Cast of the play “Distracted,” Payton Core and Misty Gros will visit the KCACTF theatre competition to compete in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship.
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Unlike previous years, the theatre program will not be competing in The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival this year. However, students have been selected for related awards and nominated for scholarships that will be presented at the KCACTF. Students will still be attending the festival this year despite the university not having a production competing.
“This year we entered our production of ‘Distracted’ by Lisa Loomer into the regional festival,” said James Winter, associate professor of acting and directing. “This meant that two respondents from KCACTF came to Hammond to see our production. They also chose to hold our production as a finalist for the regional festival. Unfortunately, when the regional committee met to review the finalists, they chose not to invite our production. Nevertheless, as with our production of ‘High and Mighty’ last year, our students will still travel to the regional festival to compete in the Irene Ryan competition and to present their design work.”
The Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship is an opportunity for students to win financial aid and recognition. 16 regional winners and two national winners are selected to obtain various amounts of financial support. “Distracted” actors Colin Ross, Misty Gros and Payton Core were nominated by KCACTF representatives to be in the regional Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship.
“All competing students have the chance to win scholarships and fellowships at the regional festival,” said Winter. “They also have a chance at being invited to perform/present their work at the national festival at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. later this spring.”
In addition, other students were given recognition for their work in the “Distracted” production. Rebecca Miller won a costume design award, Grace Jovanovic won a video & projection design award and Madison Paulus won a stage management award.
Productions entered into the festival’s competitions are school run and do not include individuals’ work.
“Students can’t just be in the festival of their own accord,” said Winter. “The university has to pay to enter a show or multiple shows into the festival each year. Only the students involved in the entered productions are eligible to participate.”
In previous years, the university has competed and won awards through the theater festival.
“We’ve taken full productions to the regional festival twice since 2005,” said Winter. ‘“Parking Lot Babies,’ which went to the festival in 2010, won seven national commendations for excellence and our student playwright, Zachary Boudreaux, won a fellowship to study playwriting at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.”
Even without the university competing in it, students can benefit from experiences they receive at KCACTF.
“It gives college students around the country a chance to network with peers and faculty from other institutions as well as with professionals in the field,” said Winter. “KCACTF also annually awards hundreds of scholarships, internships and fellowships to theatre students. The faculty and professionals involved in KCACTF provide valuable feedback and criticism to the students and their work.”
Students and other festival goers can receive benefits such as insight and clarity.
“For us, it really helps to give our students a broader perspective,” said Winter. “Our students can get stuck only seeing or participating in the shows here at Southeastern and only getting feedback and training from a select few individuals here at the school. KCACTF opens up the world of regional, collegiate and professional theatre to our students.”
Gavin Gaudry played Jesse in "Distracted."
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Colin Ross played multiple characters in the play “Distracted” that premiered in October of 2016. Ross will also compete in KCACTF.
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