Recently, many faculty members and students from the university took part in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF).
The festival was located at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas from Feb. 24 to 27. Attending students included Kalee Broussard, Chelsey Davis, Justin Davis, Rachel Davis, Neal Eli, Anthony Gary, Misty Gros, Michelle Guillot, Provence Hatfield, Jaimee Rome, Natalia Timotina and Olivia Waguespack. However, only one went to the finals.
According to theatre instructor Chad Winters, senior music major Provence Hatfield received a certificate for being one of the 14 Music Theatre Initative (MTI) finalists in the festival.
Going into the festival, Hatfield felt confident in herself, but once she actually made it to the festival, the reality exceeded her expectations.
“I felt really good going into the festival,” said Hatfield. “It was really overwhelming at first just because there was a lot of people there. Not only that, the climate, Texas climate is a lot drier than Louisiana climate so my voice was going out, so I had to buy saline solution and drink a lot of water to make sure my voice didn’t go out while I was auditioning. Other than that, everything was super cool. Everyone was really nice and I liked it.”
After the festival, Hatfield felt positive about what she gained from the experience.
“I’m really excited about everything that I learned from the master classes that I went to and the critique I got back on my performance,” said Hatfield.
Hatfield also has new-found hopes for the future, pushing her closer and closer to her dream.
“I just received an email earlier this week from the Open Jar Institute, a Broadway training institute, asking me to do an interview and I am being considered for a possible student residency program in September where I’ll go and get Broadway training and an agent who will start getting me auditions for Broadway shows. So, that’s really exciting,” said Hatfield.
According to Hatfield, she has always loved theatre because of all that goes into it and it allows her to express herself.
“[Theatre] is always something I’ve really, really enjoyed doing,” said Hatfield. “I’ve always wanted to be on Broadway. That’s been my dream ever since I was a little girl, and I feel like this festival has helped me get one step closer in reaching my goal.”
Alongside Hatfield, the university received a certificate from the Kennedy Center in honor of the presentation of the two musical numbers performed from “High and Mighty,” and by attending an open audition, junior general studies major Olivia Waguespack and senior art major Taylor Michel were cast in and performed in two 10-minute plays at the festival.
As for the faculty, voice professor Steven Rushing performed in a devised work created at the festival while multiple faculty members presented master classes. Theatre instructor Mignon Charvet presented a master class on making leather masks and other leather costume crafts; Winters presented on the actor’s studio and method acting; Rushing presented on back breathing and theatre associate professor James Winter and “High and Mighty” writer Donna Gay Anderson both presented on staging new works.
According to Winters, senior theatre major Anthony Gary was the only other student to be individually awarded by receiving an honorable mention for makeup design for “High and Mighty” in the Design/Technology/Management (DTM) category.
Once Gary found out he received an honorable mention, he was completely in shock and glad he could be a part of all of it.
“To be very honest, I did not expect to win, being that honorable mention is one of the only things you can win specifically for makeup design at the KCACTF festival,” said Gary. “There were so many amazing displays and responses at the DTM exhibit. I was just happy to be there with other designers and learn how other designers from different cities and states approach their shows. To say the very least, I was extremely overjoyed.”
Gary, who is soon to graduate, has greater plans to continue pursuing his growing passion.
“After graduating this semester, I am planning to attend graduate school for costume design either at Texas State, in San Marcos, or University of Southern Mississippi,” said Gary. “Like many, we plan to work for Broadway or off Broadway. My dream is just to do what I truly love, and that is theatre. No matter how I am working, it has to be in any relation to theatre. I have always been involved with the arts since I could pick up a color pencil. Needless to say, the arts are my life.”
Looking back on the festival, Winters, along with other faculty and staff members, feel proud to call the students who participated their own and felt that their experiences of it was unlike any other.
“We are all very proud of our students’ hard work,” said Winters. “I think they represented Southeastern very well and everyone made the most out of their time at the festival. The experience they received is priceless.”