2008 volunteer award winnersCongratulations to the winners of the 2007-2008 volunteer awards. They were all very much deserved. Note: I'll post the remaining citations as soon as I receive them from the presenters. Charles V. York, Jr. Volunteer Service Award: Glenn A. Miller Technical Service Award: Ed Bodell Rookie of the Year Award: Al Wolfheimer Volunteer Awards:
Elaine Petrone - Charles V. York, Jr. Volunteer Service AwardPresented by Ellen Landau. Tonight I have the pleasure of the presenting the Charles V. York Jr. Theatre Service Award. In the 1978-1979 Season, RLT renamed its Annual Distinguished Service Award to honor this man, who was so active in service at RLT. Mr. York was involved with RLT during the 1960s and served 6 years on the Board of Directors. In 1964 he received RLT's Distinguished Service Award for his efforts in bringing about renovations and additions to the theatre. We present this merit award each year to an individual who has provided service to the theatre above and beyond what most of us give, whose dedication to our mission is an example to which we may all hope to emulate. If we were keeping track of attendance at work calls - the all-calls, the end-of-show strikes, light hangs and focuses, Monday and Tuesday night builds - all of those congregations we invite each and every one of you to attend for each and every show we produce, this volunteer's name would find its way to the top of the chart. She has worked just about every crew there is to work. She has served multiple times as assistant stage manager, and graduated to stage managing her first production last year. She is as comfortable volunteering in the front of house as she is backstage. She now serves on the board of directors, and assumed the task of organizing this spring's successful silent auction. I have heard it said during more than one production meeting, "Oh, Elaine's in charge of that, it's all taken care of." This year's Charles V. York Jr. Theatre Service Award goes to Elaine Petrone. Susan Kimmel - Glenn A. Miller Technical Service AwardPresented by Vicki Olson. This year's award will go to a costume shop volunteer who has been volunteering her own expertise and time for more than 20 years. She has been a volunteer costume designer once for Streetcar Named Desire in 1984 and most recently for The Story in 2006. When I arrived in 1985 as the first professional costume designer, she assisted me with Anything Goes. She volunteered on a regular basis in the costume shop throughout my first tenure at the theatre and she continued to help when I came back to the theatre in 2001. I have come to depend on her through thick and thin. She is a very talented seamstress and better yet, she is the fastest stitcher I have ever known. When I was certain I could not possibly get shows finished, she dug in to bail us out as she has done countless times. She has never let RLT down and has been an invaluable volunteer in the costume shop. Like Glenn Amos Miller, she has also been in several shows at RLT. She has remarkable vocal talent. And most recently she and her husband have gifted the costume department with an embroidery machine which will hopefully add a very professional element to the costumes we are able to produce. I am honored to present the Glen Amos Miller Award this year to Susan Kimmel. I would have loved presenting this award to Susan in person but she and her family are vacationing in Paris. I will see that she receives this award. Todd Houseknecht- Ed Bodell Rookie of the Year AwardPresented by Jim Zervas. This was an extremely tough award to give to only one volunteer. I was all in favor of giving it to at least 3 people, but was shot down after being told that the award wasn't even 3 years old and we can't more than double the total recipients in one year so....we had to choose one. The one we chose is someone who has gone above and beyond since first setting foot in the RLT shop. I can count the number of work calls this person has missed on one hand (and this includes Light Hangs, Focuses, and Strikes). This person has been on a crew for most of the shows this season, and has come to help in the shop countless afternoons after work. This is the kind of invaluable volunteer to whom I can give some plans scribbled on a scrap piece of lauan, and in an hour I'll have some stairs, or a bookcase....or a header...The help has been tremendous. It is my honor to present the Ed Bodell Rookie of the Year Award to...and yes you DO pronounce the "K"....Todd Houseknecht! Mary Ali - Wolfheimer Volunteer AwardPresented by Jenny Butler. It is a little known fact that Scene shop is not the only department that has a Thursday crew. Our Thursday crew has an intrical member that has been with us for years. She is a dependable contributor and a regular part of our week. When asked she has never turned us down. She is always a joy and always willing to take on absolutely any task we present. We hope Mary Ali continues to help us for many more years and we are awarding her this Wolfie with our heartfelt thanks. Marie Berry - Wolfheimer Volunteer AwardPresented by Jenny Butler. We are awarding this person who has been a boon to the Raleigh Little Theatre in many areas and for many years. For several years she has taken on the sometimes frustrating and often thankless task of dressing crew co-coordinator. She attends all of the costume work calls and assists us whenever needed. But she does not just confine herself to costume shop affairs. She has lent her formidable organizational skills to the job of auditions coordinator and in general helps out whenever and wherever needed. Often lending her talents to props, ushering, and she assists every year in keeping many of us sane as our much-appreciated Cinderella Mouse Nanny. You can always find her with her knitting needles and her audio books. It gives me pleasure to award Marie Berry this Wolfie. Pat Berry - Wolfheimer Volunteer AwardPresented by Rick Young One of the many beneficial aspects of having a thriving youth education program is that the children so often bring their parents with them. So is the case with out next recipient. We often present Wolfies to families rather than individuals. We do this because, as you may or may not know, there is, along with oil and food, a world-wide shortage of little silver cups, and we are just trying to do our