Several Wooster theater students proved their flair for the dramatic last week at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Regional meeting.
The Festival, held at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Jan. 12-16, featured student performances, competition and workshops for colleges from Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia, New Jersey, Western New York, Northern Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.† Notable entrants include: Alfred University, Montclair University, West Chester University and the host institution, Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Participants attending the Festival had the opportunity to have their work presented, critiqued and improved by fellow theater students and faculty from the region.† Alex Paolino-Gibson í10 states that the regional Festival provides opportunities to ìlearn different ways of improving your craft” as well as ìseeing amazing amounts of theater.”
Three Wooster students, Laura Vandiver í10, Malcolm Campbell-Taylor í13 and Jasmine Verreen† í13, auditioned for the Irene Ryan Scholarship while at the Festival.† The audition requires competitors to participate in a series of elimination rounds, presenting one scene in the first round, two scenes in the second round and two scenes and a monologue in the final round.† Vandiver received ìpositive feedback” on her participation in the first round while partnered with Verreen, and Campbell-Taylor advanced to the semi-finalist round while also partnered with Verreen.
Paolino-Gibson participated in a stage management competition. He was required to stage manage an event at the Festival, as well as submit paperwork and a book of his previous work. Paolino-Gibsonís work with the New Play Program at the Festival, in addition to his work on Woosterís ìComedy of Errors,” earned him second place at this yearís Festival.† Paolino-Gibson appreciated the learning opportunity the competition provided him, stating it was useful to observe ìhow people manage other people” in order to hone his own skills.
Outside of their competitions, Wooster students kept busy pursuing the many opportunities available to them at the Festival.† Vandiver participated in a staged reading of a new play, ìBaggage,” by Carnegie Mellonís Dan OíNeil.
Paolino-Gibson cited the close collaboration with other artists as one of the important aspects of that festival.† ìYou learn new techniques and what your peers are doing,” he said.
The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival ìbrings together artists from across the country,” says Paolino-Gibson.† With a network of more than 600 collegiate institutions and over 18,000 students nationwide, the Festival provides the opportunity for collaboration and competition. In the past, these regional competitions have included special workshops and presentations on† playwriting, voice, movement, auditioning, childrenís theater, stage combat and scenery construction. A total of eight regional competitions are held annually throughout the nation.
Students who succeed in their regional competitions are invited to the Kennedy Center National American College Theater Festival in Washington, DC; this yearís festival will take place April 12-17.† In 2007, the Wooster production of Adam Rappís ìNocturne” qualified for consideration at the National Festival.