Theater students stand out at ACTF
Michelle Chalkey
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Features
In a nationwide acting competition, a small group of theater students from St. Ambrose would have to make quite an impression to get their chance at the prize. Their talent stood out among the rest as seven of the students were nominated for the Irene Ryans Scholarship as part of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (ACTF).
During the week of Jan. 18, SAU theater director Dr. Cory Johnson took theater students to Oakland Park, Kan., for a week-long theater workshop called ACTF, a nation-wide program working to improve the quality of theater in colleges and universities. The program is divided into regions. SAU was placed in the region of North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas and part of Missouri.
"The festival is intended to help students celebrate theater and learn more about it," Johnson said. She said it includes many workshops as competitions for the actors.
Johnson explained that a professor comes to see their show and gives feedback on the entire production. The professor also nominated about two or three actors to compete for the Irene Ryans Scholarship. Throughout the region, there were 330 nominees. Each nominee had a partner and two won the award. Seven SAU students were nominated.
The competition consists of doing a three-minute scene with a scene partner. The 330 participants were then cut down to 64. Four of the seven SAU students made it into the 64, which included Sarah Ulloa, Katie McCormack, Andrew Benson and Jaci Entwisle. Acting partners to these nominees were Nic Anderson, Dan Hernandez, Jessica Denney and Allissa Klatt. These contestants had to perform two scenes in five minutes. Three of the four SAU finalists made it into the final 16. Of the original 330, two were picked for the award. SAU's Dan Hernandez took one of those spots winning best acting partner.
Johnson said she doesn't make expectations going into the festival, but she was thrilled with the results this year.
"I never expected we'd do this well. I have great confidence in the talent of our students and I'm absolutely thrilled. They were all very deserving."
Along with Hernandez, other SAU students received honors at the festival. Sarah Ulloa won first prize for best musical theatre performance. The SAU technical team won the "tech team showdown" for the second year in a row. The team consisted of Entwisle, Josh Tipsword, Dan Conlin and Tyler Reinert.
Senior theater student Abby Van Gerpen said she found the festival to be a great opportunity.
"It's great because there are a lot of workshops and very important people there to help you."
Theater students will show off their talent in the upcoming play "The Glass Menagerie" Feb. 19-21.
During the week of Jan. 18, SAU theater director Dr. Cory Johnson took theater students to Oakland Park, Kan., for a week-long theater workshop called ACTF, a nation-wide program working to improve the quality of theater in colleges and universities. The program is divided into regions. SAU was placed in the region of North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas and part of Missouri.
"The festival is intended to help students celebrate theater and learn more about it," Johnson said. She said it includes many workshops as competitions for the actors.
Johnson explained that a professor comes to see their show and gives feedback on the entire production. The professor also nominated about two or three actors to compete for the Irene Ryans Scholarship. Throughout the region, there were 330 nominees. Each nominee had a partner and two won the award. Seven SAU students were nominated.
The competition consists of doing a three-minute scene with a scene partner. The 330 participants were then cut down to 64. Four of the seven SAU students made it into the 64, which included Sarah Ulloa, Katie McCormack, Andrew Benson and Jaci Entwisle. Acting partners to these nominees were Nic Anderson, Dan Hernandez, Jessica Denney and Allissa Klatt. These contestants had to perform two scenes in five minutes. Three of the four SAU finalists made it into the final 16. Of the original 330, two were picked for the award. SAU's Dan Hernandez took one of those spots winning best acting partner.
Johnson said she doesn't make expectations going into the festival, but she was thrilled with the results this year.
"I never expected we'd do this well. I have great confidence in the talent of our students and I'm absolutely thrilled. They were all very deserving."
Along with Hernandez, other SAU students received honors at the festival. Sarah Ulloa won first prize for best musical theatre performance. The SAU technical team won the "tech team showdown" for the second year in a row. The team consisted of Entwisle, Josh Tipsword, Dan Conlin and Tyler Reinert.
Senior theater student Abby Van Gerpen said she found the festival to be a great opportunity.
"It's great because there are a lot of workshops and very important people there to help you."
Theater students will show off their talent in the upcoming play "The Glass Menagerie" Feb. 19-21.
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