Alliance Players bring home top honors from theatre competition

By Sarah J. Schmidt, USAG Schinnen Public AffairsMay 4, 2009

Best Actor Goes To ...
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Alliance Players Winners
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Alliance Players' performance of The Foreigner won three "Topper" awards and 13 nominations at last month's European Tournament of Plays. Winners were (L-R) Dani Martin, Best Technical Director; Presenter, Col. James P. Drago, USAG Benelux Comman... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
And the Winner Is...
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All Smiles with Commander
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SCHINNEN, The Netherlands -- The Alliance Players' performance of The Foreigner won three "Topper" awards and 13 nominations at last month's European Tournament of Plays, sponsored by Installation Management Command-Europe. Military and international community theaters in Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Turkey competed in the annual tournament.

Maj. Jeff Yeatman of Geilenkirchen NATO Airbase won Best Comedy Actor for his portrayal of Charlie Baker in The Foreigner. Dylan Carrico, AFNORTH International School, took the title as Best Supporting Actor for his role as Ellard Simms, and Dani Martin, Geilenkirchen NATO Airbase, won Best Technical Director.

The Alliance Players' version of The Foreigner was also nominated for Best Comedy, and Charlene Gibson received a nomination as Best Director. Two cast members received additional performance nominations: Chris Miscio, Best Military Performer, and Mary Vasko-Kingma, Best Actress.

Crew members of The Foreigner won recognition with six technical award nominations, including Best Costumes (Susan Nelson, Bobbie Banda and Charlene Gibson), Best Lighting (Rudy Rudenick), Best Make-Up (Lia Evanson and Stephanie Perez), Best Props (Dani Martin), Best Set (Jeff and Dani Martin), and Best Sound (Jeff and Andrea Yeatman).

The awards represent community theatre's version of the Broadway Tony awards. Winners are selected by a team of theatre professionals who travel Europe, attending each performance and offering post-show critiques to performers. That was the only feedback the cast and crews of competing shows received until the night of the awards ceremony, held Apr. 18 in Heidelberg.

Names of nominees were kept secret until that night, heightening the excitement of the evening. More than 600 people attended the awards ceremony, along with military and civilian dignitaries representing various European commands who, after each thrilling announcement of nominees, made the proverbial "And the winner is...." pronouncements.

Based at Joint Forces Command Headquarters in Brunssum, Netherlands, the Alliance Players are an all-volunteer theatre troupe serving the three military installations of the Tri-Border region: USAG Schinnen and JFC HQ in the Netherlands, plus Geilenkirchen NATO Airbase in Germany. The Players draw from all three installations for volunteer support and community involvement.

The Alliance Players uniformly voiced satisfaction for being recognized with so many nominations. Director Charlene Gibson said the recognition "reinforces the fact that our small, all-volunteer theatre program is a noteworthy contemporary of the larger neighboring military theatres around Europe."

"To be recognized individually and as a group for our hard work in bringing quality theatre productions to the Tri-Border area is an outstanding honor and privilege," Gibson said.

The Players now turn their attention to next season's productions, which kick off this fall. Plans are already underway for another theatrical entry in next year's Tournament of Plays, Gibson said. To get involved with the Alliance Players, either on stage or behind the scenes, visit www.allianceplayers.org.