Blinn-Brenham's production of 'Vinegar Tom' wins top honors

Blinn received an excellent rating at the Texas Community College Speech and Theatre Association Play Festival

March 8, 2023

The Blinn College-Brenham Campus Theatre Arts Program production of “Vinegar Tom” recently received an excellent rating and won a host of individual awards at the Texas Community College Speech and Theatre Association Play Festival held at the University of North Texas in Denton.

“Our entry, written by Caryl Churchill, received some highly prestigious awards,” Theatre Arts Professor Brad Nies said. “Our students and staff worked extremely hard on ‘Vinegar Tom,’ and it’s gratifying to see that effort was recognized at the festival.”

The “excellent” rating is one of two top rankings a play can earn at the festival.

Among the awards was Blinn’s first John Charles Corley Award for Technical Presentation. The Corley Award went to Lily Marrs and Y’Lila Willis, who had the highest gross presentation score at the festival.

Bianca O’Neal, who played Goody Haskins, received the Bill Morton Challenge Award given to a student performer who has encountered specific and exceptional challenges in their role. O’Neal also received a Superior Acting Award (Respondent’s Choice).

Josiah Fernandez received a Superior Award in Technical Presentation (Professor’s Choice) for Projections Design. Fernandez was also awarded the Greg Schneider Technical Excellence Award for Projections Design, given to the student making the most outstanding technical contribution at the festival.

Technical Awards:

• Madison Manchester received an Excellent Award in Technical Presentation (Professor’s Choice), dramaturgy, and a Superior Award in Technical Presentation (Professor’s Choice) for Stage Management;
• Luke Parker received an Excellent Award in Technical Presentation (Professor’s Choice) for Makeup Design;
• Samantha Nolen, O’Neal, Jayden Peavy, Garrison Rutledge, and Steve Torres received Excellent Awards in Technical Presentation (Professor’s Choice) for Costume Construction;
• Peavy also received a Superior Award in Technical Presentation (Professor’s Choice) and an Excellent Award in Technical Achievement (Respondent’s Choice) for Music/Sound Design;
• Marrs and Willis each received a Superior Award in Technical Presentation (Professor’s Choice) for Special Effects-Properties Design;
• and Kevin Patrick, Technical Theatre Arts Director at Blinn-Brenham, received a Superior Award in Technical Achievement (Respondent’s Choice) for Lighting Design.

Acting awards:

• Nolen, who portrayed Margery; and Rutledge, who played Jack, received Excellent Acting Awards (Respondent’s Choice);
• Marrs, portraying Alice, won the Outstanding Performer Award (Audience Choice);
• and Fernandez, Peavy, and Willis received the Outstanding Performer Award (Professor’s Choice) for their work as ensemble characters.

Nies directed the play, Technical Theatre Professor Kevin Patrick served as technical director, and Drama Instructor Jennifer Patrick was the ensemble director. Jennifer Patrick was also the costume and hair designer for the production.

The Blinn-Brenham Theatre Arts Program will close out its 2022-23 season with “Ladies at the Alamo” at 7 p.m. April 27-28 and 2 p.m. April 29-30. In addition to the play, the program’s improvisation troupe “Slaphappy” will perform April 4 at 7 p.m. Both will be held at the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center at 600 Blinn Blvd. in Brenham. Ticket information is available at www.blinn.edu/boxoffice.

Blinn’s Theatre Arts Program cultivates a quality educational foundation of study, application, and experience through a wide range of performance, technical, and production studies. Its Associate of Arts degree plan integrates artistic, technical, and academic disciplines of theatre from the classroom to the stage. Students have an opportunity to audition for a variety of performances related to drama and theatre and are prepared to transfer to four-year colleges and universities.