WSU Theatre Students Honored At Kennedy Center Regional Festival

February 21, 2020

OGDEN, Utah - Three Weber State University students took top honors at the Region VIII Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) held Feb. 11-15, 2020, at California State University, Fullerton.

Seven WSU students were named regional finalists in the Design/Technology/Management (DTM) category for scene design, projection design, costume design, sound design, hair/makeup design, lighting design, property design and dramaturgy. Three of the seven design students became national finalists and will compete in Washington D.C., on April 6-10. Another 15 students won regional honors in acting, musical theatre, and dance.

“Winning a top award at the regional KCACTF is theatre’s equivalent of making it into the NCAA basketball tournament,” said Scott Sprenger, dean of the Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities. “It is a monumental accomplishment and a reflection both of our talented students and our theatre faculty’s rigorous standards of excellence.”

Thousands of students from eight regions across the United States presented their work at the regional KCACTF events. Only 125 of those students were selected to compete in the national event.

Four WSU students received other design awards at this year’s festival: the Heart of the Art Award; Rosebrand Award; Student Choice Award for Scene Design; and Society of Properties Artisan Managers Regional Award for Properties Design.

“The theatre area of the Department of Performing Arts takes pride in helping student designers discover their aesthetic vision and create that vision for our productions,” said Catherine Zublin, theatre professor. “We are grateful that design students have an opportunity to exhibit their work and get feedback from professionals and faculty from around the country at this annual theatre festival. Mentoring the next generation of designers is very rewarding.”

Also selected to be showcased at the regional festival was WSU’s production of “The House of Edgar Allan Poe,” and theatre arts senior Daniel Garner received a scholarship to the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas for his lighting design of “The House of Edgar Allan Poe.”

More than 40 WSU students attended and performed at this year's festival. Weber State students first participated at Region VIII KCACTF in 1994. That year, WSU’s production of “Pirated Penzance!” was selected to perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Since that time, Weber State has become more involved, and WSU design students have been finalists in the DTM category for at least the last 10 years.

The Region VIII KCACTF includes colleges and universities from Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. Started in 1969 by Roger L. Stevens, the Kennedy Center’s founding chairman, KCACTF is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide that has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States.

National Finalists

Theatre arts senior Alina Cannon, scene design for “The House of Edgar Allan Poe”; finalist and Student Choice Award for Scene Design; National Finalist for Excellence in Scene Design.
Theatre arts senior Daniel Garner, lighting designer for “The House of Edgar Allan Poe”; finalist and scholarship to Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas; National Finalist for Excellence in Lighting Design.
Bachelor of Integrated Studies major Monica DeLapp Hansen, costume design for “The House of Edgar Allan Poe”; National Finalist for Excellence in Costume Design.

Regional Finalists

Theatre arts senior Cynthia Johnson, hair, makeup and head accessories designer for “Sense and Sensibility.”
Theatre arts senior DJ Pike, scene designer for “Sunday in the Park With George.”
Theatre arts graduate Toria Snow BA ‘19, milliner for “Sunday in the Park With George”; regional finalist and designer of the Chromolum for “Sunday in the Park With George”; winner the Heart of the Art Award; winner Rosebrand award, a paid conference fee for United States Institute for Theatre Technology.
Theatre arts junior Victoria Wood, properties designer for “The House of Edgar Allan Poe”; regional award for properties design from Society of Properties Artisan Managers.

Musical Theatre Initiative Regional Finalists

Musical theatre major Sibley Snowden
Musical theatre major Morgan Hekking
Musical theatre major Landry Thomas
Musical theatre major Peyton Davis

Musical Theatre Initiative Regional Dance Finalists

Musical theatre major McKenna Tedrick
Musical theatre major Morgan Hekking
Musical theatre major Sibley Snowden
Musical theatre major Abigail Philpott

Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Semi-Finalists

Musical theatre majors Eliza Haynie and Anna Carr
Acting/directing major Jacob Stubbs and theatre education major Gabriel Priest
Musical theatre major Sibley Snowden and theatre education major Liberty Lockett
Musical theatre majors Jaycee Harris and Megan McLean
Musical theatre majors Morgan Hekking and Stefan Kurzius

Musical Theatre Initiative National First Alternate

Musical theatre major Sibley Snowden

For photos, visit the following links.

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Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.

Author:: Karen Valdez, Office of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7948 • karenvaldez@mail.weber.edu
Contact:: Allison Barlow Hess, Public Relations director
801-626-7948 • ahess@weber.edu