|
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS HEATHER THURGOOD AND I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE JOHN LANDRESS AWARD.
BEING THAT I'M AN ACTRESS, YOU'LL FORGIVE MY READING FROM MY SCRIPT.
BEFORE I PRESENT THE LANDRESS AWARD, I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU A BIT ABOUT THIS AWARD.
IN 1985, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE BROOKHAVEN LITTLE THEATRE DECIDED THERE WAS A NEED TO RECOGNIZE THOSE VOLUNTEERS WHO WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT WHICH IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF BLT.
FOR INSPIRATION THE BOARD HAD TO LOOK NO FURTHER THAN ONE OF IT’S FOUNDING MEMBERS IN JOHN LANDRESS.
THE LANDRESS AWARD IS BASED UPON QUALITIES MR. LANDRESS HIMSELF HAS WHEN IT COMES TO THE THEATRE. HE NEVER SHIED AWAY FROM ANY TASK, WHETHER IT BE ACTING, DIRECTING, SET DESIGN OR ANY OTHER JOB THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS WAS ALSO A TIME WHEN THE DIRECTOR DID EVERYTHING. SO JUGGLING DUTIES WAS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT THAN IT WOULD BE TODAY.
OTHER QUALITIES INCLUDE:
--LONGEVITY (AT LEAST 10 YRS AS AN ACTIVE BLT MEMBER)
--SOMEONE WHO HAS PARTICIPATED IN A VARIETY OF TASKS AND ACTIVITIES DEALING DIRECTLY WITH PLAY PRODUCTION FROM ACTING TO DIRECTING TO WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES,
--SERVING ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND/OR OTHER COMMITTEES AND ANY NUMBER OF OTHER TASKS.
THE SELECTION COMMITTEE CONSISTS OF THE 5 MOST RECENT LIVING RECIPIENTS PLUS MR. LANDRESS HIMSELF. AND THE RECIEPIENTS NAME IS NOT ANNOUNCED AND DOES NOT KNOW HE/SHE IS RECEIVING THE AWARD UNTIIL IT’S PRESENTED DURING THE MEMBERSHIP PARTY.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK ANY PAST RECIEPIENTS WHO ARE PRESENT TONIGHT TO PLEASE STAND WHEN I SAY YOUR NAME. PLEASE HOLD YOUR APPLAUSE UNTIL THE WHOLE LIST IS COMPLETED.
NAMES AND YEARS
1985 JOHN LANDRESS
1986 HOUSTON CASE
1987 NITA RITCHIE
1988 THELMA CASE
1989 CARROLL RITCHIE
1990 SUGAR FURLOW
1991 RICHARD GODBOLD
1992 HENRY WARE HOBBS, JR
1993 RAY DAVIS
1994 JAMES MINTER, JR
1995 JOE FERNALD
1996 DON UNDERWOOD
1997 SUE MINTER
1998 SARAH UNDERWOOD
1999 ROBERT (BOB) JONES
2000 LYNN CAMPBELL
2001 CARL CRAIG
2002 CHERYL SPROLES
2003 JANA FULDA RUSSELL
2004 GREG RUSSELL
2005 JIMMY DEMPSEY
2006 BARBARA SPROLES
2007 HEATHER THURGOOD
2008 CHUCK IVEY
NOW, ABOUT THE 2009 LANDRESS AWARD RECIPIENT. THIS PERSON IS ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP WITH ANY PROJECT GOING ON AT BLT.
THIS PERSON HAS HELD NUMEROUS ROLES ON AND OFFSTAGE.
ON STAGE HE’S DIED A COUPLE OF TIMES, BEEN VERY ANGRY, TRIED TO KILL ME ONCE, HAD A SWORDFIGHT WITH A GHOST AND HAS EVEN APPEARED IN HIS UNDERWEAR.
OFFSTAGE HE’S HELPED WITH THE NUMEROUS ACTIVITIES NEEDED TO RUN THE BLT FROM BUILDING SETS TO HAVING BEEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE BLT BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE. AND HAS BEEN SNAGGED SEVERAL TIMES DURING VARIOUS PRODUCTIONS TO EVEN SNAP A FEW PHOTOS AND DO SOME PUBLICITY SINCE HE’S THE MANAGING EDITOR OF OUR LOCAL PAPER.
SO MATT, IF YOU WONDERED WHY GREG INSISTED ON YOU BEING HERE TONIGHT, THIS IS WHY!
THE 2009 JOHN LANDRESS AWARD RECIPIENT FOR THE BROOKHAVEN LITTLE THEATRE IS MATTHEW COLEMAN.
Matt Coleman, receiving the 2009 John Landress Award from Heather Thurgood
|
