P.O. Box 691 Sebring Florida USA 33871 Tel: 863-382-2525
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P.O. Box 691 Sebring Florida USA 33871 Tel: 863-382-2525 |
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Marcia Ward - Another Reason Why HLT Thrives So Well By: Roy Riedy |
Marcia made her stage debut at HLT in Marian Dunham's musical by Meredith Wilson The Unsinkable Molly Brown in 1989, the first play of the Sixteenth Season. She played the part of Princess DeLong and also worked on the costumes for the play. At the Fifth Annual Zenon Awards Ceremonies the following October she was nominated with Leena Violette and Helen Curcio for a Best Costuming Award for her contribution.
The Seventeenth Season saw Marcia involved in four plays: In November she played Kate in Jet Hansen's production of Oklahoma!; in December she was a member of the chorus in Marian Dunham's Christmas Dreams; in March she played Eulalie MacKecknie Shinn, the mayor's wife, in Frank Oberhausen's production of The Music Man, for which she was nominated for a Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role; and in June she worked on the set construction of Tena Conyer's very successful comic musical, Little Shop of Horrors. In October, at the Sixth Annual Zenon Awards Ceremony, she and Marian Dunham entertained the audience with the duet "Old Friends" before they presented the award for Best Costuming. (Leena Violette and Mary Guaraldi for Oklahoma!)
The following season Marcia appeared as Mrs. O'Malley in Frank Oberhausen's production of Funny Girl and as Ms. Higa Jiga in Marian Dunham's tenth year revival of The Teahouse of the August Moon, for which she was also a co-producer with Beverly Brando. At the Seventh Annual Zenon Awards Ceremony in October, she entertained the audience again with a rendition of "The Party's Over." Marcia also received two nominations at this ceremony: one for a Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Ms. Higa Jiga in The Teahouse of the August Moon, and the other shared with Beverly Brando for Best Producer of the same play.
Marcia returned to the HLT stage at the end of the Twentieth Season to play Mrs. Smith in Marian Dunham's production of the musical Meet Me in St. Louis, and in August of the Twenty-first Season she was an extra in Marian Dunham's musical Gigi.
After a season of rest Marcia was next seen as Mrs. Dubose in the January, 1997, production of Melanie Boulay's riveting play, To Kill a Mockingbird. In July she worked as a waitress during the duration of Mac Byron's comedy George Washington Slept Here and again in August during Tammie Pollard's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Ms. Ward participated in all five plays of the Twenty-fourth Season at HLT. She was a waitress for the Gourmet Division during Sue McCollum's Godspell, and Peter Pollard's My Favorite Year. In April she played the part of Ms. Hannigan in Frank Oberhausen's revival of the musical Annie. Marcia was unforgettable as the unfulfilled, dipsomaniacal supervisor of orphans and gave a howling performance that resulted in her winning the Best Actress in a Supporting Role Zenon at the end of the season. She rounded out the theatrical season by again waiting on tables during the last two shows: Beverly Brando's Paint Your Wagon, and Tammie Pollard's Rumors.
HLT's Twenty-fifth Season opened with Melanie Boulay's memorable production of The Wizard of Oz and Marcia cast as Ms. Gultch and (what else?) the Wicked Witch, another role that realized a Best Supporting Actress nomination at Zenon time. After The Wizard of Oz she waited on tables for the next three plays: Peter Pollard's Miracle Worker in January; Frank Oberhausen's revival of The Sound of Music in April, and Beverly Brando's Arsenic and Old Lace in June. At the Zenon Awards in October Marcia was the presenter of the Best Actor in a Supporting Role Award. (Joe Willis for the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz)
During the Twenty-sixth Season Marcia waited tables for all five shows and also found time to perform in the orchestra for Sue McCollum's production of Bye Bye, Birdie in April, and play the part of Mrs. Sowerberry in Melanie Boulay's revival of Oliver! in August. In August of the following year she was listed with the group of Dining Room Servers during the performances of Tammie Pollard's musical West Side Story.
In January, 2003, Marcia appeared in Peter Pollard's revival of Steel Magnolias as the crusty Ouiser Boudreaux, one of the regulars of Truvy Jones' salon, "The Beauty Spot." She was rewarded for her outstanding portrayal with a second Zenon for Best Supporting Actress at the 18th Annual Zenon Awards Ceremonies in October, 2003.
In all, Marcia has participated in 27 plays at HLT, 1 Christmas Program, and 6 Zenon Ceremonies. She has received two Zenons for Best Supporting Actress in Annie as Ms. Hannigan; and the second for her cantankerous Ouiser Boudreaux in Steel Magnolias. She has worked with the costuming team for the first CAT production, The Available Left-Footed Princess; been mentioned in 44 local news articles and 21 HLT Newsletters for a total of 100 Citations. Marcia has brought laughter to the audiences who were lucky enough to see her act and food to those who had her as a waitress; she has cheered our spirits and our bodies, no wonder we are so successful and satisfied at Highlands Little Theatre.
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