From the Cloris Awards: 

And the winner is … local theater in Greater Des Moines for returning to the stage after the pandemic finally moved out of the spotlight.

After skipping a year, the seventh (almost) annual Cloris Awards will honor eight local theater companies that produced 33 shows during the 2021-2022 season. The outdoor ceremony is set for 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28 (or Aug. 29 in case of rain), at the Jamie Hurd Amphitheater, 4100 Mills Civic Parkway in West Des Moines. A reception will begin at 7 p.m. guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and picnic items. Admission is free.

The Cloris Leachman Excellence in Theatre Awards were founded in 2015 and named for the Oscar-winning Des Moines native who attended the 2016 ceremony and passed away in 2021. The awards celebrate outstanding contributions to local theater across the metro, both on stage and behind the scenes.

This year’s ceremony will honor shows that were staged between Aug. 1, 2021, and July 31, 2022, by the following eight participating companies: Ankeny Community Theatre, Carousel Theatre of Indianola, The Des Moines Playhouse, Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre, Iowa Stage Theatre Co., Pyramid Theatre Co., Tallgrass Theatre Co., and Urbandale Community Theatre.

Below is a list of the nominees in 16 categories for acting, directing, and design – plus the young actors named Jeanne Hopson Rising Stars. All of them will be recognized during the ceremony.

For more information, please visit clorisawards.org.

PLAY

• “The Cake,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• “Calendar Girls,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• “King Lear,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• “The Revolutionists,” Tallgrass Theatre Co.

MUSICAL

• “Cabaret,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• “Heathers: The Musical,” Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre
• “Into the Woods,” Tallgrass Theatre Co.
• “Matilda,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• “Next to Normal,” Carousel Theatre of Indianola

PRODUCTION for YOUTH & FAMILY

• “Charlotte’s Web,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• “Heathers: The Musical,” Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre
• “Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• “Pippi Longstocking,” The Des Moines Playhouse

PERFORMANCE in a LEAD ROLE in a PLAY

• Riley Devick as Lena in “Cry It Out,” Ankeny Community Theatre
• Debra Garner as Jessie in “Calendar Girls,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Kim Haymes as Jen in “The Cake,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• Richard Maynard as Lear in “King Lear,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• Kiera McGregor as Marianne Angelle in “The Revolutionists,” Tallgrass Theatre Co.
• John Robinson as Harry Heywood in “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• Becky Scholtec as Della in “The Cake,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• Jordyn Wiser as Sugar in “Tiny Beautiful Things,” Tallgrass Theatre Co.

PERFORMANCE in a LEAD ROLE in a MUSICAL

• Madison Green as Natalie in “Next to Normal,” Carousel Theatre of Indianola
• Charlotte Proctor as Veronica Sawyer in “Heathers: The Musical,” Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre
• Charlie Reese as Don Lockwood, “Singin’ in the Rain,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Ashley Rogers as Rosie Alvarez in “Bye Bye Birdie,” Urbandale Community Theatre
• Stephanie Schneider as Kathy Selden in “Singin’ in the Rain,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Brett Spahr as the Pigeon in “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Dane Van Brocklin as Jack in “Into the Woods,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• Hunter West as Jason Dean in “Heathers: The Musical,” Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre

PERFORMANCE in a FEATURED ROLE in a PLAY

• Rae Davis Fehring as Macy in “The Cake,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• Thomas Gill as Edmund in “King Lear,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• Jen Green as Goneril in “King Lear,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• Amy McGrew as Steele in “A Piece of My Heart,” Ankeny Community Theatre
• Cate Miller as Helen Hubbard in “Murder on the Orient Express,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Brittny Rebhuhn as the Fool in “King Lear,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• James Serpento as Tim in “The Cake,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• Nancy Zubrod as Dot in “Girls’ Weekend 2,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.

