Bellevue woman wins state

Harlequins chose to take its production of A Piece of My Heart by Shirly Lauro. The play focuses on six women who served in the Vietnam War as nurses, military intelligence, Red Cross and USO. It poignantly shows what these women went through and what they returned home to.

Awards received included:

* Merit in Acting awarded to Lisa L. Wiley of Port Clinton;

* Excellence in Acting awarded to Elisha Stuck of Bellevue;

* Excellence in Acting awarded to Valerie Thames of Perkins;

* Excellence in Ensemble Acting awarded to the entire cast (including Melinda Bahnsen and Lisa L. Wiley of Port Clinton, Ann Marie and George Muehlhauser of Huron, Elisha Stuck of Bellevue, Valerie Thames of Perkins, and Jennifer Wertz of Berlin Heights.) Note -- Michael Cioffi was a member of the original cast but did not participate in the competition excerpt.

* Excellence in Directing awarded to Lori Demres of Sandusky. (Lori Demres directed the excerpt, but the production in February was directed by Ron Abbott of Marblehead.)

This is an outstanding honor for the community theatre's 80th season. Harlequins is the longest running community theatre in Ohio.