For the first time in its history, Airdrie's Nose Creek Players (NCP) has been nominated for multiple Community Theatre Awards, which celebrate the best of community theatre in Calgary and area.
According to a press release from the Calgary Alliance of Community Theatres (Calgary-ACTS), the awards – known as the CAT Awards – are presented every August to “acknowledge, reward and celebrate the contributions of local theatre artists” from the previous year. NCP received seven nominations for its October 2019 production of Mary Shelley’s classic horror story Frankenstein.
“Recognition is appreciated, because so much work, effort and volunteer time goes into these productions," said Robin McKittrick, president of NCP and director of the play. "But the process in and of itself is incredibly rewarding. The recognition from Calgary-ACTS is the proverbial icing on the cake.”
McKittrick was nominated for Outstanding Direction of a Play, while Tare Rennebohm's portrayal of Victor Frankenstein and Haley Day's performance as Elizabeth Lavenza – Frankenstein's love interest – garnered them nominations in the lead actor and actress categories, respectively.
Rennebohm, who is also NCP’s educational director, said he was exhilarated to be nominated and for the production to receive so much recognition from Calgary-ACTS.
“I remember waking up and looking at my phone, and I had like 30 messages,” he said. “I slept in that day a little bit, and everyone was congratulating me and we were all just buzzing about the nominations. It was a really good morning.”
NCP’s behind-the-scenes crew also shared in the nominations. Joyce Wall and Karalee Braun were nominated for Outstanding Costume Design, while Beverly Stadelmann and Rob Evans were nominated for both Outstanding Lighting Design and Outstanding Soundscape.
“What’s really important to remember is that theatre arts, any kind of production, is a collaborative effort," McKittrick said. "It takes the whole collective to mount a production – especially one that is multiple acts. Everyone who was involved worked really hard and contributed to the overall success of the production.”
The company is also one of five groups in the running for Outstanding Production of a Play.
Rennebohm said what made NCP’s version of Frankenstein special was the dedication each member put into the production. The play included a 14-member cast and six-person crew, and the troupe started rehearsals more than three months before the opening show.
“When you put that much heart and effort into anything, you’re going to get a really good result,” he said. “Everyone worked so hard on this production, and we put all our heart into it. I honestly think someone in the audience can feel that sincerity, effort and love for such a production.”
Prior to this year, NCP had only received a single nomination for a CAT Award – in 2018, when Adam Buzzard was nominated for Outstanding Engineering for his work on the company's production of James and the Giant Peach.
McKittrick said the nominations are a sign the Calgary theatre community is starting to pay attention to productions in Airdrie.
“So often, people in Calgary think Airdrie is such a long and arduous journey to get out here, when in reality we know it isn’t," he said. "But I think people are starting to recognize the value of work we do and are making the effort to make that ‘arduous’ journey out here.”
Rennebohm added the number and variety of nominations for Frankenstein are a testament to the continued growth and development of NCP as a community theatre group.
“Airdrie has something very special in its backyard, and it’s NCP,” he said. “I feel these nominations can really show the community they have a group of people that is open to everybody, and that is so dedicated and talented."
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, award recipients will be announced via livestream Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. Details of the awards presentation are available at calgary-acts.com
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
