05/26/2026
Best Performance Awards honor excellence in community musical theater and youth productions.
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The Gateway Center for the Performing Arts in Webster Groves and MONROE ACTORS STAGE COMPANY in Waterloo, Ill., LEAD ALL GROUPS WITH 24 NOMINATIONS each. GCPA has 11 for “The Prom,” eight for “The Wizard of Oz,” and five for “Into the Woods,” and MASC has 23 for “Fiddler on the Roof” and one for “Jekyll & Hyde.”
Next with 23 nominations is the Young People’s Theatre in St. Charles – 10 for “White Christmas,” seven for “Bright Star” and six for “Matilda.”
The Kirkwood Theatre Guild in Kirkwood, Mo., received 12 for “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” Center for the Creative Arts in University City has 12 for “Hadestown Teen Edition,” Christ Memorial Productions in South County has 10 for “Little Women,” Act Two Theatre in St. Peters has nine for “Always, Patsy Cline” while Hawthorne Players in Florissant has nine for “Groundhog Day.”
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Meet Our Host
Travis Cummings
Master of Ceremonies Travis Cummings is an award-winning, multi-skilled journalist and anchor of Today in St. Louis Weekend Edition on KSDK (5 On Your Side). He joined the station in December 2021 from WRCB in Chattanooga, Tenn., where he spent two years as a reporter and fill-in anchor. Before that, he worked as a weekend anchor and multimedia journalist at KEVN in Rapid City, South Dakota.
A native of New Orleans, Travis earned his degree in Communication Arts – Journalism from Spring Hill College.
“I became a journalist because I believe storytelling can spark emotion, inspire change, and give people a voice—something I strive to do every day by helping people feel heard and supported,” he said.
He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Emerging Media from Loyola University Maryland.
In 2023, Travis won an Emmy Award and a Missouri Broadcasters Association Award for his work on the special program “RACE: Listen. Learn. Live” about teenagers, highlighting the Inner Ear Urban Youth Orchestra, founded by a young woman in the metro east to teach string music and create a creative outlet for local youth.
In 2025, he earned a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for his work on the Voices of Ferguson special, which was also nominated for an Emmy.
In 2024, Travis was named a Salute to Blacks in Media honoree by the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis—one of the youngest journalists ever to receive the honor—recognized for his standout storytelling and commitment to uplifting black and brown voices. That same year, he received the Black Pride St. Louis President’s Award for his community impact.
Beyond the newsroom, Travis has a lifelong love for the performing arts. In 2023, he starred as Harpo in the BPA-winning production of “The Color Purple.” He has also appeared in New Line Theatre’s Broadway Noir for the past two years and performed in the 2025 premiere production of “When It All Falls.” His other stage credits include “The Full Monty” and “The Laramie Project.”
Travis also serves as vice president of the National Association of Black Journalists–St. Louis Chapter, where he leads the annual Student Minority Journalism Workshop, mentoring high school students in the art of storytelling. He is an active member of the national organization and is also a member of Black Pride St. Louis.
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AFL Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
Diana Enloe
In a career that has spanned more than six decades, Diana Enloe has enriched the St. Louis area theater community through her artistry, leadership and mentorship.
A Granite City native and graduate of Illinois State University, Diana devoted her career to teaching drama and speech at Alton and Wood River public high schools, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, and Lewis and Clark Community College.
She also directed productions at Alton Marquette High School and St. Louis Community College - Florissant Valley.
As a director and choreographer, Diana has staged more than 30 productions at seven different schools and colleges, and more than 25 community productions with Alton Little Theater, Curtain's Up Theater Company and The Pinky Swear Project. As a performer and director, she has received numerous accolades through Arts For Life’s awards.
For the past 25 years, she has also been a driving force behind Vintage Voices, a popular annual production in which actors portray individuals from Alton's history in live performances at Alton Cemetery.
For Diana, theater is more than performance. “It is truth telling, community building, and an act of generosity,” she said. With her passion for art, she continues to touch many lives, as a role model and friend.
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Event Information:
The Skip Viragh Center is located at 425 South Lindbergh Blvd. Seating is reserved and doors will open at 1:30 p.m. Formal attire is requested.
Tickets to the show are $30 each with a $2 service fee added, and available online at: https://arts-for-life-2.square.site/ and can be picked up at the box office on event day.
For special seating needs or other concerns, contact [email protected]. Handicapped seating is available.
“These events recognize the incredible talent we have in St. Louis community theater and honor the passion and dedication of those who build this amazing and unique theatrical community,” said Mary McCreight, president of Arts For Life.
Arts For Life is a local not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to the healing power of the arts through its work with youth, the underserved, and the community, with its goal of “Making a Dramatic Difference.”
AFL is dedicated to promoting public awareness of local community theatre, encouraging excellence in the arts, and acknowledging the incredible people who are a part of it in the St. Louis metropolitan and metro-east Illinois region.
