The Matchmaker Receives Moss Hart Theatre Award

The Keene State College’s production of Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker (produced last fall) was awarded the 2009 Moss Hart College/University Theatre Division Award at the New England Theatre Conference last month.

The Moss Hart Memorial Award recognizes outstanding theatrical productions throughout New England of playscripts that “present affirmative views of human courage and dignity; that have strong literary and artistic merit; and that, in their productions, exemplify fresh, imaginative, creative treatment within the intent of the playwright.”

Director PeggyRae Johnson and KSC students attended the award ceremony at the conference. She reports that Michael Soldati (who played Horace Vandergelder) and Allison Lee Relihan (who played Minnie Fae) handed out pamphlets and answered questions about KSC’s Theatre and Dance program all day on Friday (High School day). On Saturday night, Michael, Allison, and Jes Berman (who played Dolly) and Jaime Pearsons (who played Mrs. Molloy) presented a scene, in costume, prior to the dinner.