Pride@Prejudice Competes at AACT Festival

RLT traveled to Louisville, Kentucky to compete in the American Association of Community Theatre Festival, a week-long event that stretched from June 12 – 17, 2023. The performances were held at the very impressive Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in the Bomhard Theatre (619 seats). RLT performed a 55-minute cutting of their January 2023 production of Pride@Prejudice by Daniel Elihu Kramer to a nearly full house on Wednesday, June 14 at 8:15 p.m.

Twelve companies from all over the United States, including a drama club from a military base in Germany, competed for several awards.

The ensemble cast included Niranjali Amerasinghe, Lena Winter, Meghan Williams Elkins, Ian Swank and Joseph Coracle. The Festival production Team included Laura W. Andruski (Director), Aaron Skolnik (Production Stage Manager/Asst. Director) and Teresa Gillcrest (Producer/Asst. Stage Manager ).

“At the end of the play, I felt like watched a cast of thousands…beautiful ensemble work”

Faye M. Price, Adjudicator

Immediately following their performance the cast and festival production team were adjudicated by a three-person panel: Jeff Calhoun, a Tony nominee for Disney’s Newsies and Deaf West Theatre’s Big River; Faye M. Price, former Co-Artistic Producing Director of Pillsbury House Theatre (Minneapolis); and Rick St. Peter, director and educator in professional, academic and community theatre for 25 years. Adjudicator Price stated, “At the end of the play, I felt like watched a cast of thousands…beautiful ensemble work!”.

At the completion of AACT Fest 2023, an award ceremony, sponsored by Music Theatre International, was held on Saturday, June 17th in the Bomhard Theatre.

RLT actor Joseph Coracle was recognized for his performance with an acting award for Outstanding Achievement in a Featured Role.

Additionally, the Broadway Licensing Group, a festival sponsor, awarded RLT a Certificate of Achievement for “their exceptional talent and creativity”.

For a complete list of awards given, visit https://aact.org/aactfest-2023-awards.

Congratulations and an endless thank you to everyone who made this adventure possible!

Pride@Prejudice Wins at Eastern States Theatre Association (ESTA)

RLT is proud to announce that Rockville Little Theatre’s production of Pride@Prejudice by Daniel Elihu Kramer was selected Outstanding Production at ESTA on Sat., April 15 at the Tatnall School in Wilmington, Delaware. Participating states included New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland). 

Other accolades include:

– Outstanding Achievement in Ensemble Acting – Niranjali Amerasinghe, Lena Winter, Meghan Williams Elkins, Ian Swank and Joseph Coracle
– Outstanding Achievement in Set Design – Bill Pressly
– Outstanding Achievement in Costuming – Jennifer Georgia 
– Outstanding Achievement in Hair Design – Maureen Roult
– Outstanding Achievement in Acting – Joseph Coracle
– Outstanding Achievement in Directing – Laura W. Andruski

The Festival crew also included Producer Teresa Gillcrist and AD/Stage Manager Aaron Skolnik. .  

More information on ESTA and the festival can be found here:  https://estafestival.org/ESTAfest.php.

RLT is extremely proud of this production and salutes the journey this cast and crew have been on since starting rehearsals back in October 2022.  And thanks all those who helped to financially support our trip to ESTA, especially Nancy Carlin, for her very generous donation.

Pride@Prejudice Wins at MCTFA

On February 12, 2023, after the conclusion of the 2023 Maryland Festival, the following awards were presented to RLT’s production of Pride@Prejudice:

– Outstanding Production – Pride@Prejudice
– Outstanding Stage Manager – Aaron Skolnik
– Outstanding Achievement In Acting – Joseph Coracle
– Outstanding Ensemble Performance – RLT
– Ed-Ro-Char Award for Technical Excellence – RLT

Congratulations to the cast and crew for their winning production! The show will move on to compete in the Eastern States Regional Festival, April 14-16, 2023.

Ruby Griffith Award

Ian Swank, Teresa Gillcrist, Laura Andruski, Meghan Williams Elkins, Pauline Griller-Mitchell, Harlene Leahy

Rockville Little Theatre’s production of Pride@Prejudice has received another accolade!  The play won Second Runner Up for Outstanding Achievement in a Non-Musical at the Ruby Griffith Award Ceremony held on Fri., May 5, 2023. The competition is designed to elevate the quality of local amateur theatre and reward excellence and outstanding achievement. 

The judging is undertaken by a panel of adjudicators specially trained and appointed from within the membership of The British Players.

Our consortium partner, Rockville Musical Theatre, won Second Runner Up for Outstanding Achievement in a Musical for their production of Legally Blonde The Musical presented at the F. Scott Fitzgerald last summer.