The League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) has announced its 2014 Rising Star Award-recipients and this year’s winners include current and former CCM students Kaitlyn Adams, Blaine Krauss and Kevin Semancik, along with recent Xavier University graduate Patrick Phillips. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners!
All four young artists have been awarded for their exemplary contributions to local theatre courtesy of Diet Dr. Pepper and Pepsi Beverages. This year’s winners were chosen from a pool of nominees recommended by their university or a theatre they have worked for. CCM’s Matt Hill and Shaun Sutton were runners up.
Rising Stars must be under 25 years of age and are nominated for their body of work by academic and theatre personnel. The award was created to recognize talented young people who have and will contribute to professional theatre in Cincinnati and the industry at large.
This year’s committee was chaired by LCT Board Members Cathy Springfield and Kirk Sheppard. Each winner receives $1000 to help them as they continue their careers courtesy of Diet Dr. Pepper and Pepsi Beverages, facilitated by Rick Gill.
You can learn more about Kaitlyn Adams, Blaine Krauss and Kevin Semancik below!
- Kaitlyn Adams, nominated by CCM faculty member Patricia Linhart, has also been selected for her fine work as a makeup and wig artist. Her work has been spotlighted in critically acclaimed shows like Into the Woods, Evita and most recently Les Miserables. She will be traveling back to Glimmerglass Festival Opera in Cooperstown New York for her third season where she was promoted this summer to Hair and Makeup Design Assistant under Anne Ford-Coates. Get an inside look at Adams’ acclaimed designs for CCM’s 2012 Mainstage Series production of Into the Woods here.
- Blaine Krauss, a 2014 CCM graduate was nominated by Aubrey Berg, chair of the CCM Musical Theatre program and Joshua Steele, Managing Director of the Carnegie for his many contributions as an actor, singer, dancer and student of theatre. Most recently, Krauss played Jean Valjean in CCM’s Les Miserables to rave reviews. He has graduated from CCM and is now performing on the national tour of The Lion King. Read Cincinnati CityBeat‘s recent feature on Krauss here.
- Kevin Semancik is a graduate student at CCM working on an MFA in Sound Design. He was nominated by Joshua Steele for his work at the Carnegie, CCM, NKU and other area theatres. Semancik is currently working with Commonwealth Theatre Company designing sound for The Game’s Afoot and this fall he will be the sound designer for Sweeney Todd at the Carnegie.
About the League of Cincinnati Theatres
The League of Cincinnati Theatres was founded in 1999 to strengthen, nurture and promote Cincinnati’s theatre community. LCT provides its member companies and individual members with education, resources and services to enhance the quality and exposure of the theatre community in Cincinnati and increase community awareness, attendance and involvement. Learn more about the LCT here.
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