{"id":1033,"date":"2019-07-17T18:19:08","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wcsu.wpengine.com\/news-archives\/wcsu-picks-up-11-kennedy-center-awards\/"},"modified":"2020-03-18T15:25:19","modified_gmt":"2020-03-18T15:25:19","slug":"wcsu-picks-up-11-kennedy-center-awards","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/news-archives\/wcsu-picks-up-11-kennedy-center-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"WCSU 2017 – The Drowsy Chaperone KCACTF awards"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"DANBURY, CONN. <\/strong>\u2014 The\u00a0Western Connecticut State University<\/a>\u00a0Department of Theatre Arts<\/a>\u00a0hosted the\u00a0Region One Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival<\/a>\u00a0(KCACTF) in late January for the second year in a row, and the outcome proved that \u201conce-in-a-lifetime\u201d occurrences can happen more than once. Western again had the opportunity to show off its stunning\u00a0Visual and Performing Arts Center<\/a>\u00a0and at the same time demonstrate the talents of its students with a festival performance of \u201cThe Drowsy Chaperone<\/a>,\u201d the musical theatre program\u2019s fall 2016 production.<\/p>\n

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As a result of the Region One performance, \u201cThe Drowsy Chaperone\u201d earned 11 national awards from the KCACTF judges and an invitation for the director, Assistant Professor<\/strong>\u00a0of Theatre Arts <\/strong>Tim Howard<\/a>\u00a0and student Jillian Caillouette, of Meriden, to attend the national KCACTF festival in Washington, D.C. last month.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMy first time at the Kennedy Center was a dream come true,\u201d Caillouette said. \u201cI was a little nervous at first about this new adventure \u2014 but it couldn\u2019t have been more fulfilling. I took part in vocal coaching workshops, talk-back sessions, dance workshops and I got to see three remarkable productions. My overall takeaway from the festival is: believe in yourself, take risks and support your fellow artists.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/strong>Attending Kennedy Center for the second year in a row was a thrill,\u201d said Howard, coordinator of Western\u2019s Musical Theatre program.\u00a0\u201cTo have our production selected\u00a0for Outstanding Musical, Direction and Choreography\u00a0two years in a row acknowledges\u00a0our reputation within the nation. This has increased WCSU\u2019s\u00a0visibility with industry professionals, prospective students auditioning for a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre, and other learning institutions. I will continue to strive for excellence and I believe the festival inspires us all to reach for new artistic heights.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Performance major Caitlin White, of Enfield, was selected out of all the students who attended the Region 1 festival to represent the region as a Leadership Fellow during national festival week. The fellows from each region spend the week in D.C. meeting with the nation\u2019s leading theatre management professionals.<\/p>\n

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\u201cComing back to the National American College Theatre Festival at the Kennedy Center for the second year as a Leadership Fellow was truly an honor,\u201d White said. \u201cI met working professionals from all different areas in the field, including the artistic director from Trinity Rep, Curt Columbus; the deputy dean of the Yale School of Drama and the executive director of Arena Stage; the managing director and founder of Woolly Mammoth Theatre and many more. The best part about it was that of the 16 professionals we met, nine of them were women in management positions, which, as a young woman pursuing a career in management, was very inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Western\u2019s KCACTF awards this year included:<\/p>\n

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Outstanding Production of a Musical: \u201cThe Drowsy Chaperone;\u201d\u00a0Outstanding Director of a Musical: Tim Howard; Outstanding Choreography: Elizabeth Parkinson\u00a0and Scott Wise; Outstanding Ensemble of a Musical: \u201cThe Drowsy Chaperone;\u201d Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical: Jillian Caillouette; Distinguished Performance by an Actress in a Musical: Shaylen Harger; Distinguished Performance by an Actor in a Musical: Ryan J. Taylor; Distinguished Performance by an Actor in a Musical: TJ Swetz; Distinguished Performance by an Actor in a Musical: Sergio Mandujano; Distinguished Performance by Actors in a Musical: Manuel Torres and Jaret Starkey; and Distinguished Costume Design; Sharon Sobel.<\/p>\n

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Last year\u2019s 14 national KCACTF awards for \u201cParade<\/a>\u201d was unprecedented for any university theatre arts program.<\/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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