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Pull-Tight Volunteers Participate in World Reading Day

September 20, 2024

Pull-Tight Players had the pleasure of participating in World Reading Day, a vibrant celebration of all things literary, at Bethesda Elementary School Sept. 13. This fun-filled day invites book lovers of all ages to dive into the pages of their favorite stories, discover new genres, and share their reading adventures with friends and family.

Libraries and schools come alive with exciting events like book fairs, read-a-thons, and creative storytelling sessions. Whether you’re cozying up with a classic or exploring the latest bestseller, this day reminds us that reading opens doors to endless imagination and connection.

It was an amazing opportunity for our storytellers to participate. Our players had read to Bethesda students in two groups. Events Committee member Frankie Piccione took the lead in adapting a script that included the stories of The Three Little Pigs, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, and The Three Bears.

Our talented actors and volunteers included Claudia Finnegan, Tom Trabucco, Jean Hevel, Lindsey Scruggs, and Board Member/Events Committee member Joey Echevarria, who also attended.

The students dressed up and thoroughly enjoyed the live reading, which even featured a puppet played by Frankie.

We feel incredibly grateful to serve the community this way. We’ve received an invitation to return, so if you’re interested in getting involved, email Committee Chair Bre Hall.

Pull-Tight Players volunteers participate in World Reading Day at Bethesda Elementary School
Pull-Tight Players volunteers participate in World Reading Day at Bethesda Elementary School
Pull-Tight Players volunteers participate in World Reading Day at Bethesda Elementary School
Pull-Tight Players volunteers participate in World Reading Day at Bethesda Elementary School

Filed Under: Blog

Knot Awards Banquet Celebrates 55th Season in Style

June 30, 2024

2024 Pull-Tight Players Knot Awards Banquet

The theme was black and white, but the talent and dedication on hand the evening of June 29, 2024 in Franklin spanned the spectrum. Pull-Tight Players celebrated the end of our 55th season with awards, songs, laughs and cheers. Longtime artist members and banquet committee co-chairs J.T. Landry and Mark Buchanan gave us a night to remember, opening the evening’s festivities with an appropriately rewritten version of “Welcome to the Renaissance” from our 56th season opener, Something Rotten!

Knot Awards Banquet committee co-chairs Mark Buchanan and J.T. Landry

Board of Directors President Johnny Peppers then offered remarks that brought attention to the team spirit of Pull-Tight Players. He noted the many unseen and unrecognized volunteer activities that keep our organization running year after year. Johnny also thanked our outgoing board members Jennifer Bennett, Leslie Berra, and Wade Woodruff; and welcomed our incoming members Mark Buchanan, Jeanne Drone, and Joey Echeverria.

And speaking of Something Rotten!, the awards ceremony included a decidedly un-rotten preview of the musical that featured its two lead cast members. Pull-Tight newcomers Caylin Maguire (Bea) and Aaron Gray (Nick Bottom) performed “Right-Hand Man” from the show.

Following is the complete list of our 2024 Knot Award winners.

Show Awards

Guys and Dolls

  • Congeniality – Meredith Seymour
  • Techie – Bre Hall, Choreographer

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

  • Congeniality – Phil Fitzgerald
  • Techie – Tim Massey, Set Chief

A Tuna Christmas

  • Congeniality – Bryan Kratoska
  • Techie – Tim Massey, Set Designer & Set Chief; Clay Walker, Costume Designer

Home, I’m Darling

  • Congeniality – Bryan Kratoska
  • Techie – Carmela Hofstee, Stage Manager

A Fox on the Fairway

  • Congeniality – Jon Kieffner
  • Techie – Dan Linney, Set Designer & Set Chief; Jim Hofstee, Set Crew

She Loves Me

  • Congeniality – Meredith Seymour
  • Techie – Steve Mook, Set Designer & Set Chief

Acting Awards

  • Best Lead Actress – Abby Newman as Amalia Balash, She Loves Me
  • Best Lead Actor – Chad Stem as Thurston Wheelis et al., A Tuna Christmas
  • Best Supporting Actress – Sydney Hooper as Ilona Ritter, She Loves Me
  • Best Supporting Actor – Chad Stem as Ladislav Sipos, She Loves Me
  • Best Featured Actress – Debbie Kraski as Sylvia, Home, I’m Darling
  • Best Featured Actor – Will Kleiner as Arpad Laszlo, She Loves Me
  • Best Ensemble Actress – Isabel Behr as Ensemble, She Loves Me
  • Best Ensemble Actor – Elijah Bell as Busboy/Ensemble, She Loves Me

Board of Directors Awards

  • Newcomer of the Year – Bryan Kratoska
  • Jim Highfill Techie of the Year – Steve Mook
  • Behind the Scenes – Meredith Seymour
  • Howard Tellis Friends of the Year – Gene and Marnie Cotton
  • Cam Davis Spirit Award – Bre Hall