part. However, there are times when, after receiving a family Wolfie, individuals within that family perform in such an outstanding fashion that we feel obligated to present them with their own Wolfie. Not only is the next recipient just such a case, he is the third member of his family to do so. Please do not read anything into the fact that he is the third; we are simply doing it alphabetically. Since following his daughter to RLT, he has become a familiar presence at the theatre. He is always willing, if not anxious, to try new things; recently being Prop Master for the first time He is the Production Coordinator for Lights and was, at one time, the Production Coordinator for Sound and Lights. He has appeared on stage in both ensemble and leading roles. Once, as ASM for Spitfire Grill, he personally saved the pit orchestra from bursting into flames, and we all know just how bad burning musicians smell. A couple of years ago, during Cinderella, he told me that he was going to take a break from RLT for a while, and so it was. We did not see him again for nearly two weeks. Of course, the theatre was closed for a week and a half of that. He is not merely a self-confessed nerd, he is the King of the Nerds; and we would not have it any other way. This Wolfie goes to Pat Berry. Benjamin Butler - Wolfheimer Volunteer AwardPresented by Vicki Olson. This recipient of the Al Wolfheimer award came to the theatre the same year that I came -- when the earth's crust was forming - but don't think he's as old as dirt for he is many years younger than I am. This person was one of the first two volunteers to walk in the door of the costume shop when I arrived at RLT in 1985. Now, twenty some years later, he is back at RLT and has helped out with nearly every show that needed a hair stylist in the last two years. His expertise and contribution to the costume shop has been in hair design but over the years he has also acted, danced, stitched costumes and been a dresser for shows at RLT. He has already received one award for service in 1987 but like so many shy costume shop volunteers he wasn't there to receive the award in person back then. We have captured him here tonight and would again like to show him our appreciation for his talent and dedication as a volunteer by awarding a Wolfie to Benjamin Butler. David Malone - Wolfheimer Volunteer AwardPresented by Rose Martin. As an actor I always wonder who is going to be working backstage and if they can be relied on to serve me in the manner in which I deserve to be served. When I was in Epic Proportions this season, it was, as it’s been referred to here tonight “The costume show from Hell”. I had to make an absolutely lightning-fast change from Cleopatra to Coco Chanel in a record short time. It’s always nice to see volunteers like Marie Berry or Amy Berenson in the wings, cause I know I’m gonna make my quick change in time. The next recipient of a Wolfie goes to a young man that showed last season and has worked in many different backstage positions in several shows since then. He had worked on Urinetwon, so I knew him and knew he was a nice guy, but I wasn’t quite sure he would be up for the challenge of whipping the dress off of a large, sweaty woman and getting her back into another costume as quick. Well, he was and he did it with a steady hand and a brave heart. In the middle of all the backstage chaos there was David, calm, cool and collected and ready with a safety pin or a piece of duct tape. I’ve never felt so well taken care of backstage and I hope to have the great pleasure of working with him on many shows to come. The Wolfie goes to David Malone. Christian Phipps - Wolfheimer Volunteer AwardPresented by Rose Martin. I first encountered this young man while in the middle of a rather crude conversation with a fellow cast member backstage. We were really talking some foul trash, like you do, and this guy walks up with a nice smile and situates himself to join our conversation. Now, I knew this guy was young, thinking 19 or 20 probably. I had seen him on headset and knew he had worked in a few shows. I warned my friend that he had better keep it clean cause “this kid’s 15” ! I thought my statement was a big exaggeration and that it would be funny…well…the kid speaks up…”I’m SIXTEEN”! Oh! Sorry, buddy! So, we continued our conversation. He came to RLT first in the cast of James and The Giant Peach and then worked backstage on Cinderella that year. Since then he has shown up both onstage and off and has proven himself to be beyond his years in attitude and appearance! This Wolfie goes to Christian Phipps. Liisa and Bill Trent - Wolfheimer Volunteer AwardPresented by Linda O'Day Young and Kathleen Rudolph. This Al Wolfheimer Award actually goes to a couple, the husband and wife kind. SHE has been an active volunteer at RLT ever since her daughter began talking classes 7 years ago and has been a valuable member of our Youth Parent Committee. She is always eager to assist with house managing, ushering, providing cast members with in between show meals and in numerous ways which help Linda and me accomplish our goals for the Youth Theatre and Education Program. A simple e-mail call for help is always met with the quick response of "Yes", I would be happy to help. And what else can I do." Linda: SHE is not only generous with her time but she is generous with her praise and support but at the same time, she does not shy away from offering constructive criticism and I value that. It is obvious that SHE cherishes the work we do here. Her son was cast as one of the Lost Boys in Peter Pan. When I put out the call for parents to assist in the dressing rooms for Peter Pan, SHE not only volunteered but set about organizing the other parents as well, including her husband. HE was an amazing help on PAN, ushering and assisting in the costume rooms and offstage areas. He became a true role model for the young teens and boys in our cast with his gentle patience and enthusiastic support. SHE and HE together really nurtured the entire cast and tech crew. SHE even brought in an air mattress to inflate so that one of the adult actors who was feeling ill could lie down in between shows! Their support and love is humbling! When I call your parents name, Elizabeth and Harrison you come up too. This Wolfie goes to Bill and Liisa Trent.
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