Pull-Tight Players’ community of artists and volunteers arrived bedecked in the blue and gold of lapis lazuli to celebrate the accomplishments of its 2024-2025 season. Banquet co-chairs Mark Buchanan and J.T. Landry led the annual Knot Awards ceremony at the Elks Lodge in Franklin, Tenn.
Join us for the 2025 Knot Awards Banquet. We will celebrate a memorable 56th season in style with cocktails, dinner, and awards to recognize the season’s sensational shows, spectacular performances, and significant contributions from our artist membership.
Lapis lazuli is traditionally associated with a 56th anniversary. We are taking inspiration from the stone’s beautiful deep blue color and veins of gold for our celebration. Please don your most festive and elegant blues, golds and/or whites as we experience an unforgettable evening of “Grecian Glam.”
Hosts will present Pull-Tight’s annual awards for best actors and actresses, Player of the Year, and the Hall of Fame, among others. Individual show participants have also been casting votes for congeniality and technical volunteers, with those awards set to be announced during the event.
The $25 attendance price will include dinner catered by Chef Kevin (The Pop Up Chef). There will also be a cash bar.
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!
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.
Guys and Dolls
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
A Tuna Christmas
Home, I’m Darling
A Fox on the Fairway
She Loves Me
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.
It was a groovy, far-out evening as Pull-Tight Players celebrated another season of shows at the Franklin Elks Lodge on Saturday, July 8. The theme centered on the classic Rowan & Martin “Laugh-In” variety show and included songs, sketches, and guest appearances from numerous cultural touchpoints of the 1960s.
Pull-Tight Board of Directors Vice President Leslie Berra and longtime artist member Jeanne Drone again served as event co-chairs. The evening looked back on our first full season since the Covid pandemic forced the theatre to go dark in 2020. A costume contest, dinner from Martin’s Barbecue, throwback comedy bits, and 60s song medleys kept the banquet a festive occasion.
The banquet’s entertainment segments spanned the entire evening and included:
Following some final remarks at the close of her term, outgoing board President Lynda Gibbs passed the gavel to new president, Johnny Peppers. He joins the following Board of Directors lineup for the next season:
Lynda Gibbs, Bre Hall, and Carmela Hofstee concluded their board terms. Gibbs will remain as President Ex-Officio for one year, a non-voting position.
Board Treasurer and lifetime member Iain Macpherson presented the in memoriam segment, recognizing two longtime Pull-Tight volunteers who passed away in the preceding 12 months.
Vance Ormes, in Macpherson’s words, was “legendary.” It was his vision as a teenager that led to the creation of Pull-Tight Players in 1968. He helped mount the very first stage production, Our Town. After many years away from Franklin, Vance re-established his connection with Pull-Tight and served as an Honorary Member of the Board of Directors for one year. Vance passed away suddenly at this home in Florida in September 2022. Read our tribute to Vance.
Similarly, Don Dicie was a dedicated volunteer who lent his hand to all aspects of Pull-Tight. He was a marvelous piano accompanist who could play any song in any style. Don accompanied several shows at Pull-Tight back in the day and appeared on stage on at least two occasions: The Hasty Heart and Christmas with Little Women. Don passed away at age 80 in 2022.
Cast and crew from each show of the 54th season voted for outstanding technical volunteer and most congenial cast members. The winners were as follows.
Techie Award: – Savannah Aiello, Assistant Stage Manager
Congeniality Award: Lee Davies
Techie Award: Steve Mook, Set Chief
Congeniality Award: Cabot Pyle
Techie Award: Melanie McBurney, Assistant Director/Choreographer
Congeniality Award: Lisa Graham, Melanie McBurney (tie)
Techie Award: Carmela Hofstee, Properties Coordinator
Congeniality Award: Roger Csaki
Techie Award: Dustin Greenleaf, Stage Manager
Congeniality Award: Myna Sowell
Techie Award: Dan Linney, Set Designer/Chief
Congeniality Award: David Blackburn
For the first time since 2020, Pull-Tight’s season ticket holders were invited to vote for awards in acting categories. The awards were as follows.
The Board of Directors conferred Lifetime Voting Member status to two longtime Pull-Tight volunteers. Voting membership usually requires a minimum level of involvement during each season.
Linda Dunn was involved in the early years of Pull-Tight. She is a past board president and Hall of Fame awardee. Linda directed Our Town to celebrate the 10th season, as well as directing The Last of the Red Hot Lovers. She starred in productions of A Streetcar named Desire, To Kill a Mockingbird, Butterflies Are Free, and others.
Alan Mancuso was a charter member of Pull-Tight and performed in the first production of Our Town, as well as the 10th anniversary production. He appeared in The Girls in 509; Bell, Book & Candle; Night Watch, The Miracle Worker, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Odd Couple, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Harvey, You Can’t Take it With You, Wait Until Dark, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Lost in Yonkers, just to name a few. Alan directed The Sandbox, Bus Stop, The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Gazebo, Father of the Bride, and Oh, Kay! He served on the board of directors, created artwork, worked on publicity, as provided make-up for several shows.
Howard Tellis Friend of the Year: Philip Martin
Jim Highfill Techie of the Year: Michael Hall
Behind the Scenes: Ricki Keckley
Newcomer of the Year: Joey Echeverria
Cam Davis Spirit Award: Peggy Macpherson
Player of the Year: Tim Massey
Hall of Fame: Lenny West
