From staff reports:

At Seattle’s Gregory Theatre Awards on Oct. 28, Centerstage Office Manager Laura Campbell won the coveted Melissa Hines Award.

The citation reads: “The recipient of this ‘behind the scenes’ award is honored for their involvement with theatre in Washington state over the last year. This honor is named in memory of the late Melissa Hines…This category is intended to honor those dedicated individuals who make theatre possible, enabling artists to do their art, but who often are not recognized by curtain calls, reviews or awards. This category may include production crew and stage management, volunteers, administrators, board members, donors and patrons.”

In regards to the award’s namesake, The Seattle Times wrote: “They don’t get the audience applause and the critical acclaim. But without the hard work and passionate commitment of behind-the-scenes people like Melissa Hines, Seattle would not have the vibrant performing arts scene the city is celebrated for.”

In front of more than a thousand of Seattle’s theatrical finest who gathered at the Neptune Theatre on Monday night, Centerstage Artistic Director Alan Bryce noted the particular challenges of operating a small company in a first-class facility like the Knutzen Family Theatre in Federal Way.

“What is needed are the old-fashioned virtues of the theatre business: the ability and the willingness to do many jobs with tireless enthusiasm. And Laura does this with her fiery personality, her huge sense of humor and her enormous heart. The tendrils of her love and enthusiasm reach throughout the Seattle theatre community through the care and support she has offered the hundreds of actors who have worked at Centerstage.”

To learn more about Centerstage, visit www.centerstagetheatre.com.