PERFORMANCE in a FEATURED ROLE in a MUSICAL

• Mia Alaimo as Miss Jennifer Honey in “Matilda,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Alison Buechler as Rapunzel in “Into the Woods,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• Abby Fickbohm as Heather Chandler in “Heathers: The Musical,” Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre
• Katelyn Hughes as Miss Agatha Trunchbull in “Matilda,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Sage Johnson as Liesl von Trapp in “The Sound of Music,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Craig Petersen as Herr Schultz in “Cabaret,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Maggie Schmitt as Lina Lamont in “Singin’ in the Rain,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Dane Van Brocklin as Gabe in “Next to Normal,” Carousel Theatre of Indianola

PERFORMANCE by an ENSEMBLE

• “Beaufield Berry’s Buffalo Women,” The Des Moines Playhouse & Pyramid Theatre Co.
• “The Cake,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some!),” Tallgrass Theatre Co.
• “[title of show],” Carousel Theatre of Indianola
• “The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” Carousel Theatre of Indianola

PERFORMANCE by a YOUTH ENSEMBLE

• “Charlotte’s Web,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• “Heathers: The Musical,” Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre
• “Matilda,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• “Pippi Longstocking,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• The von Trapp children in “The Sound of Music,” The Des Moines Playhouse

DIRECTION

• Brad Dell, “King Lear,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• Jennifer Nostrala, “The Cake,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• Katy Merriman, “The Sound of Music,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• David VanCleave, “Matilda,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Megan Helmers, “Heathers: The Musical,” Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre

MUSIC DIRECTION

• Claire Barth, “Next to Normal,” Carousel Theatre of Indianola
• Brenton Brown, “Heathers: The Musical,” Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre
• Courageous Fire, “Beaufield Berry’s Buffalo Women,” The Des Moines Playhouse and Pyramid Theatre Co.
• Francine Griffith and Ling Hsiao, “Into the Woods,” Tallgrass Theatre Co.
• Adam Yankowy, “Cabaret,” The Des Moines Playhouse

CHOREOGRAPHY

• Allison Bollinger, “The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” Carousel Theatre of Indianola
• Megan Helmers, “Cabaret,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Megan Helmers, “Heathers: The Musical,” Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre
• Erin Horst, “Singin’ in the Rain,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Alison Shafer, “Matilda,” The Des Moines Playhouse

SCENIC DESIGN

• Nicholas Amundson, “Escaping the Labyrinth,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Nicholas Amundson, “Matilda,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Nicholas Amundson, “Murder on the Orient Express,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Jay Michael Jagim, “Cabaret,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Jay Michael Jagim, “Girls’ Weekend 2,” Iowa Stage Theatre

COSTUME & MAKEUP

• Cheryl Clark, “The Revolutionists,” Tallgrass Theatre Co.
• Angela Lampe, “Cabaret,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Angela Lampe, “Singin’ in Rain,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Angela Lampe, “Matilda,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Angela Lampe, “The Sound of Music,” The Des Moines Playhouse

LIGHTING DESIGN

• Chris Hanian, “Escaping the Labyrinth,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Shawn Jensen, “Next to Normal,” Carousel Theatre of Indianola
• Alex Snodgrass, “Cabaret,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Dakota Sommer, “The Cake,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• Sam Stephen, “Matilda,” The Des Moines Playhouse

SOUND DESIGN

• Brandon Kair, “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” Iowa Stage Theatre Co.
• Cory Hug, “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some!),” Tallgrass Theatre Co.
• Michael Meacham, “Murder on the Orient Express,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Mark Toebben, “Escaping the Labyrinth,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Meredith Toebben, “Charlotte’s Web,” The Des Moines Playhouse

JEANNE HOPSON RISING STARS

• Michael Beasley as the Children’s Entertainer in “Matilda” and a narrator in “Charlotte’s Web,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Ruth Christie as a narrator in “Charlotte’s Web” and Lucille in “Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Me’Lisa Dudley as Heather Duke in “Heathers,” Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre
• Emmersyn Gustafson as Junie B. Jones in “Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Liliana Haaland as Matilda in “Matilda,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Dawson Huinker as Mal in “Disney’s Descendants: The Musical,” Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre
• Price Jacobsen as Harvey Johnson in “Bye Bye Birdie,” Urbandale Community Theatre
• Gbomi Kayode as a narrator in “Charlotte’s Web,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Tatum Lowell as Heather McNamara in “Heathers,” Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre
• Charlotte Rempe as Wilbur in “Charlotte’s Web,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Isabella Rempe as Pippi in “Pippi Longstocking,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Nina Spahr as Matilda in “Matilda,” The Des Moines Playhouse
• Amaya Veldkamp as Pippi in “Pippi Longstocking” and May in “June B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!” The Des Moines Playhouse