NEWS RELEASE                                            FROM:  Dr. Richard Herman, Chair

                                                                        University of Central Missouri

                                                                        Department of Theatre, Martin 113

                                                                        Warrensburg, MO 64093

                                                                        660-543-4020

RELEASE IMMEDIATELY

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI THEATRE DEPARTMENT

 RECEIVES TOP HONORS AT KENNEDY CENTER

AMERICAN COLLEGE THEATRE FESTIVAL REGION V

            The University of Central Missouri Theatre Department received top honors at the Kennedy Center American College Region V Theatre Festival held at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa January 16-22, 2011.

            The festival included 87 universities and over 1500 faculty and students from theatre departments in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota.  The festival presents performances and scenes from invited productions from the top shows in the region and hosts acting, directing, design, playwriting, stage management, dramatic criticism and dramaturgy competitions.  Six faculty members and twenty-eight Central students attended the event.

            Top honors were received by Central students in the areas of makeup design, scenic design, technical

direction, directing, allied crafts, and acting.  Karen Billingsly won First Place in Makeup Design for The Birds.

Karen will receive an all expense paid week at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. in April to participate in

workshops and compete for the national title.  Joe Burkard won First Place in the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas

Competition for Scenic Design for A Chance of Rain: A Noah Riff.  Joe will receive an all expense paid week at the

Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas to participate in design workshops.  Matt Elliott won the First Place Regional

Award for Technical Direction of The Birds. Alex McCale won the First Place Regional Award for Assistant

Director for the Region V Faculty Directing Showcase.  Matthew Pedersen and Abby Stranathan both received

Second Place Regional Awards for Allied Crafts. James Patten was awarded Outstanding Achievement in Sound

Design for Lostin Yonkers and Troy Battle was a finalist in the Directing Scenes for the Stage Directors and

Choreographers Society competition.

The Preliminary rounds of the Irene Ryan Acting Auditions included 298 students from around the region.

This was paired down to 64 students of which four Central students advanced to the semi-final round. These

students included Brandon Case, Alex McCale, Geoff Pottorff and Tyler Hammond.  Brandon Case and his partner

Lauren Birdsong were two of the 16 finalists.

Faculty receiving awards included, Assistant Professor of Theatre, Ashley Miller for Outstanding

Achievement in Choreography for A Chorus Line; Associate Professor of Theatre, Jeff Peltz for Outstanding

Achievement in Lighting Design for A Chorus Line; Professor of Theatre, Julie Mollenkamp for Outstanding

Achievement in Best Practices in Sustainable Theatre for The Birds; and Assistant Professor, Ronnie Chamberlain’s

costume designs  for The Birdswas one  of  nine productions out of over 100 entries selected and showcased in the

Regional Costume Parade.

Richard Herman, Professor of Theatre and Department Chair, serves as the Chair of the National

Playwriting Program for Region V and was the coordinator of the One Act play festival and the National Play

Reading Performance.  Julie Mollenkamp, Professor of Theatre served as the Region V Directing Events

Coordinator.   John Wilson, Professor of Theatre was the Irene Ryan Acting Coach and a preliminary round judge.

Assistant Professor Ronnie Chamberlain was the Region V Costume Parade Coordinator.  Faculty members Julie

Mollenkamp, Jeff Peltz, Gregory Owen and Ronnie Chamberlain all presented workshops as part of the festival.