LOCAL PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR - PLAY
34th ANNUAL LOCAL AWARDS
May 2, 2026
AWARD PRESENTATIONS
PERFORMANCES
RED CARPET
LOCAL ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Tucker Barton (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Xanadu, Heathers, Rent)
Dan Hildebrand (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Shrek, Gypsy, Mr. Scrooge)
Que Jones (West Side Story, Don't Tell Gretta, Gretta Goodbottom)
Beth Josephsen (Bothered & Bewildered, Emma, Actors' Theatre of Columbus)
Mitch Kahn (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cry-Baby, Cats, Heathers)
Lexi Moore (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Xanadu, Heathers)
Jenny Small (She Loves Me, Shrek, Gypsy)
Tirzah Washington (Nine, Cry-Baby, Cinderella, Rent, The Wiz)
LOCAL PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR - MUSICAL
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Worthington Community Theatre (Directed by Christine Monsour)
Cats - Westerville Parks and Recreation Civic Theatre (Directed by Katey Munger and Michael Ruehrmund)
Heathers - Imagine Productions (Directed by Corey Ragan)
Merrily We Roll Along - Gallery Players (Directed by Brandon Boring)
Waitress - Short North Stage (Directed by Dionysia Williams Velazco)
LOCAL PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR - PLAY
Emma - Actors' Theatre of Columbus (Directed by Robyn Rae Stype)
Fireflies - Curtain Players (Directed by James F. Petsche)
Morning Sun - eMBer Women's Theatre (Directed by Susan Wismar)
Rock Egg Spoon - Available Light Theatre (Directed by David J. Glover)
Wait Until Dark - Curtain Players (Directed by Kate Tull)
LEAD PERFORMER IN A PLAY - COMEDY
Randy Benge - Fireflies (Curtain Players)
Julie Emmert-Silvius - Colder Than Here (Curtain Players)
Bronwynn Hopton - Fireflies (Curtain Players)
Devon Mushalko - Emma (Actors' Theatre of Columbus)
Cosette Payne - Rock Egg Spoon (Available Light Theatre)
LEAD PERFORMER IN A PLAY - DRAMA
Chloe Beck - Wait Until Dark (Curtain Players)
Gail Griffith - The Glass Menagerie (Hilliard Arts Council)
E. Scott Harvey - The Elephant Man (Performing Arts Creative Ensemble)
Traci Weaver - Morning Sun (eMBer Women's Theatre)
Kate Willis - Bothered & Bewildered (The Tipping Point Theatre Co.)
LOCAL BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
Riley Heeter - (Next to Normal, A Midsummer Night's Dream)
Paxton Longoria - (A Chorus Line, She Kills Monsters, American Idiot)
Aly Marchant - (Wild Strawberries, Amadeus)
Meghan Noonan - (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cats, Merrily we Roll Along)
Meredith Zeallear - (She Loves Me, A Chorus Line, Gypsy)
LEAD PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL - COMEDY
Sarina Hyland - Heathers (Imagine Productions)
Kaitlin Ingram - Avenue Q (Little Theatre Off Broadway)
Madeleine McNamara - She Loves Me (Imagine Productions)
Matthew Phillips - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Worthington Community Theatre)
Cassie Rea - Into the Woods (Butterfly Guild)
LEAD PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL - DRAMA
Rachel Hertenstein - Fun Home (Evolution Theatre Company/The Abbey Theatre)
Aleksa Kaups - Merrily We Roll Along (Gallery Players)
Terri McKean Jones - Next to Normal (The Room Upstairs Theatre Company)
Jennifer Myers - Gypsy (The Lancaster Playhouse)
Chris Rusen - Merrily We Roll Along (Gallery Players)
SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A PLAY - COMEDY
Reese Anthony - Fat Ham (The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio)
Brandon Boring - Emma (Actors' Theatre of Columbus)
Jed Hudson - BackTalk (Original Productions Theatre)
Ian Short - Rock Egg Spoon (Available Light Theatre)
Patricia Wallace-Winbush - Fat Ham (The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio)
SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A PLAY - DRAMA
Jordan Fehr - Wild Strawberries (Available Light Theatre)
Patrick Goldman - The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Curtain Players)
Aly Marchant - Wild Strawberries (Available Light Theatre)
Josie Merkle - Morning Sun (eMBer Women's Theatre)
J. V. Uhlman - Morning Sun (eMBer Women's Theatre)
LOCAL TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Edith Dinger (Scenic Design/Change Artist) - Into the Woods (Butterfly Guild)
Jaylene Jennings (Costume Design) - She Kills Monsters (Actors' Theatre of Columbus)
Dawn & Sydney Wagner (Costume Design) - Amadeus (Gallery Players)
Pam Welsh-Huggins (Music Direction) - Amadeus (Gallery Players)
Kat Wexler (Set Design/Painting) - Avenue Q (Little Theatre Off Broadway)
SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL - DRAMA
Cassie Figliola - Rent (Imagine Productions)
Lucy Hoy - Merrily We Roll Along (Gallery Players)
Laurence Katz - Merrily We Roll Along (Gallery Players)
Aaron Natarelli - West Side Story (Opera Columbus)
Sara Ashleigh Tuohy - A Chorus Line (Short North Stage)
SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL - COMEDY
Isabella Audia - Cry Baby (Imagine Productions)
Madi Burwell - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Worthington Community Theatre)
Madeleine McNamara - Heathers (Imagine Productions)
Carter Minor - The Wiz (Short North Stage)
Nathan Stanley - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Worthington Community Theatre)