Mississippi Theatre Association

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Miss Daisy Rides Again | Encore Performance of Driving Miss Daisy on Valentines Day

Just Over the Rainbow Theatre (JORT) will present an encore performance of “Driving Miss Daisy” at the Saenger Theatre in Hattiesburg on Valentine’s Day, Monday, February 14 at 7:00 p.m.

JORT recently won The Warren McDaniel Award for best production at the Mississippi Theatre Association (MTA) 2011 Festival in Meridian and is raising funds to take the production to competition at the Southeastern Theatre Conference, Inc. (SETC) in Atlanta where they will compete against community theatres from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Ruth Ann Black and Michael Marks star in "Driving Miss Daisy" submitted photo

The special one night only performance features Ruth Ann Black in the title role; Michael Marks as the chauffeur, Hoke; and Tom Hardy as Daisy’s son Boolie.  Hardy, who also directs the play, said that JORT has never before won the state title.  “We are looking forward to competing against successful theatre groups from other states.  We believe we have an excellent chance of winning the regional competition.  It will take a lot of money and support from our community to get the production to Atlanta and we are hoping to have a large audience to come see this award winning show on Valentine’s Day,” said Hardy.

Deborah Hardy, JORT president and assistant director of the play, commented on the timing of the fundraising performance.  “This show will make a wonderful Valentine’s Day date, and there are excellent restaurants in the area where our patrons can enjoy a fine meal either before or after the show,” said Hardy.

The historic Saenger Theatre is located at 201 Forrest Street in Hattiesburg.  General seating tickets are $10 and will be available at the door.  Sponsorships are still available and may be obtained by calling 601-549-8349.

For more information go to www. jortonline.org.
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Filed under: Arts, Featured, Forrest County, Hattiesburg, Lamar County, Deborah Hardy, Driving Miss Daisy, Entertainment/Culture, jort, Just over the rainbow, Michael Marks, Mississippi Theatre Association, play, Ruth Ann Black, Saenger Theatre, The Warren McDaniel Award

Local Theatre Group Wins Top Honors at MTA

Just Over the Rainbow Theatre (JORT) won The Warren McDaniel Award for best production recently at the Mississippi Theatre Association (MTA) 2011 Festival in Meridian.  The group presented the play, “Driving Miss Daisy” by Alfred Uhry, in competition against seven other community theater groups from throughout the state.  Cast and crew members include Thomas Hardy, who directed the show as well as portraying “Boolie Werthan”; Deborah Hardy, assistant director; Ruth Ann Black, “Daisy Werthan”; Michael Marks, “Hoke Coleburn”; technical crew: Sherri Marengo and Irene Waites; stage managers: Jan Van Nostrand and Marianne Voorbrood.

Kneeling: Sherri Marengo, Irene Waites, Marianne Voorbrood Standing: Deborah Hardy, Ruth Ann Black, Thomas Hardy, Michael Marks, Jane Allison, Dick Allison. Not pictured: Jan Van Nostrand

Along with the award, JORT received an invitation to attend the Southeastern Theatre Conference, Inc. (SETC), the largest and most active regional theatre organization in the country, where they will present “Driving Miss Daisy” in competition against community theatres from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.  The SETC will be held March 2-6 in Atlanta.

Other awards presented to JORT for “Driving Miss Daisy” at the MTA include Overall Technical Excellence; best actor in a leading role presented to Michael Marks for his portrayal of “Hoke”; and All Star Cast for outstanding performance presented to Ruth Ann Black for her portrayal of “Daisy”.  Additional awards presented to JORT include individual event winners: Dick and Jane Allison – first place dialogue performance, Irene Waites – third place monologue performance and Marianne Voorbrood – first place monologue performance.

Supporters wishing to sponsor JORT’s trip to the SETC may call 601-520-5272 or mail their contributions to P.O. Box 16553, Hattiesburg, MS 39404. JORT is a non-profit organization and donations are tax deductable.

Sitting: Thomas Hardy, Michael Marks, Ruth Ann Black, Standing: Sherri Marengo, Irene Waites, Jan Van Nostrand, Deborah Hardy, Marianne Voorbrood

Filed under: Arts, Featured, Forrest County, Hattiesburg, Lamar County, Oak Grove, Petal, Deborah Hardy, Dick Allison, Driving Miss Daisy, Irene Waites, Jan Van Nostrand, Jane Allison, jort, Marianne Voorbrood, Michael Marks, Mississippi Theatre Association, Ruth Ann Black, Sherri Marengo, Southeastern Theatre Conference Inc., The Warren McDaniel Award, Thomas Hardy

South Mississippi High Schools Advance to State Drama Competition

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Four South Mississippi high schools performed well enough in regional competition last month to earn spots in the state drama festival set for Jan. 13-16 in Meridian, Miss.

The high schools and their respective plays included the following:

• Oak Grove High School, “Inuk.”
• Biloxi High School, “Beware the Jabberwock.”
• Ocean Springs High School, “Children of a Lesser God.”
• Pearl River High School, “Fearful Symmetry.”

The schools advanced to state competition after participating in the South Mississippi Regional High School Drama Festival held on the Southern Miss campus last month.

“We had over 800 people here for this year’s drama festival. That’s 800 people who came to our campus, had a great experience and will want to come back for more,” said Tom Hardy, program director for the event. “The plays showcased just how talented our young people can be.”

In addition to state level honors, individual award were also presented to the following South Mississippi schools:

• Biloxi High School – Makeup
• Hancock High School – Outstanding Use of Live Music and Best Actress (Amanda Walley)
• Mississippi School of the Arts – Outstanding Student Playwright/Director (Bethany Kinney)
• Oak Grove High School – Glen Menna Festival Spirit Award, Outstanding Direction (Suzanne Allmon) and Best Costume Design (Kaz Zumbro)
• Ocean Springs High School – Best Actor (James Leeds)
• Pearl River Central High School – Best Scenic Design, Technical Achievement and Best Ensemble Acting
• South Jones High School – Outstanding Performance Artist (Kevin Grayson), Best Supporting Actor (Matthew Adamo)

The South Mississippi Regional High School Drama Festival is a collaboration between the Mississippi Theatre Association, the Southern Miss Theatre and Dance Department and the Southern Miss Office of Professional Development and Educational Outreach. For more information call the Office of Professional Development and Educational Outreach at 601-266-4186.

Filed under: Arts, Jones County, K-12, Biloxi High School, Central High School, Hancock High School, Hattiesburg, Meridian, Mississippi School of the Arts, Mississippi Theatre Association, Oak Grove High School, Pearl River High School, South Jones High School, The South Mississippi Regional High School Drama Festival