Moss Hart Award

Moss Hart Memorial Award

The annual Moss Hart Memorial Award has a two-fold purpose: to honor the memory of Moss Hart, dramatist and director, for his wit and sensitivity, for his unconquerable enthusiasm for life and for his work in the theatre; and to recognize and encourage outstanding theatrical productions throughout New England of playscripts that present affirmative views of human courage and dignity, that have strong literary and artistic merit, and which in their productions, exemplify fresh, imaginative, creative treatment within the intent of the playwright. The New England Theatre Conference, in making the annual Moss Hart Memorial Award, seeks to encourage artistic growth and the highest standards of excellence in theatre.

The Moss Hart Memorial Awards are presented at The New England Theatre Conference Annual Convention to theatre groups whose productions most completely fulfill the stated purpose. In order to provide recognition within each theatre division-professional, community, college, secondary school, and children's - up to five divisional awards may be presented each year in addition to the Award Trophy. Engraved plaques will be presented to the divisional award recipients, and one of them will also be selected as the recipient of the Award Trophy, which it will retain for one year.

Download the application form.

2016 Award Winners

Moss Hart Award Winner
Beauty and the Beast Family Performing Arts Center, Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Secondary Theatre Division:
Picnic Shrewsbury High School, Massachusetts
Professional Theatre Division:
Crazy for You New London Barn Playhouse, Connecticut
The Hunchback of Notre Dame Ogunquit Playhouse, Maine (Honorable Mention)
Community Theatre Division:
Fiddler on the Roof Little Theatre of Fall River, Massachusetts
The Addams Family Franklin Performing Arts Co., Massachusetts (Honorable Mention)
Children and Youth Theatre Division:
The Lion King Jr. Henry James Memorial School, Simsbury, Connecticut
Once On This Island Qualters Middle School, Mansfield, Massachusetts (Honorable Mention)

2015 Award Winners

Moss Hart Award Winner
Outcast of Sherwood Forest Rhode Island Youth Theatre
Secondary Theatre Division:
The Apple Tree New Canaan High School, Connecticut
Professional Theatre Division:
Mary Poppins New Bedford Festival Theatre, Massachusetts
College and University Theatre Division:
VetSpeak, a dramatic Documentary Bridgewater State University, Massachusetts
Community Theatre Division:
Les Miserables The Little Theatre of Fall River, Inc., Massachusetts
Peter Pan Franklin Performing Arts Co., Massachusetts (Honorable Mention)

2014 Award Winners

Moss Hart Award Winner
West Side Story Ogunquit Playhouse, Ogunquit, Maine
Community Theatre Division:
White Christmas Weston Friendly Society, Weston, Massachusetts
Nine Mansfield Music and Arts Society, Mansfield, Massachusetts (Honorable Mention)
College and University Theatre Division:
Jekyll and Hyde Vox Musical Theatre at WPI, Worcester, Massachusetts
Secondary Theatre Division:
Midsummer's Night Dream Leland and Grey School, Townshend, Vermont
Charlotte’s Web Shrewsbury High School, Shrewsbury, Massachuesetts (Honorable Mention)
Children & Youth Theatre Division:
Seussical, Jr. Qualters Middle School, Mansfield, Massachusetts

2013 Award Winners

Moss Hart Award Winner
Marking the Moment Educational Theatre Collaborative, Plymouth, New Hampshire (Community Theatre Division)
College and University Theatre Division:
Spring Awakening University of Maine, Orono, Maine [Read More]
Secondary Division:
Sleepy Hollow: Ichabod and the Headless Horseman Barrington High School, Barrington, Rhode Island
Children & Youth Division:
The Wiz Narragansett Pier School, Narragansett, Rhode Island

2012 Award Winners

Moss Hart Award Winner
Hairspray New Bedford Festival Theatre, New Bedford, Massachusetts (Professional Division)
Community Theatre Division:
Best Production: Pargon Park: The Musical The Company Theatre, Norwell, Massachusetts
Honorable Mention: The Wild Swans Educational Theatre Collaborative, Plymouth, New Hampshire
College and University Theatre Division:
Best Production: The Taming of the Shrew Bridgewater Theatre Laboratory, Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Honorable Mention: Coyote of a Fence, University of Maine, Farmington, Maine
Secondary Division:
Best Production: The Outsiders Shrewsbury High School, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
Children & Youth Division:
Best Production: The Tempest Auburn Middle School, Auburn, Maine
Honorable Mention: A Year With Frog and Toad Theatre at the Mount, Gardner, Massachusetts

2011 Award Winners

Moss Hart Award Winner
The Secret Garden The Un-Common Theatre Company, Mansfield, Massachusetts (Children & Youth Division)
Professional Division:
Best Production: The Music Man Ogunquit Playhouse, Ogunquit, Maine
Honorable Mention: Amadeus, Northern Stage, White River Junction, Vermont
Secondary Division:
Best Production: The Secret Garden New Canaan High School Theatre, New Canaan, Connecticut
Honorable Mention: Hairspray E.O. Smith High School, Storrs, Connecticut
Community Theatre Division:
Best Production: Singin' in the Rain The Company Theatre, Norwell, Massachusetts
Honorable Mention: Hamlet Out of the Box Theater Company, Lewiston, Maine

