Third annual Cloris Awards ceremony moves to Hoyt Sherman Place

Roll out the red carpet: The third annual Cloris Awards ceremony is set for 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27, at Hoyt Sherman Place.

Named for the Oscar-winning Des Moines native — who attended the 2016 ceremony — the Cloris Leachman Excellence in Theatre Arts Awards celebrate outstanding contributions, both on stage and behind the scenes, to locally produced theater in greater Des Moines. Accordingly, the trophies will be awarded in a number of categories, including acting, directing and design.

“This city has such an incredible array of talent on display on stages all across town that it’s important to gather for one night and applaud the entire theater community,” said longtime director and actor Jeanne Hopson, a member of the Clorises’ six-member jury. “This is such a great opportunity to broaden the spotlight.”

This year’s ceremony will be hosted by two local theater veterans and broadcast personalities — Maxwell Schaeffer, of KIOA radio, and Jackie Schmillen, of KCWI-TV — amid the splendor of Hoyt Sherman Place, which is hosting the event for the first time, at 1501 Woodland Ave.

“We’re proud to support the Cloris Awards and homegrown theater any way we can. It’s such an important part of central Iowa’s cultural landscape,” Hoyt Sherman Place executive director Robert Warren said.

This year’s awards recognize locally produced shows that opened or will open between Aug. 1, 2016, and July 31, 2017, from the following 13 participating companies: Ankeny Community Theatre, Des Moines Community Playhouse, Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre, Goldfinch Theater, Iowa Shakespeare Experience, Kata Klysmic Productions, Open Door Rep, Pyramid Theatre, Noce, Repertory Theatre of Iowa, StageWest Theatre, Tallgrass Theatre and Urbandale Community Theatre.

Nominations will be announced at a free, public celebration at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, at the Des Moines Social Club, 900 Mulberry St.

General admission tickets for the ceremony itself are $25 and will go on sale Tuesday, June 27, at the Hoyt Sherman Place ticket office and online at www.hoytsherman.org.

For more information, contact Michael Morain at 515-321-3703 or morain@hotmail.com.