{"id":1030,"date":"2019-07-17T18:19:08","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wcsu.wpengine.com\/news-archives\/wcsu-hosts-kennedy-center-american-college-theater-festival\/"},"modified":"2019-07-17T18:19:08","modified_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:19:08","slug":"wcsu-hosts-kennedy-center-american-college-theater-festival","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/news-archives\/wcsu-hosts-kennedy-center-american-college-theater-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"WCSU 2017 – WCSU to host Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"
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DANBURY, CONN. <\/strong>\u2014 Next week, Western Connecticut State University<\/a> will, for the second consecutive year, host the Region 1 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival<\/a> (KCACTF). KCACTF is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from more than 600 colleges and universities nationwide that has \u201cserved as a catalyst for improving the quality of college theater in the United States,\u201d according to its website. During the festival, participants will attend lectures and workshops from industry professionals, and theater departments and student artists will showcase their work and receive outside assessment by KCACTF respondents. <\/p>\n

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In addition to hosting the festival, WestConn\u2019s Department of Theatre Arts<\/a> will reprise its fall semester production, \u201cThe Drowsy Chaperone<\/a>,\u201d as a nominated performance for Region 1 festival judges. The musical comedy will be directed by Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts Tim Howard<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n

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After last year\u2019s Region 1 festival, WCSU\u2019s \u201cParade<\/a>\u201d won five national awards, including \u201cOutstanding Production of a Musical,\u201d \u201cOutstanding Performance by an Actor in a Musical,\u201d \u201cOutstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical,\u201d \u201cBest Director of a Musical\u201d and \u201cOutstanding Choreography.\u201d The awards were presented at the National KCACTF held at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts<\/a> in Washington, D.C. The honors represented the largest sweep of awards at the festival by any theatre arts program, and the most ever received by WCSU for a production. <\/p>\n

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Howard, who won the KCACTF national award for \u201cBest Director of a Musical\u201d last year, also directs this year\u2019s musical comedy entry. <\/p>\n

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\u201cWe are incredibly proud to be selected by KCACTF for the second year in a row,\u201d Howard said. \u201cAfter the success of last year\u2019s historic and heartrending \u2018Parade,\u2019 I really wanted to expose our students and audiences to a completely different style of theatre. We are thrilled the festival has acknowledged our hard work and we can\u2019t wait to share this love letter to musical theatre.\u201d\u00a0 <\/p>\n

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An encore public performance of \u201cThe Drowsy Chaperone\u201d prior to its staging for the festival judges will be at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017,<\/strong> in the MainStage Theatre of the Visual and Performing Arts Center<\/a> on the university\u2019s Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury. General admission tickets are $25. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.eventbrite.com\/e\/the-drowsy-chaperone-tickets-26782549326<\/a><\/u> or call (203) 837-8732.<\/p>\n

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WCSU School of Visual and Performing Arts<\/a> Dean Brian Vernon<\/a> said participation in KCACTF is important for the university and its students. <\/p>\n

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\u201cThe experience and connections at KCACTF create life-long memories; it\u2019s multi-faceted,\u201d Vernon said. \u201cEach region brings together an array of professional-level classes, workshops, lectures, performances and more. The atmosphere at KCACTF regional festivals is always electric. Most of the participants attending the festival have undergone some level of adjudication. Participants, then, are surrounded by the best actors, designers, directors, choreographers and more. There is always a layer of mutual respect, curiosity and support. So much is packed into a few days that the impact of the event may take days, weeks, or even months to fully process. Future and current students of theatre will learn, rejuvenate and be inspired.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England\u2019s best small private universities.<\/em><\/p>\n

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