2010 Award Winners

Moss Hart Award Winner
Hamlet Northern Stage, White River Junction, Vermont
Professional Division:
Best Production: Hamlet Northern Stage, White River Junction, Vermont
Honorable Mention: Gypsy, New Bedford Festival Theatre, New Bedford, Massachusetts
College & University Division:
Best Production: Waiting for the Parade, Wellesley College Theatre, Wellesley, Massaachusetts
Secondary Division:
Best Production: Sweeney Todd - School Edition E.O. Smith High School, Storrs, Connecticut
Honorable Mention: And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank Amity High School, Woodbridge, Connecticut
Honorable Mention: The Crucible Shrewsbury High School, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
Children and Youth Division:
Best Production: A Midsummer Night's Dream Auburn Middle School Drama Club, Auburn, Maine
Community Theatre Division:
Best Production: Death of a Salesman Out of the Box Theatre Company, Lewiston, Maine
Honorable Mention: Our Town Arlington Friends of the Drama, Arlington, Massachusetts

2009 Award Winners

Moss Hart Award Winner
A Midsummer Night's Dream Perform It! Young People's Stage Company, Wolfeboro, NH
Professional Division:
Best Production: Les Miserables Northern Stage, White River Junction, VT
College & University Division:
Best Production: The Matchmaker Keene State College, Keene, NH
Secondary Division:
Best Production: The Boys Next Door Amity High School, Woodbridge, CT
Honorary Mention: Cabaret Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, Acton, MA
Children and Youth Division:
Best Production: A Midsummer Night's Dream Perform It! Young People's Stage Company, Wolfeboro, NH
Honorary Mention: A Chorus Line Weston Drama Workshop, Framingham, MA
Community Theatre Division:
Best Production: Medea Out of the Box Theatre Company, Lewiston, ME
Honorary Mention: Rabbit Hole Arlington Friends of the Drama, Arlington, MA

2008 Award Winners

Moss Hart Award Winner
Chocolate Soup Center Stage Theatre Company, Westport, CT
Professional Division:
Best Production: Les Miserables Festival Theatre, New Bedford, MA
Honorable Mention: It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Show Music Theatre of Connecticut Main Stage, Westport, CT
College Division:
Best Production: My Life with Albertine College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA
Secondary Division:
Best Production: Once On This Island Framingham High School, Framingham, MA
Children and Youth Division:
Best Production: Chocolate Soup Center Stage Theatre Company, Westport, CT
Honorary Mention: Les Miserables (School Edition) Fantasy Works Youth Theatre, Inc., Saunderstown, RI
Community Theatre Division:
Best Production: My Fair Lady Star Players of Bristol County, Taunton, MA

2007 Award Winners

Moss Hart Award Winner
Violet Phillips Andover Academy, Andover, MA
Professional Division:
Best Production: A Christmas in Kerry American Irish Repertory Ensemble, Portland, ME
College Division:
Best Production: Good The College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA
Honorable Mention: The Women of Lockerbie Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
Secondary Division:
Best Production: Violet Phillips Andover Academy, Andover, MA
Children and Youth Division:
Best Production: Rent-School Edition The Un-Common Theatre Company, Mansfield, MA
Honorary Mention: The Merry Wives of Windsor Perform It! Young People's Stage Company, Wolfeboro, NH
Community Theatre Division:
Best Production: Intervention Center Stage Theatre Company, Westport, CT
Honorary Mention: Urinetown Theatre III, West Acton, MA

2006 Award Winners

Moss Hart Award Winner
The Diary of Anne Frank Staples High School, Westport, CT
College Division:
Best Production: Pulling Apart Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT
Honorable Mention: The Elephant Man Salem State College, Salem, MA
Secondary Division:
Honorable Mention: The Crucible Westborough High School, Westborough, MA
Children and Youth Division:
Best Production: Ragtime Western Drama Inc, Weston, MA
Honorable Mention: Middle School Madness Center Stage Theatre Company, Westport, CT
Community Theatre Division:
Best Production: Wit Arlington Friends of the Drama, Arlington, MA
Honorable Mention: The Spitfire Grill Concord Players, Concord, MA

2004 Award Winners

Professional Division:
Best Production: Jane Eyre Wellesley Summer Theatre, Wellesley, MA
Honorable Mention: All My Sons Northern Stage, White River Junction, VT
College Division:
Best Production: The Diary Of Anne Frank Eastern Nazarene College, Quincy, MA
Secondary Division:
Best Production: Every Seventeen Minutes The Crowd Goes Crazy E.O. Smith High School, Storrs, CT
Children and Youth Division:
Best Production: Lord Of The Flies Hartford Children's Theatre, Hartford, CT
Honorable Mention: Honk Collins Middle School, Salem, MA
Community Theatre Division:
Best Production: Big River The Company Theatre, Norwell, MA
Honorable Mention: West Side Story Franklin Performing Arts Company, Franklin, MA