JFK Center Award and Scholarship Recipients Announced

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announces the award and scholarship nominees for the 39th annual Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF), April 17 to 22. Selected participants from eight regional festivals held in January and February at colleges and universities across the country are invited to showcase their talents at the nation’s center for the performing arts, to be considered for scholarships and awards and to participate in master classes with some of the best artists in their field. Students participating in the regional and national festivals are eligible for awards for outstanding acting, stage design, playwriting, directing, and dramatic criticism.

The 2007 KCACTF awards and recognitions in the areas of design are as follows:

The Barbizon Awards For Excellence In Scenic, Costume, and Lighting Design
Designs of the regional finalists will be on display during the national festival and the national design respondents will select the winners in each category. All national winners will receive an honorarium of $500 and an all-expenses paid trip to New York City for the National Design Portfolio Review at Lincoln Center and a two-week summer residency at the Kennedy Center to study with Ming Cho Lee, Beverly Emmons, and Constance Hoffman. In addition, regional finalists will be eligible for fellowships to the O’Neill Theatre Center’s National Playwrights Conference, The Guthrie Theatre, and the Shakespeare Theatre Company Costume Internship. The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) will publish information on the national design winners in Theatre Design and Technology.

This year’s nominees for scenic design are:

Glen M Anderson, University of Florida; Caress Bergado, Utah State University; Christina Galvez, Middlebury College; Tiffany Fier, Purdue University; Elizabeth Grim, Northwestern College; Karl E. Jacobson, Clarion University; Brian White, Texas State University - San Marcos; Casey Zander, Western Washington University.

This year’s nominees for costume design are:

Russell Dauterman, Boston College; Amanda Fehlner, University of South Dakota; Marijo Henning, Western Washington University; Brittany R. Jones-Pugh, Long Island University, C. W. Post Campus; Sachiko Komuro, University of Central Oklahoma; Kristina Makowski, University of Evansville; Erik Teague, Kennesaw State University; Ryan Thurston, Utah State University.

This year’s nominees for lighting design are:

Brittany Diliberto, Virginia Commonwealth University; Kristin Hayes, Emerson College; Chris Holland, Purdue University; Sarah Lazorwitz, Texas State University - San Marcos; Carla Linton, State University of New York at New Paltz; Daniel Parks, University of Centeral Missouri; Susannah Scott, Western Washington University; Katy Streeter, California State University Fullerton.

The KCACTF Sound Design Award

The winner of the Sound Design award wins a residency at the O’Neill National Playwrights’ Conference in Waterford, Connecticut as the resident sound assistant.

This year’s nominees for sound design are:

Dustin Canez, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Jason Ducat, Purdue University; David Hunter, Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Ben Inniger, Bethany Lutheran College; Erik Moody, University of Southern Maine; Kay Townsend, Utah State University; Joseph Wilbur, Central Washington University.

The KCACTF and Alcone Make-Up Design Awards
The KCACTF and Alcone Makeup Awards give outstanding student designers national recognition and the opportunity to exhibit their work at the Kennedy Center. The following make-up design award nominees will be in residence at the Kennedy Center thanks to the generosity of the Alcone Company: Leslie Arnold, Indiana State University; Henry Borriello, C.W. Post Long Island University; Ronnie Chamberlain, The University of Alabama; Jennifer Cozens, University of Arkansas; Kathryn Martinez, Weber State University; Michele Sansone, University of Central Missouri; Larysa Vernon, Salve Regina University; Jenny Wesemen, University of Idaho.

Stage Management Fellowships
This year’s National Student Stage Management Fellowship recipients are:
Eric Arnold, Virginia Commonwealth University; Lydia Bolder, Concordia College - Moorhead; Jacqueline Deniz Young, Montclair State University; Jessica Downs, University of Portland; Christina M. Hagan, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor; Kristin Kurz, University of Southern Maine; Laurinda Navesky, University of Central Oklahoma; Danielle Palliser, Brigham Young University.

Faculty Fellowships
The KCACTF National Committee has recognized the following faculty members for outstanding achievement as teaching artists. Each will attend the KCACTF National Festival in April to mentor student award-recipients and participate in the master classes. The 2007 KCACTF faculty members are: Barb Blackledge, Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Rylan Brenner, Bristol Community College; M. Crosby Hunt, Middle Tennessee State University; Geoffrey Eroe, Phoenix College; Jim Linnell, University of New Mexico; Theresa Mitchell, Emporia State University; Erik Ramsey, Ohio University; Leigh Selting, University of Wyoming.

Master Classes
Master classes are held for the award-winners and finalists in the categories of lighting, costume and scenic design, acting, directing, playwriting, dramatic criticism, and specialty make-up. These students get the opportunity to study with some of the best playwrights, critics and designers in their fields. This year’s master class and workshop leaders include:
Edward Albee, Three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning Playwright
Lee Blessing, Playwright: A Walk in the Woods, Chesapeake, Going to St. Ives, Eleemosynary, Cobb
Mark Bly, Senior Dramaturg, Arena Stage
Beverly Emmons, Lighting Designer Broadway, Dance, Opera
Noah Haidle, Playwright: Mr. Marmalade, Vigils, Rag and Bone
Naomi Iizuka, Playwright: Strike-Slip, Polaroid Stories, Anonymous, Citizen 13559: The Journal of Ben Uchida
Michael Kahn, Artistic Director, The Shakespeare Theatre Company
Robert Kaplowitz, Sound Designer - Playwrights Horizons, Vineyard Theatre
Randy Mercer, Make-up Designer - Broadway, Television and Film
GW Mercier, Tony Award-nominated scenic and costume designer
Bob Mondello, NPR and Washington City Paper
David Muse, Associate Director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company
Daniel Sullivan, Director of the O'Neill National Critics Institute

Developed by Roger L. Stevens, Kennedy Center Founding Chairman, the KCACTF is dedicated to encouraging, recognizing, and celebrating the finest and most diverse work produced in college and university theatre programs. The eight regional festivals and national festival are an opportunity for college and university theatre departments to present their work, especially new or student-written work, and to receive outside assessment. Since its establishment in 1969, KCACTF has reached more than 16 million theatre-goers and 400,000 college and university theatre students nationwide.