ESU honored at American College Theatre Festival

Several ESU students and faculty were recognized for excellent work at the recent Kennedy Center American College Theatre Region V Festival at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.

The festival was attended by more than 1,400 students and faculty from 98 different colleges and universities from the eight-state region, consisting of Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Irene Ryan Acting Scholarships

Over 330 of the best college actors from the region participated in the preliminary round, seven of which were ESU students. Only 36 of these actors advanced to the semi-final round. Three were from ESU:

• John Henningsen,

  senior theatre major from Salina

• Derek Kolluri,

  junior theatre major from Goddard

• Michael Swickard,

  junior theatre major from Stilwell

Sixteen finalists advanced from the semi-final round, including ESU's

Derek Kolluri.

Derek and his scene partner,

Ryan Hamilton,

a sophomore theatre major from Topeka, performed at the Irene Ryan Audition Finals before an audience of more than 1,200 at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center.

Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center's National Critics Institute

Steve Knight, a senior theatre major from Olathe, was the second place winner (and first place alternate) in the Region V National Critics Institute program, in which students receive professional training in theatre criticism, watch festival productions, and write reviews of these shows on very short deadlines as theatre critics are normally asked to do. Steve's review of the play BLUR, as produced by the University of Minnesota-Duluth, was the second place winner out of 17 entries, and brought Steve a cash award.

WILLIAM INGE THEATRE FESTIVAL/KCACTF FELLOWSHIP
A new, joint fellowship program between the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and the William Inge Theatre Festival was initiated this year at the KCACTF Region V Festival in Cedar Falls. The fellowship is awarded to the most outstanding student-directed and acted scene written either by William Inge, or by one of the designated playwrights from the list of past winners of the Inge Festival Award.
This year's first ever Inge Festival/KCACTF Fellowship was won by a team of Emporia State University students, who directed and performed the scene WANDERING by former Inge Festival Award winner Lanford Wilson. They will share a cash scholarship, and be guests at the annual William Inge Theatre Festival in Independence, Kansas, this April, to perform the scene again. The winning ESU team consisted of:

Matt Carroll, actor, senior theatre major from Topeka

Brook Donovan, director, senior theatre major from Olathe

John Henningsen, actor, senior theatre major from Salina

Cori Kelland, actor, senior theatre major from Derby

KCACTF MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

The following ESU theatre students and faculty were cited for excellence in theatre work during the past year with Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Meritorious Achievement Awards:

Nancy Pontius, ESU theatre faculty member

For Unity of Production Design on MACBETH

Su J Mai, ESU theatre faculty member

For Unity of Production Design on MACBETH

Kyle Land, senior theatre major from Overland Park

For Unity of Production Design on MACBETH

Ian Burch, ESU alum from Wichita - now in grad school at Cal Arts

For Unity of Production Design on MACBETH

Matt Carroll, senior theatre major from Topeka

For Lighting Design on BEGUILED AGAIN, THE SONGS OF RODGERS & HART

Ron Fowlkes, ESU theatre faculty member

For Scenic Design on BEGUILED AGAIN, THE SONGS OF RODGERS & HART

REGION V CHAIR

Harry Parker, ESU's Director of Theatre, will complete his 3-year term as the Chair of Region V of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival at the National Meetings & Festival this April. At that time, he will serve as the Emcee for the National Irene Ryan Acting Scholarships Winners' Circle of Scenes at the Kennedy Center.

 

Last Updated July 2, 2007>