Photo by Evie Carpenter

The GCU College of Fine Arts and Production celebrated its returning year to the Ethington Theatre stage with the EthingTony Awards. Alpha Psi Omega organized the catered, black tie event with several performances, monologues and songs from this year’s productions.

The EthingTony Awards were handmade in the theatre shop. A piece of scrap wood, painted, with scrap steel welded together in the shape of an “E” – a fitting award as COFAP students worked as much behind the scenes as they did on the stage.

The award winners are as follows.

Best Show: Dial P. for Peanuts, Directed by Michael Kary and David Hayes

Best Actor: Adam Benavides as Dionysus in The Frogs

Best Actress (tie): Tabitha Valentine as Zorah in Inspecting Carol and Lauren Bailey as Xanthias in The Frogs

Best Supporting Actor: Nathan Delaet as Linus in Dial P. for Peanuts

Best Supporting Actress (tie): Bina Neuwirth as Pluto in The Frogs and Shelby Athouguia as Sally in Dial P. for Peanuts

Adam Benavides as Dionysius

Best Technician: Rose Werther

Best Stage Manager: Rebecca Fair

Most Dedicated Theatre Member: Jake Swanson

Most Active Alpha Psi Omega Member (tie): Maria Anderson and Adam Benavides

Best Director (tie): COFAP Dean Claude Pensis for Inspecting Carol and Michael Kary and David Hayes for Dial P. for Peanuts

Best Light Design: Claude Pensis, Comedy of Errors

Best Set Design: William Symington, Comedy of Errors

Best Costume Design: Nola Yergen, Comedy of Errors

Alpha Psi Omega also announced its Executive Committee for 2011-2012, which actually stayed the same as this year.  They were announced as follows:

President: Adam Benavides
Vice President: Jake Swanson
Secretary: Ashley Hines
Treasurer: Nathan Delaet

Michael Kary as Major-General Stanley

Dean Pensis announced some of his own, “supplemental awards”.  He gave out certificates to several students with awards such as “Best Actor in a Forgotten Show” to Michael Kary for his portrayal of the Major General in Pirates of Penzance; “Best Throwing a Fellow Actor Under the Bus” to Adam Benavides, Dionysus, The Frogs; and similarly, “Best Victim of Being Thrown Under a Bus” to Mark Morales, Heracles, The Frogs.

Congratulations to Dean Pensis and all the theatre students who have made the return of theatre to GCU a resounding success.