Theatre Students to Compete in Festival

Fairmont State theatre students have been selected to compete in The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) for Region II.

The festival will be Jan. 16-20, 2006, on the campus of the State University of New York at New Paltz. Student performers and a designer from the FS October production of "All My Sons" will be participating.

The KCACTF, presented and produced by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is supported by the U.S. Department of Education, Dr. and Mrs. Gerald Nichols, the Laura Pels International Foundation, The Kennedy Center Corporate Fund and The National Committee for the Performing Arts.

The aims of this national theatre education program are to identify and promote quality in college-level theatre production. To this end, each production entered is eligible for a response by a regional KCACTF representative, and selected students and faculty are invited to participate in KCACTF programs involving scholarships, internships, grants and awards for actors, playwrights, designers, stage managers and critics at both the regional and national levels.

Productions entered on the participating level are eligible for inclusion at the KCACTF regional festival and can also be considered for invitation to the KCACTF national festival at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., in the spring of 2006.

Last year more than 1,400 productions were entered in the KCACTF involving more than 200,000 students nationwide. By entering this production of "All My Sons," the Fairmont State Theatre Department is sharing in the KCACTF goals to recognize, reward and celebrate the exemplary work produced in colleges and universities across the nation.

The celebration includes also the work of student designers, student playwrights who may enter one-act plays and a fringe festival. Chuck Harbert has entered his sound design for "All My Sons." Michael Gallimore and Sarah Rowan are candidates for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship. Both students were in the FS production of "All My Sons."

Gallimore is a freshman theatre major, who came to FS with experience in acting, directing, technical theatre and playwriting. His partner in the competition will be Missy Ryan from the FS Theatre Department.

Rowan is also a freshman theatre major and music minor. Her experience comes from extensive work in musical productions and an internship at the Morgantown Theatre Company, in Morgantown. Her partner in the competition will be FS theatre major Brandy DeVault.

Additionally, a scene from Act II of the FS production of "All My Sons" was chosen for the festival Showcase of Scenes. The scene features Gallimore and FS theatre professor John O'Connor.