Please join us in congratulating three outstanding Minnesota State Mankato students on making their respective debuts at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., as part of the 40th annual American College Theater Festival this past week.
Micah J. L. Kronlokken (junior, BFA Acting candidate), the KCACTF Region V Winner of the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship, was featured in the reading of the award winning ten-minute play Cold Soup on Friday, April 18, 2008, in the Terrace Theater. On Saturday, April 19, he performed in the national Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Audition on that same stage.
Katharine Moeller (senior, BFA Musical Theatre candidate), the Region V winner of the Best Partner in the Final Round, partnered Micah on Saturday. For her efforts, she was awarded a scholarship to the National Stage Combat Workshop from the Society of American Fight Directors.
Heather Ann Folsom (senior, BFA Acting candidate), the Region V winner of the Student Directing Award for the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, directed a staged reading of the award winning ten-minute short play, The Professor on Friday, April 18 in the Terrace Theatre.
All three students participated in a week filled with master classes taught by professionals from throughout the country.
Also in attendance was Paul J. Hustoles, Ryan coach, directing mentor and Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, who participates in the national festival as the Region V representative on the Board of the National Partners of the American Theatre (NAPAT), the organization that confers the Classical Acting Awards at both the regional and national levels of the KCACTF.
Photograph courtesy of Daniel Dinsmore Photography (click on the image for more photos)
Guys (left to right): Jason Faust, Ben VanderSluis, Chris Kind, Perry Thrun, Chris Bell
Girls (left to right): Ellen Kvitek, Laura Yost, Angelyn Faust, Ashley Fitzsimmons, Nicole Kind
Angelyn Eve Faust married Christopher Arn Kind on August 18, 2007, and that caused a stellar gathering of MSU alumni, former and current theatre majors that even surpassed any Highland Summer Theatre season! The outdoor ceremony was rained out (but we needed that rain!) but it was raining tears from the moment Chris walked down the aisle--and they never stopped coming once Angie joined in. I have never seen such a large number of people laughing and crying at the same time. It was magic!
Laura Yost (in from New York City) was the Maid of Honor, while Ashley FitzSimmons (now of Seattle) was one of the bridesmaids. The Groomsmen included Perry Thrun and Chris Bell (both of whom currently reside in Seattle). Pre-ceremony singers included Renée Anne Roy (also living in Chicago), Bobby Gardner, Jackie Olson (our latest BFA graduate) and current student Jared Oxborough (all three hailing from the Twin Cities). Current student Claire Lloyd (who normally would be in South Dakota, but had to come back for school anyway) was the Personal Attendant. The co-hosts for the reception were Trick Danneker and Jason Harber (both now in Seattle).
There was a long and distinguished list of other alums who showed up for the festivities. This will mostly be a list but we are hoping that all of you will write in and give us updates as to what you are now doing (and there is a lot of great and exciting work being done by MSU alum out there!). Also, if we neglected to add you to this list, let us know--there were so many there, it was easy to lose track through all the tears!
Angelyn was in a class of three as our first BFA alums, joined by Ashley and the final member of that class, Hilary Winkworth (who just finished a movie in Spokane and is about to go on a national tour for Vee Corp).
Now in alpha order, we saw the following alums (in addition to all those listed above): Shawn Ashley (also know by Howland); Carla Bode (now married and a mom and teaching in Buffalo, MN); Katie Driscoll (now producing in Philly); Chris Kuisle (yes, he really did graduate!), Jason Krueger (still working with CLIMB); Amber Maser (who just finished wowing the suburbs as the Wicked Witch of the West); Patrick McIntyre (a spokesman for Ford); Toby Miller (who is our first-ever Musical Theatre BFA grad), Lou Olson (he's thinking about marriage!); Krystyn Spratt (always a stunner); E. J. Subkoviak (looking resplendent in a new suit that he got on his last commercial shoot).
And other current students included: Doug Castle, Matt Davis, Mollie Fischer, Micah Kronlokken, Ben Olthafer, Tristin Rupp, Jeff Smith, Kellie Stoltz and Kelsey Strong, Claire Wellin (and I know there were several more, I'm just more used to seeing these guys!).
And there were some non-student HST alums too. Who will ever forget the bride's father Doug Faust as Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar ; or the bride's brother Jason Faust as the stud Johnny casino in Grease ; or the bride's grandfather Claire Faust as the heroic Caesar Rodney in 1776; or that the bride's mother joined her daughter in Annie Warbucks? The groom's uncle Chuck Kind, appeared in the very first show in the Andreas Theatre, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. And remember Alan Just (oh, let's go all the way back to The King and I !)? Even though he wasn't a theatre major, he did just graduate from MSU! Then there was Mark Braun, who appeared in several HST shows but, most importantly (to me), starred in the MSU directorial debut of Hustoles (The School for Scandal )! And Al Wortman , the musical director of dozens of shows and the star of Pirates of Penzance was there too!
Dean Jane F. Earley joined the fun and Paul Finocchiaro was there (with Eddie) and I was there with Mary Jo. It was great to see everyone on such a joyous (albeit weepy) occasion. We are so proud of all the work that you are doing all over the country! Keep it up and keep in touch!
Paul J. Hustoles
Melissa "Missy" Peterman returned to Tony 'n' Tina's wedding for a few days in April. On April 27, several MSU graduates–and President Richard Davenport himself, who walked the bride down the aisle–enjoyed her performance. Above is a picture of Missy coming down the aisle with Tony's father. Below, she and other MSU Theatre graduates met for a question-and-answer session afterward (that's Dr. Davenport in the foreground).
Also in the production were (left to right): E.J. Subkoviak as Tina's ex-boyfriend, Mark Veldhuizen (incoming Theatre graduate student) as the photographer, Peterman, Greta Grosch as Thelma Black, Ken Rosen as Dicky Black and Eric Nelson.
Peterman hails from Minneapolis, Minn. After graduating from Minnesota State University with theater as one of her majors, she was cast as Madeline Monroe in Hey City Theater's production of Tony & Tina's Wedding. After more than 600 performances, she went on to work as a writer and performer at the improvisational comedy theater The Brave New Workshop which boasts such alumni as Louie Anderson, Peter Tolan and Al Franken. While with the Brave New Workshop, she also performed at the Chicago Improv Festival and the Big Stink Comedy Festival in Austin, Texas. Find out more by visiting her WB cast page. Missy appears as Barbara Jean on the WB hit comedy Reba.
Her TVTome page
