THANK YOU FOR CELEBRating the 6th annual stage Awards with us!
Our sixth annual event took place here in downtown Sioux Falls on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at the Washington Pavilion’s Belbas Theater, hosted by local entertainers Etta McKinley and Sara Manson. Thank you for sharing your warmth, your community and your creativity with us this season — cheers to an incredible 2024-25!
Featuring Performances by
Sponsored by
Best Play
The cast and crew of the Premiere Playhouse’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream accept the award for Best Play.
Best Musical
The cast and crew of the Good Night Theatre Collective’s A Christmas Story: The Musical accepts the award for Best Musical.
Best Leading Actress in a Play
Phyllis Stotz accepts the award for Best Leading Actress in a Play for her work in Olde Towne Dinner Theatre’s Ripcord.
Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Grace Dummitt accepts the award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical on behalf of Lily Satterlee for her work in the Good Night Theatre Collective’s A Christmas Story: The Musical.
Best Leading Actor in a Play
Nathan Sparks accepts the award for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his performance in Monstrous Little Theatre Company’s In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play.
Best Leading Actor in a Musical
Wade Gemar accepts the award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his performance in the Good Night Theatre Collective’s A Christmas Story: The Musical.
Best Featured Actress in a Play
Etta McKinley accepts the award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her work in Monstrous Little Theatre Company’s In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play.
Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Rachael Payne accepts the Stage Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in the Good Night Theatre Collective’s A Christmas Story: The Musical.
Best Featured Actor in a Play
Mike Richards accepts the Stage Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his work in Mighty Corson Art Players’ A Sherlock Carol.
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Drew Veurink accepts the award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance in the Good Night Theatre Collective’s A Christmas Story: The Musical.
Best Direction of a Play
Jeff Larsen accepts the award for Best Direction of a Play for his work with the Premiere Playhouse’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Best Direction of a Musical
Bob Wendland accepts the award for Best Direction of a Musical for his work on the Good Night Theatre Collective’s A Christmas Story: The Musical.
Best Play or Musical (Collegiate)
Performers Ellie Erickson & Toby Knutson accept the award for Best Play or Musical — Collegiate on behalf of the cast and crew of University of Sioux Falls’ The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
Best Performer in a Play or Musical (Collegiate)
Suki Ford accepts the Stage Award for Best Performer in a Play or Musical — Collegiate for Augustana University’s Or,.
Best Comedy, Variety or Dance Event or Series
Lisa Conlin accepts the award for Best Comedy, Variety or Dance Event or Series on behalf of LiRa Dance Theatre Company for their annual showcase, Us.
Best Improv or Standup Comic
Jacob Womack accepts this season’s award for Best Improv or Standup Comic at the 2024-25 Sioux Falls Stage Awards.
Best Dance or Variety Performer
Simon Floss accepts the award for Best Dance or Variety Performer for the Good Night Theatre Collective’s A Classic Rock Cabaret.
Best Instrumental or Choral Music Event or Series
Meg Hentges accepts the award for Best Instrumental or Choral Music Event or Series on behalf of South Dakota Symphony Orchestra’s Giants in the Earth.
Best Lighting or Sound Design
The Premiere Playhouse’s Oliver Mayes accepts the award for Best Lighting or Sound Design on behalf of Alex Pikiben for his work in the company’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Best Scenic or Prop Design
Jill Clark accepts the award for Best Scenic or Prop Design for the Premiere Playhouse’s production of Hair.
Best Costume, Hair or Makeup Design
Oliver Mayes accepts the award for Best Costume, Hair or Makeup Design on behalf of Brittney Lewis for her work on the Premiere Playhouse’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Best Choreography
Lisa Conlin accepts the award for Best Choreography for the Good Night Theatre Collective’s A Christmas Story: The Musical.
Special Distinction
PHIL KAPPEN
Sioux Falls Stage Award of Excellence
Macie Lupica & Emily Wilson present the sixth Sioux Falls Stage Award of Excellence to Terry Zerfas for her longstanding dedication to excellence in theatre performance, mentorship and peer education. Her years-long contributions to local community theatre has touched the lives of so many performing artists in the region.
TeRRY ZERFAS
Awarded for longstanding excellence and dedication to local performing arts, both in direct participation and in fostering support among community members and peers
Amy Eitemiller Morrison Award
Andrew Reinartz accepts the second-ever Amy Eitemiller Morrison Award for his outstanding work in a variety of performing arts disciplines, his fostering of arts advocacy throughout the state and his dedication to building appreciation for instrumental music amongst youth and underserved communities throughout the state.
Given in memory of one of the original Sioux Falls Stage Awards panelists, awarded to an artist who is multi-disciplinary and tireless in their pursuit of excellence and inspiring others to be artists themselves — an individual whose dedication to craft has made an impact and who possesses unmistakable talent in more than one artistic specialty.
Eligibility & Criteria
Eligibility period is June 2024 through May 2025. Nominees are voted upon by a growing panel of local performing artists and supporters. New panelists are selected the year prior and tasked with patronizing as much local work as they can. To be eligible to be considered, events must be locally produced within 10 miles of the city limits of Sioux Falls by local companies or organizations headquartered within a 10-mile radius. Only original-run productions are eligible in all play/musical categories. Extended runs or remounts from the same company, with predominantly the same creative team and technical designs, remounted or revived within three eligibility years, are only eligible once. Panelists are precluded from voting for themselves. In the categories of Best Comedy, Variety or Dance Event or Series; Best Instrumental or Choral Music Event or Series; Best Musical; Best Direction of a Musical and Best Play or Musical (Collegiate), no more than two of five (or three) nominees may be sourced from a single company. In the categories of Best Play; Best Leading Actress and Actor in a Play or Musical; Best Featured Actress and Actor in a Play or Musical; Best Direction of a Play; Best Dance or Variety Performer; Best Lighting or Sound Design; Best Scenic or Prop Design; Best Choreography; Best Costume, Hair or Makeup Design; and Best Performer in a Play or Musical (Collegiate), no more than three of five nominees may be sourced from a single company, unless the eligible field is limited to only two represented companies in a given voting period. No performer or director may be nominated more than once in a single category.