CSU Theatre Students Win Kennedy Center Awards

The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival 2012 Logo

Evil Dead: The Musical 2013 Staged Production PhotoCSU Theatre Students once again win Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival honors at the 2014 regional and national events

For the eighth consecutive year, students from Colorado State University’s theatre program took home major awards at the regional Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival

Little Women 2014 Production entire stage

(KCACTF), held at the Boise State University, Feb. 17-21, 2014. Following their qualification at the regional festival, two students went on to win awards at the national KCACTF conference, April 14-29.

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival is a national theater program, with over 18,000 participants annually, and according to the organization’s website, “[KCACTF] has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theatre in the United States.”

Region VII is comprised of nine western states including Alaska, northern Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., northern Nev., Ore., Wash. and Wyo. Over 1,000 theatre students from Region VII convene annually to participate in workshops; attend symposia and colloquies and professional presentation; work with resident artists; and compete for honors, awards, and scholarships for their creative accomplishments in theatre productions at staged at their schools.

Students winning regional awards traveled to Washington, D.C. earlier in April to compete at the 48th annual Kennedy Center national conference, where, since 2007, CSU students have distinguished themselves as national award-winners in Stage Management, Acting, Lighting Design, Sound Design, and Playwriting. National winners are selected by discipline-discrete judges from a panel of highly visible theatre professionals.

2014 REGIONAL AWARDS: Boise, Ida.

National Finalists and Region 7 Winners (Going to Washington, D.C. in April)

Andrew Killion (Lighting Design for Evil Dead: The Musical)

Emma Kimball (Sound Design for Comic Potential)

Region 7 Winner – Lighting/Projection Design and Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas Scholarship Recipient (Going to Las Vegas in June)

John Erickson (Projection Design – Little Women)

California State University – Summer Arts Program Scholarship

Ben Hilzer (Music Theatre)

2014 NATIONAL AWARDS: Washington, D.C.

Barbizon Lighting Design Competition

Andy Killion ’13, 2nd Place National Lighting Designer

O’Neil Theatre Sound Design Fellowship

Emma Kimball ‘13, Internship Placement with the O’Neil Theatre in New York

The University Center for the Arts at Colorado State University provides an enriched venue in which the study and practice of Art, Dance, Music and Theatre are nurtured and sustained by building the skills and knowledge needed by future generations of arts professionals to become contributors to the essential vitality of our culture and society. During the 2013-2014 season, the UCA celebrates its fifth anniversary and features several celebratory events that highlight connecting our campus and community with impactful arts.  For more information, visit UCA.Colostate.edu.