BROOKINGS — Brookings Community Theatre and its members received seven of the 18 BroadwayWorld South Dakota Awards for 2024.

“Broadway World is a publication in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It’s everything having to do with theatre — community theatre,” Mike Thompson, 13-year community theatre veteran and recipient of this year’s award for Best Direction of a Musical, said. “(The South Dakota awards) are based on the entire state. So I’m pretty proud we won, because somebody has to nominate you and then the people go and vote.”

Brookings Community Theatre won Best Play for their production of “Boeing Boeing.” Additional awards went to Jacob Womack for Best Performer, Carrie McClanahan for Best Play Director, Jay Bauman for Best Lighting Design, Jill Kruse for Best Scenic Design and Cole Harris for Best Sound Design. The Brookings troupe also placed second in the category of Favorite Local Theatre, getting edged out by Black Hills Playhouse.

“It’s not like out in Hollywood with the Academy Awards where there’s just a select group that votes,” Thompson said. “Voting is open to the public once the nominations have been complete. The nominations usually happen in October or November, and then the voting opens up.”

He said this was the largest number of Brookings winners yet.

“I just want to tell everybody you did a great job,” Thompson said. “Every person that won an award won it for the job that they did. Whichever play they worked on was better because of them … Everybody that won — please continue to audition and be a part of community theatre. It’s because of actors and crew members like them that our plays are as good as they are.”

He said it’s gratifying to see people both attending plays and casting votes for BCT.

“It’s good for Brookings Community Theatre,” Thompson said. “We still get so many people who come to our plays and say, ‘I didn’t know that Brookings had a community theatre.’ We’re going on our 24th year, and people still don’t know we have plays? When plays are going on, people just assume that it’s Prairie Rep or that it’s State University Theatre that’s doing it. That’s been our biggest struggle — just to get BCT’s name out there.”

He said he’s proud of the cast and crew of all their shows.

“I’ve been with BCT since 2012. The best part is when I’ve directed a play, and at the end the cast runs out into the lobby to form a receiving line,” Thompson said. “I always stand off to the side because it’s them — my cast — that deserve the accolades. But I’ll have people still come up to me … and they’ll be in tears and say it’s so fantastic. Then I tell them to go and thank the cast, because they’re the ones who brought it to life.”

He encourages people to get involved in local theatre.

“BCT notoriously has a difficulty in finding men to come audition. We’ve always had that happen. We’d like to do ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’ or we’d like to do ‘Oklahoma,’ but we never get enough men,” Thompson said. “My suggestion to anybody who might be interested in participating in BCT would be — contact me or contact any of our board members. Go to our website, click on the links, find out when we’re going to have auditions. Get involved. When I direct a musical, I never turn anybody away. There’s always room in the ensemble.”

The troupe plans to present the drama “Rabbit Hole” in March and the musical “Mary Poppins” in August.

“(Theatre) is just a great way to express yourself without having to be embarrassed, get judged or feel like you’re being laughed at or anything,” Thompson said. “Theatre enriches everybody’s life — whether you go to it, participate in it or work behind the scenes as a costumer, makeup person or building sets. Just being part of the theatre group enriches everyone’s lives. In my opinion, you’re just better for it.”

Contact Jay Roe at jroe@brookingsregister.com.