Award of Excellence takes on new role
SOUDERTON >> In the past, Montgomery Theater’s annual Award of Excellence was presented to someone in the creative world, such as an actor or designer. Now it has a new role. “For 2020, we decided to flip that concept and go out into the community and award a business that has shown an incredible or extraordinary display of generosity,” said Tom Quinn, the theater’s artistic director.
This year’s Award of Excellence, presented March 17, went to Univest.
“Considering 2020 was a down time for us, we thought it was even more apropos that Univest get this award because they stepped up to the plate and gave us once again exceptional sponsorship regardless of the fact that we were not in production mode and we were for all intents and purposes closed for the season,” Quinn said.
There have not been any stage productions at the theater since the start of the pandemic, he said.
Children’s classes and performances from those classes were done over Zoom, Quinn and Allegra Ketchum, the theater’s managing director, said.
“In the spring, we created some short videos with what was to be the cast of one of our canceled productions,” Ketchum said.
Univest is proud and humbled to receive the award, Jeff Schweitzer, Univest’s CEO and president, said.
“A lot of non-profits have been severely hit through the pandemic,” he said.
“Community is one of our core values. We’ve been very focused on making sure that we do our part to help these non-profits continue so that once everything gets lifted and we get back to normal, they’re able to continue the great work that they’ve done for many, many years,” Schweitzer said. “I think there’s a lot of pent up demand out there and hopefully people will come roaring back to places like Montgomery Theater once we open up and get back to a normal way of life.”
Ketchum said she’s talked to people at other arts organizations that haven’t had the support Montgomery Theater received.
“I felt lucky to have Univest in our corner over and over again this year,” she said. “To have a sponsor who really does value community has been a great thing for us.”