CCM Drama student Hope Shangle.
Congratulations to Hope Shangle, who earned an Acclaim Award nomination for her performance as Mrs. Gibbs in CCM’s recent production of Our Town. Shangle, a junior from Grand Rapids, Mich., was recognized in the category of supporting performance by a non-Equity actress. Among her previous CCM credits, Shangle counts roles in Bury the Dead (in which she earned a 2009-10 Acclaim Award as part of the show’s principal ensemble), You Can’t Take It With You (in which Shangle offered another Acclaim Award-winning supporting performance as family matriarch Penny Sycamore), Blood Wedding and The Matchmaker.
Playwright Thornton Wilder received the 1938 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Our Town. Though set at the beginning of the 20th century in the mythical Grover’s Corners, N.H., the play offers a timeless portrait of small-town American life. With its focus on the connections between the Gibbs and Webb families, through the marriage of their children George and Emily, the play offers universal lessons of life and death along with essential truths about the importance of companionship, community and an appreciation for the simple gifts of everyday life.
The Acclaim Awards have celebrated excellence in Greater Cincinnati theatre since 2006. More than 30 local theatre experts — critics, practitioners, producers and educators — participate on Acclaim panels, reviewing area productions and awarding outstanding work. The program also funds initiatives to support area theatre artists and educators, including local Guest Equity Artist contracts, Theatre Educator Awards, Rising Stars scholarships and the Theatre Forward showcase. Find 2010-11 Acclaim nominations, recommended productions and an explanation of voting procedures at www.CinStages.com.
