Michael Naffziger and Lisa McNamee. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

Devotees of the Vero Beach Theatre Guild gathered to applaud another exceptional season at their 65th annual Genie Awards Ceremony, with a cocktail hour on the patio, followed by presentations in the auditorium.

After welcoming everyone, Lisa McNamee, VBTG president, asked them to turn and face the production booth, where she pointed to production stage manager Lisa Keeler.

“She is responsible for everything here tonight. It was her vision and she made it happen,” said McNamee, before introducing master of ceremonies Michael Naffziger.

“Welcome actors, technicians, dancers, directors, producers, volunteers, set builders, makeup doers, hair stylists, costumes sewers, prop painters, all of the people that contribute something to this wonderful theater and create beautiful art here,” said Naffziger.

He commented that one of the most important messages in the Actors Creed he asks his acting students to memorize is that the theater is a safe, sacred and supportive space.

“And that’s what this theater has become. When I see you guys lifting each other up, collaborating and coming together to make something bigger than the individual, it is absolutely amazing,” said Naffziger.

“We have persevered through so much over the past 65 years, especially recently, and remain thankful to still have our doors open, which is more than a multitude of community theaters around the world have. And we’re only here because of you.”

He said they are now introducing a new generation of thespians through a new Theatrical Learning Center, a summer program that teaches students all aspects of the theater and which culminated this year with a production of “Aladdin Jr!”

Naffziger said he became passionate about theater in eighth grade, but not because of the music, lights or costumes.

“It was seeing different people from different lives, different everything, coming together and being good to each other. I saw a new type of relationship, and from that moment on, I was hooked.”

Beth Shestak, a board member, choreographer and actress, provided a recap of this season’s varied productions.

“We opened this season with our summer musical ‘Footloose,’ bringing a lot of young talent from Indian River Charter High School,” said Shestak.

“In September, the Guild undertook a massive month-long Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, filled with collaborations from other theaters and anchored by the classic, ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.’”

The fall production, “Musical Chairs,” she said, was a “wonderful exercise of exposing our audiences to unknown scripts.”

Of “Visiting Mr. Green,” which started the new year, she said, “It was a small cast show with a powerful punch, with themes of loneliness and creating found family. It mirrors what the Guild does for us. The Guild creates a safe place to be our authentic selves without judgment.”

In March, when a production needed to be replaced at the last minute, “Pippin” became a “lesson in tenacity” as dedicated volunteers pulled it off successfully, doing so with a passion that continued long after the show closed.

And the 65th season concluded with “Murder on the Nile,” which introduced a number of newcomers to the stage.

The Genie Awards had been completely revamped this year, modified with a focus that included backstage and off-stage volunteers as well as stage actors. The way award winners were selected was also changed.

“In past years, a selected panel of Genie judges would go out to each show and give the actors in an overall production a numerical score. But what those judges didn’t get to see was the hard work backstage, the effort that went into the performance,” Naffziger explained.

Winners this year were selected by a group vote within each individual production, which also eliminated competition between productions.

“Who knows your performance journey better than those who shared the stage alongside you,” asked Naffziger.

For more information, visit verobeachtheatreguild.com.

Photos by Joshua Kodis