Hope Summer Repertory Theatre received 2 awards and 12 nominations in the 2014 Wilde Awards presented by EncoreMichigan.com this past month.
HSRT鈥檚 2013 production of 鈥淩omeo and Juliet鈥� tied for 鈥淏est of the Bard,鈥� while Darnell Benjamin won 鈥淏est Performance鈥攖he Bard鈥� for his role as Mercutio. Other productions nominated included 鈥淎ll Shook Up鈥� and 鈥淗ot Mikado鈥� for Best Musical.
Although HSRT has been previously honored with 7 nominations and 1 award, this dramatic increase represents a critical milestone for the company. 鈥淲e are being recognized by the greater community beyond just Holland and locally, but all over the state,鈥� said managing director Rich Perez, who is an assistant professor of theatre at Hope. 鈥淚t says a lot about the work we鈥檙e doing.鈥�
According to Perez, the increased recognition can 鈥渙nly be a good thing鈥� for HSRT and the Holland community. 鈥淚f we have a higher profile, that鈥檚 going to draw more talent and bring further recognition, which can transform into more people in the seats and more talented people coming to work with us. It broadens the experience for our own community here.鈥�
Hope Summer Repertory Theatre, which began in 1972, is a professional company which produces six productions each summer on the Hope campus. Its mission is to produce plays and educational programs of the highest possible professional standards that address the needs of and enhance the quality of life for the West Michigan community. More information is available online at hope.edu/hsrt.