Remembering when the La Crosse Community Theatre had its own version of the “Oscars”

Most of the major entertainment awards are handed out in Hollywood, or New York, but La Crosse had its own award ceremony for several years.

The La Crosse Community Theatre (LCT) was founded in the early 1960s, and came up with the Dionysos Awards to honor performers in its local stage productions.

The award’s name referred to the Greek god Dionysus, the god of theater, wine and madness.

At the end of each season, LCT audience members would get the chance to vote on the performers they enjoyed in that year’s plays.

Actors and actresses were nominated for major, supporting and bit roles in the shows. For many years, the actual award resembled marble bookends with a face of Dionysos attached to the front.

Later, it was switched to a clear plastic award with the same face etched on the surface.

The award dinners were held at various locations, including the Radisson, the Midway Motor Lodge, and the Holiday Inn.

Among the popular local performers honored were Bill Nelson, Colleen Kavanaugh, Bill Fleming, and Tom Bartig (and a certain La Crosse broadcaster named Brad).

There were occasional concerns expressed about competing for awards, and by the 1990s, the LCT staff discontinued the acting awards, and established a hall of fame to recognize community theater volunteers. (I had the honor of winning a couple of the acting awards, and of hosting the last two Dionsyos dinners — yesterday in La Crosse.)