SCF Theatre Department Presents 50th Annual Awards

— The State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) chapter of Delta Psi Omega, the national theatre honorary fraternity for community colleges, held its 50th annual Awards Banquet on stage at SCF’s David S. and Anne V. Howard Studio Theatre.

The Bernie Awards, named in honor of former theatre professor M. Bernice Pepke, are given to the best theatre students at the end of the academic year. Connee Marie Therieau received the Director’s Award, the theatre program’s highest honor.

Other winners are:

Chris McCoy, Outstanding Lead Actor

Marina Vorobyov, Outstanding Lead Actress

Marlee Abbott, Outstanding Supporting Actress

Alexandra Ladyzhensky, Outstanding supporting Actress

Nader Ajib, Outstanding Supporting Actor

Alec Dvornik, Outstanding Technical Achievement

Nicole Freij, Outstanding Technical Achievement

Nick Catanzaro, Most Promising Newcomer

Roxanne Smith, Ajib, Catanzaro, Dvornik and Therieau also were inducted into Delta Psi Omega.

Craig Smith, theatre program manager, and James Thaggard, box office manager, co-hosted the Bernie Awards banquet. Other presenters included Timothy Bourn, instructional assistant, and Amanda Schlachter, theatre adjunct, as well as retired theatre program managers John W. James and Kenneth Erickson.

Also attending the ceremony were Dr. Mike Mears, vice president of strategic initiatives; Ted Camp, former chair of arts and humanities; Bobbi Camp, former box office manager; and Joyce James. Bill Murphy congratulated the students and staff on an outstanding 50th season on behalf of his wife, SCF president Dr. Carol F. Probstfeld.

Current and former theatre students will gather for a reunion from 2 to 6 p.m. May 29 on the stage of SCF’s Neel Performing Arts Center.

For information, contact Thaggard at thaggaj@scf.edu.