News Highlights

Theatre students earn top awards at Region V Kennedy Center Festival

Theatre students sweep Kennedy Center regional awards.

2009-02-11
Minnesota State University, Mankato Media Relations Office news release [2/11/2009]

Minnesota State University, Mankato Theatre & Dance students earned more finalist and semifinalist awards than any of the other 87 participating colleges and universities at the Region V Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival competition.

Minnesota State Mankato students won three finalist and six semifinalist awards during the week-long, mid-January event at the University of Kansas. The annual festival recognizes the best regional university and college theater work, with students from Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota competing to represent the Great Plains at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Washington, D.C., in April.

Two Minnesota State Mankato students – second-year MFA Ben Inniger and third-year MFA Allen Shannon – will receive National Barbizon Design Awards April 17 at the Kennedy Center. In addition, faculty member Steve Smith received the Region V National Teaching Artist Grant Award for lighting design – one of only seven nationally to get the award.

“This competition has been going on for 41 years,” said Theatre and Dance Department Chair Paul Hustoles. “We have participated since the very beginning, and Minnesota State Mankato has one of the most successful track records in the nation.”

Lolly Foy (second-year MFA), Jared Oxborough (senior BFA) and Andrew Umphrey (third-year MFA) were finalists, and Mollie Fischer (senior BFA), David Wasylik (junior BA) and Micah Kronlokken (senior BFA) were semifinalists. Christine Thompson (Second-year MA) was the first Theatre student to place in both the National Critics Institute and the Dramaturgy competition.

Other student achievements at the regional festival include:

• Jared Oxborough (senior BFA): Best musical theatre actor, final round;
• Umphrey: Best musical theatre actor, semifinal round; best classical actor, final round;
• Shannon: First place, regional scene design;
• Grant Merges (third-year MFA): First place, regional lighting design;
• Jeff Smith (senior BA): First place, poster design;
• Nikki Swoboda (second-year MFA): Selected SSDC directing competition participant;

Several Minnesota State Mankato participants also received certificates of merit:
 

• Inniger, sound design;
• Swoboda, assistant direction/ choreography;
• Eric Mayson (sophomore BA), musical direction/ composition;
• Shannon, scene design;
• Amanda Rozmiarek (senior BFA), scene design;
• David McCarl (faculty), costume design;
• Paul Finocchiaro (faculty), direction/ choreography.

More information about the Minnesota State Mankato Department of Theatre & Dance is available at www.MSUTheatre.com.

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