Artist Member Awards

  • Player of the Year – Steve Mook
  • Hall of Fame – Carmela Hofstee
2024 Knot Awards Banquet place setting
The 2024 Knot Awards Banquet program
Knot Awards Banquet committee co-chairs Mark Buchanan and J.T. Landry
Knot Awards Banquet committee co-chairs Mark Buchanan and J.T. Landry
Board of Directors President Johnny Peppers
Board of Directors President Johnny Peppers
Calylin Maguire and Aaron Gray
Calylin Maguire and Aaron Gray, cast members of Something Rotten!
Meredith Seymour
Multiple award winner Meredith Seymour
Bre Hall
Congeniality Award winner Bre Hall
Phil Fitzgerald
Congeniality Award winner Phil Fitzgerald
Tim Massey
Multiple award winner Tim Massey
Bryan Kratoska
Multiple award winner Bryan Kratoska
Eli Bell
Best Ensemble Actor award winner Eli Bell
Will Kleiner
Best Featured Actor award winner Will Klenier
Sydney Hooper
Best Supporting Actress winner Sydney Hooper
Marnie and Jim Cotton
Howard Tellis Friends of the Year Award winners Gene & Marnie Cotton
Chad Stem
Multiple award winner Chad Stem
Abby Newman
Best Lead Actress Award winner Abby Newman
Steve Mook
Player of the Year Award winner Steve Mook
Carmela Hofstee
Hall of Fame Award winner Carmela Hofstee
2024 Knot Awards winners
2024 Knot Awards winners

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 2023-24 seaason, Knot Awards

Pull-Tight’s 55th Knot Awards Banquet Set for June 29

June 3, 2024

2024 Pull-Tight Players Knot Awards Banquet

Saturday, June 29
Franklin Elks Lodge
485 Oak Meadow Drive
Franklin, TN 37064

Cocktail hour: 6 p.m.
Dinner: 7 p.m.

We will celebrate a memorable 55th season in style with cocktails, dinner, and awards to recognize Pull-Tight’s sensational shows, spectacular performances, and significant contributions from our artist membership. You may even see a musical taste of our upcoming 56th season. It’s an evening you won’t want to miss.

Recalling Truman Capote’s infamous 1966 Black and White Ball, our event space will be decked out in hues of black and white. We ask attendees to reflect the theme with their most festive and stylish ensembles.

Awards for acting, congeniality and technical achievements will be presented, as well as awards for Player of the Year, Hall of Fame and more.

Tickets include a catered dinner from Chef Kevin Livingston, the Pop-Up Chef. A cash bar will be available for spirited beverages.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 2023-24 seaason, Knot Awards

Pull-Tight Players Receives State Congressional and Franklin City Honors for 55 Years of Service

May 10, 2024

It was a proud day on May 5, 2024, when Pull-Tight Players recognized 55 years of bringing affordable, memorable theatre arts to the City of Franklin and Williamson County. During its annual Artist Members’ Meeting, State Sen. Jack Johnson and Franklin’s Mayor Ken Moore and City Administrator Ken Stuckey attended to personally present their honors.

Pull-Tight received a state congressional resolution honoring its service, and the City of Franklin presented a certificate of recognition.

Pull-Tight’s lifetime board member Iain Macpherson read the state resolution to those in attendance.

Read the Williamson Herald article about the event.

Read the full text of the Tennessee congressional resolution.

Filed Under: Blog

President’s Blog – January 2024

January 12, 2024

Happy New Year to our season ticket holders, patrons, government partners, corporate partners, and volunteers!

Johnny Peppers, president of the Pull-Tight Players board of directors


What an amazing end to 2023 at the theater. So many great things have been happening over the last few months. We sold out our second show of the season, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, directed by Greg Grimsley, and our Christmastime offering, A Tuna Christmas, directed by Cindy Davis Massey. These two shows couldn’t be more different from each other, and that is one of the best parts of Pull-Tight’s seasonal offerings. You are almost guaranteed to see many different things over the course of a season. The Board of Directors is hard at work finalizing the titles for our 2024-2025 season. Look for that announcement in the coming months.

Next is Home, I’m Darling, directed by Pat Street. This play by British playwright Laura Wade won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 2019. It is a real treat to bring new art to the community of Franklin, whether it is born a few miles away or across the pond. I hope you plan to catch this one – tickets go on sale on January 22.

Our Youth Actors Guild and Jr. Youth Actors Guild are preparing for auditions for We Will Rock You, School Edition, to be performed at Freedom Middle School in May. Do you know someone ages 6 to 18 who would like to participate in a musical? Check out the audition page for more information and a link to the sign-up form. Do you know a youth who would like to work with a mentor behind the scenes to learn lighting, sound, crew, or stage management? Email the directors, Leslie Berra or Hollie Osteen to learn about these opportunities.

We saw such growth throughout 2023 in volunteer involvement and personal and corporate giving. It amazes me when I look back at the two hundred volunteers who worked on shows on and off stage, the many hundreds of people who have donated to Pull-Tight in the last year, the thousands of people who enjoyed a performance, and the tens of thousands of memories our community created.

We hope you will join us in 2024 by seeing a show, volunteering for the organization in some way, showing your support with a financial donation, or finding a way to share our love for the arts and the City of Franklin, in which we thrive.

Thank you,
Johnny Peppers
Pull-Tight Board of Directors President

Filed Under: Blog, President's Blog Tagged With: 2023-24 seaason, board of directors, YAG

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Pull-Tight Players Theatre
PO Box 682609
Franklin TN 37068-2609
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