Local Theater Group Earns Praise from State Association

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The New Minowa Players, a local theater group, has been recognized by the Iowa Community Theatre Association (ICTA) for excellence across multiple productions, including A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Pirates of Penzance. Several actors, directors, and designers were honored for their contributions.

Why it matters

The ICTA awards highlight the vibrant community theater scene in Iowa and the dedication of volunteers who bring high-quality productions to life. This recognition helps raise the profile of the New Minowa Players and community theater more broadly, which can attract new audiences and support for the arts.

The details

The New Minowa Players received recognition in several categories for their productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Pirates of Penzance. For A Midsummer Night's Dream, Cydney Weitzel and Addison Cross were honored for leading roles, while David Mendez, Tanya O'Connor, David Gosch, and Sheryl Scheffert were recognized for direction, costume design, scenic design, and sound effects design, respectively. For The Pirates of Penzance, Jonathon Struve, Mikayla Hiner, Sarah Brandt, and Alexander Rosenow received awards for leading and supporting roles, and the ensemble, music director Mike Ellingsen, and costume designer Tanya O'Connor were also recognized.

• The ICTA board travels statewide to attend live performances and identify excellence across all areas of theatre production.
• ICTA will announce this year's Award of Excellence winners on Saturday, March 28, 2026 during a red-carpet ceremony at the Briggs Woods Conference Center in Webster City, Iowa.

What’s next

ICTA will announce this year's Award of Excellence winners on Saturday, March 28, 2026 during a red-carpet ceremony at the Briggs Woods Conference Center in Webster City, Iowa.