Cast, Crew Earn Awards for Harlequin Productions’ Fall Performances

Cayuga Community College’s student theatre group Harlequin Productions’ fall performances earned the cast and crew a series of awards this month.

Adjudicators from the Theatre Association of New York State (TANYS) honored the cast, crew and director of Harlequin Productions for their work on “The Texas Tower Project,” the group’s fall show that wraps its on-campus run this month. TANYS already selected the production for a performance at its upcoming fall festival.

Director Bob Frame said the awards are well-deserved after each cast member adapted to multiple roles and the crew handled different lighting and stage challenges throughout the production.

“Maybe more than other plays we’ve done in the past several years, this production challenged students to handle multiple roles in a drama based on a real-life tragedy,” said Frame. “The actors and our crew responded to this challenge with amazing enthusiasm, so I’m glad to see their commitment and talent recognized.”

The entire cast received an Excellence in Ensemble Acting, and Virginia Fennessy received an award for Excellence in Design of Scenic, Costume and Projection Elements. Frame also received an award for Excellence in Production Concept, Design and Direction.

Individual Meritorious Achievement in Acting Awards went to Cayuga students Adam Birtwell and Grace Wiseman and guest Carmen Liberatore, each of whom played multiple roles in “The Texas Tower Project.”

After several semesters of comedies and one-act plays, Harlequin Productions’ performance of “The Texas Tower Project” told the stories of survivors of the 1966 shooting at the University of Texas. The play does not mention the name of the shooter, instead remembering the tragedy through the eyes and emotions of the survivors.

The script uses survivors’ own words from police interviews, media reports and other sources to accurately present their memories of the tragedy.

Harlequin will perform "The Texas Tower Project" one final time at the Auburn Campus at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, with donations being accepted to help defray the cost of attending the TANYS festival. The performance at the TANYS festival is scheduled for Nov. 19 at the Rome Community Theater.