The invitation to this year’s Linda Wise Awards said, “It’s your night to shine!” And shine, they did. The New Depot Players’ Eighth Annual Linda Wise Award and annual general meeting hosted by Cyndi and Vince Evans was a success. The black tie optional event invited the Conyers community to celebrate 39 years of live theatre in the Rockdale community.

The Linda Wise Awards honors the season’s greatest performances and many behind-the-scenes moments.

As Conyer’s version of the Tony Awards, Rockdale’s talented performers outdid themselves as they celebrated each other’s accomplishments in a fun-filled evening of awards and performances.

The award ceremony pays tribute to the legacy of Linda P. Wise, former director of the Atlanta Children’s Theater and founder of The Depot Players.  The Depot Players is an avocational theatre group in Conyers, Georgia, that was founded in May of 1976.

The New Depot Players are Conyers’ premiere theatre troupe and the resident theatre company at the recently dedicated Paula Vaughn Black Box Theater, home of the Conyers Rockdale Council for the Arts. They produce a season of quality plays and musicals for youth and adults, and provide opportunities for the Conyers/Rockdale community to become involved in the artistic process–whether onstage, behind the scenes, in workshops or in the audience. Since 1976, the New Depot Players volunteers and patrons have been the backbone of the theatre’s success.

To see more photos from the event, go to www.alcovyphoto.com/Lindawise

Winners

Best Performance by a Leading Actor
Jay Tryall as Ray-Bud Turpin in Dearly Departed

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor
Rick Bryant as Norval, Reverend Hooker, and Clyde in Dearly Departed

Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical
Jenni Caruso as Reverend Mother in Nunsense: The Mega Musical

Best Performance by a Leading Actress
Patty Maguire as Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress
Gina Hay Bryan as Delightful Turpin in Dearly Departed

Best Performance by a Junior Actor
Sam Clark as Charlie Bradley in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Best Performance by a Junior Actress
McKenzie Johnson as Beth Bradley in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Isabelle Rogers as Imogene Herdman in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Best Performance by a Newcomer
Jenni Caruso as Reverend Mother in Nunsense: The Mega Musical

Performance of the Year
Jay Tryall as Ray-Bud Turpin in Dearly Departed

Best Overall Prop/Dressing Design
Willa Kerr, Cyndi Evans, and Gina Hay Bryan for Outstanding Achievement in Props/Dressing Design for Blithe Spirit

Best Overall Sound Design
Jay Tryall for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design for Blithe Spirit

Best Overall Costume Design
Gina Hay Bryan for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for Blithe Spirit

Best Overall Lighting Design
Tyson White for Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design for Nunsense: The Mega Musical

Best Overall Scenic Design
Dan Marshall & Rick Caruso for Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design for Blithe Spirit

The Nancy Florman Director’s Award
Gina Hay Bryan for Blithe Spirit

Best Ensemble
Dearly Departed

The Ron Carley Show of the Year
Nunsense: The Mega Musical

The New Depot Players Favorite Actor
Jay Tryall as Ray-Bud Turpin in Dearly Departed

The New Depot Players Favorite Actress
Jenni Caruso as Reverend Mother in Nunsense: The Mega Musical

The New Depot Players Favorite Director Award
Bonnie Marshall for Nunsense: The Mega Musical

The New Depot Players Favorite Show Award
Dearly Departed

The New Depot Players Favorite Guest Artist Award
Brandon Rose as Sister Julia Child in Nunsense: The Mega Musical

The Paula Vaughn Volunteer of the Year Award
Brandon and Lenae Rose

The Clarence R. Vaughn Award for Theatre Appreciation
Cyndi Evans

The Victor Smith Award for Achievement in Technical Theatre
Dan Marshall and Rick Caruso

The Cynthia M. Evans Awards for Theatre in the Community
Vince Evans

The Linda Wise Award for Excellence in Theatre
Bonnie Marshall

Staff Awards
Patty Maguire for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for Nunsense: The Mega Musical
Lisa Mashburn for Outstanding Achievement in Stage Management for Blithe Spirit