, Little Theatre of Wilkes- Barre (LTWB), Music Box Theatre, and Pennsylvania Theater of Performing Arts (PTPA) of Luzerne County; and Worthington Players at Shawnee of Monroe County. Members at Large and among the presenters were Regina Lanzo, and Claudia Stuart. Marty Courtney, also a member at large, was not present for the event.

The 2024 NEPTA Award recipients by theatre are as follows:

Actors Circle - "Ravenscroft": for Best Comedy, Best Director of a Drama, Kate Martin; Best Lead Actress in a Drama, Jessi Teevan; Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, Courtney McCreary. "Firecracker" for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy, Madeline Giardina. "A Man, a Woman, A Head of Lettuce" for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy, Casey Thomas. Marnie Azzarelli's 'The First Dead Wives Club' for Best One Act. Diva Productions - Best Original Full-Length Production (Writing): Paul J. Gallo and Marcie Herman Riebe for "Inconveniences." Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to Bob Balitski, as presented by Paige Balitiski (also a past Lifetime Achievement recipient).

DMPW/PTPA - "Jesus Christ Superstar" for Best Lighting Design, Joelle Columbo Witner and T.R. Laputka. Endless Mountains Theatre Company - for Best Original One Act Writing, 'Dead No More' by Michael Pavese. Imagine NEPA - "Alice by Heart" for Best Teen Production (75% of principals age 13-18); Best Choreographer, Latoya Martin; Best Teen Actress (age 13-18) Chloe Orfanella. "Willy Wonka Jr." and "Seussical Jr." for Best Youth Production (74% of principals age 12 or younger). Seamus Dwyer. for Best Youth Actor (age 12 or under) in "Seussical Jr." LTWB - "The Secret Garden" for Best Costume Design, Aimee Novak and Kevin Costley; Best Teen Actor (13-18) Benjamin T. Gruden; "House of Blue Leaves" for Best Comedy; Best Director of a Comedy, David Parmelee; Best Lead Actress in a Comedy, Jennifer Frey Abdalla. "It's a Wonderful Life-Live Radio Play" for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy, David Giordano. "Jersey Boys" for Best Lead Actor in a Musical, Jovan Barnes. Music Box - "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" for Best Director of a Musical, Dane Bower; Best Lead actress in a Musical, Ericka Palladino; best Ancillary Ensemble; Best Set Design and Best Sound Design, Mike Wawrzynek; Best Music Director, Alli Bruch. "Matilda" for Best Youth Actress (Age 12 and under), Briell Fisher. PTPA - "Into the Woods" for Best Musical; Best Family Show; Best Music Director, Michele Millington; Best Supporting Actor in a Musical, Adam Randis; Best Supporting Actress in a Musical, Jadyn Culp; Best Sound Design, Mike Wawrzynek and T.R. Laputka. Worthington Players - "12 Angry Jurors" for Best Lead Actor in a Drama, Patrick Turner; Best Supporting Actor in a Drama, Joseph Kelly. "The Broken Window" for Best Teen Actor (age 13-18), Saturn Coyne. Congratulations to all of the recipients and nominees!

Philadelphia Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. CATS (Shawnee Playhouse)

17.2% of votes

2. INTO THE WOODS (The Milford Theater)

6% of votes

3. NEWSIES (Viviana Theatre)

3.9% of votes

Vote Now!