CHESLEY AWARDS!!

 

 

Opera House Announces Gene A. Chesley Awards for the 2007-08 Season


Gene A. Chesley (1935-1981) was a highly regarded scenic designer, theatre historian and teacher. Chesley taught in the Dramatic Arts Department at the University of California, Davis, from 1963 until his death at the age of 46 in 1981. As a UCD faculty member, Chesley began an eleven-year project to identify and document extant historic theatres, opera houses and performance halls in all fifty states. He became a renowned authority on American theatres built between 1800 and 1914, and a strong advocate for the renovation and preservation of theatres as one of the founding members of the League of Historic American Theatres.

Chesley and Elly Awards for WOH 

The Woodland Opera House held their annual Chesley Awards ceremony on Saturday, August 15. The awards honor theatrical excellence and are named after Gene A. Chesley who was instrumental in the 1980’s opera house renovation project.

Honors were given to; Joseph Abrams and Jay Shelton for Featured Performances and Erik Catalan for Supporting Actor in a Musical for their roles in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, Nancy Agee for Supporting Actress in a Musical for her role as Aunt Polly in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, Laura Lothian as Leading Actress in a Musical and Rodger McDonald as Leading Actor in a Musical for their roles in “Damn Yankees”, Emily Jo Seminoff as Leading Actress in a Play for her role as Peg in “Rose Colored Glass”, and Bob Baxter for Leading Actor in a Play for his multiple roles in “A Tuna Christmas”. The Best Production Award was given to “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. The Board of Trustees Award was given to Todd Montgomery for his exemplary service and the Lou Anderson Tekkie of the Year Award was given to the Smuda family. Sue Sheldon, Woodland Opera House Guild President honored guild members who had volunteered over the past year.

The opera house has also been honored with Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance (SARTA) Elly Award nominations. Nominations went to; Laurie Everly-Klassen for Costume Design for “Fools”, Bob Bigelow for Set Design for “Rose Colored Glass”, Rodger McDonald for Leading Actor in a Musical for “Damn Yankees”, Amy Vyvlecka for Direction of a Young People’s Musical for “Alexander Who’s Not, Not, Not, Not, Not, Not Going To Move”, Elio Gutierrez for Leading Actor, Adult in a Young People’s Musical for “Alexander Who’s Not, Not, Not, Not, Not, Not Going To Move”, Nancy Agee for Leading Actress, Adult in a Young People’s Musical for “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, Laura Snell for Musical Direction in a Young People’s Musical for “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, Elio Gutierrez for Supporting Actor, Adult in a Young People’s Musical for “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, Erik Catalan for Supporting Actor, Adult in a Young People’s Musical for “Alexander Who’s Not, Not, Not, Not, Not, Not Going To Move”, Casey Camacho for Supporting Actor, Child in a Young People’s Musical for “Alexander Who’s Not, Not, Not, Not, Not, Not Going To Move”, and Katie Ichtertz for Supporting Actress, Adult in a Young People’s Musical for “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. The Elly Awards will be held on Sunday, September 20 at 6 p.m. at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento.