Lantern Theatre presents awards, announces season

CONWAY — The Community Arts Association of Conway and The Lantern Theatre hosted its 2019 Launch Party on March 15 at Fat Daddy’s Bar-B-Que restaurant in Conway. Recipients of the Davis Awards and People’s Choice Awards for 2018 productions were announced, as well as the lineup of productions for 2019.

The Lantern Theatre moved from its home on Van Ronkle Street in mid-2018 after presenting two of its shows that season at the location. The remaining shows were presented in various venues.

Trent Reese, past president and current member of The Lantern’s board of directors, said the Davis Awards are announced each year to celebrate the organization’s season and present acting, technical and service awards to its volunteers. Recipients of these awards are chosen by directors of the productions. The Davis Awards are named in honor of Claudia Davis and the late Milton Davis, longtime supporters of the Conway community arts organization.

In addition to Reese, other members of The Lantern’s board of directors include Jeff Ward of Conway, president; Elizabeth Whitsett of Conway, vice president; Shua Miller of Conway, treasurer; Lisa Ray of Conway, secretary; Darby Burdine, Mike Danron and Kelly Webber, all of Conway; and Christina Williams of Greenbrier.

Winners of Davis Awards

include the following:

• Wendy Shirar of Conway for her role as M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias, which was presented Feb. 23 to March 4, 2018, at The Lantern.

• Ron Webber of Conway for serving as light-board operator and for help in set building for Steel Magnolias.

• Rosalyn Williams of Conway for her role as Snoopy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, which was presented April 20-29, 2018, at The Lantern.

• Sydney Shelton of Conway for serving as stage manager for You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

• Shua Miller of Conway for his role as Macbeth in Macbeth, which was presented Aug. 10-18, 2018, at the St. Peter’s Episcopal

Church Parish Hall in Conway.

• Vera Lambert of Conway for serving as stage manager for Macbeth.

• Darby Burdine of Conway for her role as Agnes in She Kills Monsters, which was presented Nov. 10-18, 2018, at the Conway Boys & Girls Club.

• Emily Busby of Conway for building props for She Kills Monsters.

Recipients of People’s Choice Awards, which were voted for online through the Lantern’s Facebook page, include the following:

• Steel Magnolias for sound design, awarded to Shua Miller; lighting design and scenic design, awarded to Carla Grant of Conway; and costume design, awarded to Trent Reese.

• Actor in a Featured Role — Paul Bowling of North Little Rock, who played the porter in Macbeth.

• Supporting Actor — Ike Ferrell of Conway, who appeared as Linus Van Pelt in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

• Supporting Actress —Elizabeth Whitsett for her role as Lilith in She Kills Monsters.

• Best Actor — Cory Williams of Conway, who played Charlie Brown in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

• Best Actress — Wendy Shirar for her portrayal as M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias.

• Best Production — Steel Magnolias, directed by Carla Grant.

The 2019 season’s lineup includes A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare, directed by Reese, April 5-14 at Simon Park; The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams, directed by Miller in the summer at a location to be announced; The Odd Couple (Female Version), by Neil Simon, which will be directed by Kelly Webber and Whitsett in the fall at a location to be announced; and Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Park Housewife, by Del Shores, which will be directed by Reese in the winter at a location to be announced.

Season flex passes and tickets for A Midsummer Night’s Dream are available online at thelanterntheatre.com. Information is also available on Facebook.

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