South Bend Places 1st at Competition!

South Bend Civic Theatre was named winner of the American Association of Community Theatre/Indiana Community Theatre League’s 2007 annual state drama competition over the weekend in Terre Haute. SBCT’s presentation of “The Gin Game” won best show honors, while also taking the two top acting awards. Mary Ann Moran and Jim Coppens both picked up first-place trophies for outstanding performances in a lead role.

South Bend Civic was also named best in competition in the areas of sound design (Douglas Streich and Seyhan Kilic) and set decoration (David Chudzynski).

This is the second time in the last four years that SBCT has finished No. 1, overall, at the state level. Civic also took the top prize in 2004. In 2005, SBCT finished second, overall, and last year, the group came home with the third-place trophy.

Elkhart Civic Theatre was named runner-up for best production in 2007, with its staging of “Ruthless: The Musical.” And the Community Theatre Guild of Valparaiso took third-place honors with its production of “Coyote on a Fence.” Elkhart Civic Artistic Director John Shoup also won top prizes for costumes, set design, and direction.

South Bend Civic Theatre now advances to the American Association of Community Theatre regional finals April 27-28-29 in Schaumburg, IL, where state winners from Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconsin will compete to represent the Great Lakes Region at AACT’s national competition in June in Charlotte, North Carolina.