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Summer 2007 Back to Spotlight home page
Theatre department riding a wave a success
It’s almost as if the Emporia State theatre department is writing their own script for an annual success story. The 2006- 07 year was once again full of highlights, such as Maria Stukey’s recognition as one of the top collegiate actresses in the nation.
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| Stukey |
Stukey, a student from Wichita, was one of 16 national finalists for the Irene Ryan scholarship awarded at the annual Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Jim Bartruff, director of the theatre program, said Stukey has a commanding stage presence. “She’s very energetic. She has a wonderful voice. She has strong comedic timing,” he said. “Also, her performance was finely complimented by her scene partner, Mychal Moore.”
Students audition for the national scholarship at the
regional competitions. During the January regional
at Iowa State, three ESU students made the first and
second cuts, including Stukey. At the national festival,
Stukey and Moore performed in front of an audience
that included famous playwrights. “That’s part of what
the festival is about, the best of the best working with
and learning from one another,” Bartruff said.
Faculty members were also selected as Region 5 representatives to the national festival – Nancy Pontius in scene design and Theresa Mitchell for directing. In other words, ESU theatre continues to hold its own on the national, ahem, stage. The 2006 Irene Ryan winner was Michael Swickard (BFA 2004), who picked up the award as a graduate student at the University of Central Florida. Megan Dillingham (BA 1996), won it in 1999 as a University of Kansas student. In 1998, undergraduate Hattie Davis (BFA 1999) won the national award, which is named after the actress best known as Grannie in television’s “Beverly Hillbillies.”
Amid the success, the department even gets a little help
from its friends. An Emporia-based business, Thomas
Transfer and Storage (United Van Lines), footed the bill
for shipping the entire “Five Women” set to and from
Iowa State University. Moving the unusually large set
wasn’t easy. It included a bedroom set, large windows,
a walk-in closet, furniture and more, enough to fill more
than one rented moving van. That’s right, they had to
load their jalopy like a Beverly Hillbilly.
Fortunately, the move was easier than expected. The
department’s excitement became “contagious,” said
Thomas Transfer’s general manager, Larry Lyons. The
Thomas family has done business in Emporia for 60-
plus years, and has always supported the arts at ESU.
This time, they donated the use of a semi and driver for
the Iowa trip. “It was an excellent play – the kids really did a good
job,” Lyons said. “We do it to help the community.
The Thomases try to back everything at ESU that they
possibly can.”
Said Bartruff, “Frankly, I don’t think we could’ve done
it without their help. The extra cost we had to take on to
move the play was significant. This was the piece of the
puzzle that made the whole thing work. We would’ve had
to rent a couple trucks and do the moving ourselves. This
just solved so many problems for us.”
Links
Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival
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Last Updated April 17, 2008