About Cortland Repertory Theatre
CRT Producing Artistic Director Kerby Thompson Wins SALT Award
Cortland Repertory Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director Kerby Thompson was the recipient of the Syracuse Area Live Theatre (SALT) Award for Best Actor of the Summer Season for his role in Moonlight and Magnolias which was presented at CRT last summer. The SALT Awards recognize outstanding achievement in Central New York theatre productions over the past year. Hosted by the Syracuse New Times, the awards ceremony was held at Syracuse Stage on Monday, April 23. This is the third year that the awards have included a category for summer theatres, which besides CRT also includes the Hangar Theatre, Merry Go Round Playhouse, Syracuse Shakespeare Festival and Summerstage New York.
Written by Ron Hutchings, the comedy Moonlight and Magnolias is based on a Hollywood legend of how the screenplay to Gone With the Wind was written over five days in the office of film producer David O. Selznick. In his acceptance speech, Thompson noted that as Artistic Director, he had the ability to "miscast myself whenever I felt it possible," noting that Selznick whom he portrayed was "a brilliant, insane, Jewish, successful movie producer." Thompson thanked Jim Bumgardner, the show director who "is also my right arm and left leg" at CRT, fellow cast members Maria Vee, Michael Schafer and Ben Bauman who "are dear friends and brilliant actors" and Frank Cerbo for his endless patience.
Thompson acknowledged and congratulated the other nominees in the category: Ronald M. Banks (MGR’s The King and I), Erik Hayden (MGR’s Buddy), Mark Allen Holt (Syracuse Shakespeare Festival’s The Taming of the Shrew) and Eric Jordan Young (Hangar’s Sammy & Me). Thompson expressed surprise at winning, saying that "when your fellow nominees include the King of Siam, Buddy Holly, William Shakespeare and Sammy Davis Jr., you don’t get your hopes up."
Other winners in the summer categories included MGR’s Buddy (Summer Production) and Christine Carbone from MGR’s The Music Man (Best Actress). The Hangar Theatre was awarded Best New Original Production for Sammy and Me. The other nominees and winner can be seen at www.saltawards.net.