FESTIVAL 56 REGIONAL & NATIONAL AWARDS 

The 2024 KCACTF Region 2 Festival 56 Invited Productions

≈ [Almost Equal To] 

By Jonas Hassen Khemiri

Directed by Adil Mansoor

Point Park University

BUY BLACK! We Don’t Sell to Your Kind

By Raymond Ingram

Co-Directed by Brielle Bertrand and Malaysha Sabria

Bowie State University

Clue

By Sandy Rustin

Directed by Marie Soyla Enriquez

Penn State Harrisburg

Grecian Burns

Created by Daniel M. Lincoln and Omri Schein

Directed by Aaron Galligan-Stierle

Slippery Rock University

Medea

By Euripides

Adapted and Directed by Jenny Male

Howard Community College

The 2024 KCACTF Region 2 Festival Faculty & Professional Awards

 

  • 2024 Innovative Teaching Award: Megan Lohne from Adelphi University

  • 2024 Road Warriors: Bill Gillett from Howard Community College & TJ Young from Carnegie Mellon University

  • 2024 The Golden Medallion: Emmanuel Wilson, Co-Executive Director of the Dramatists Guild

The 2024 KCACTF Region 2 Festival Student Awards

 

(The following students were invited to attend the National Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC):

  • SDC Directing, Amy Rose Scoggins, Point Park University
  • ASPIRE Arts Leadership, Lydia Melka, George Washington University
  • Theatre Journalism (ITJA), Mady Thetard, Point Park University
  • Dramaturgy, Aysha Zackria, Carnegie Mellon University
  • Allied Design, Victoria Naftal, West Chester University
  • Costume Design, Gracie Shreve, The College of Wooster
  • Lighting Design, Kim Parson, McDaniel College
  • Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship, Ace Gray, Rochester Institute of Technology
  • Musical Theatre, Molly McVicker, Harford Community College

 

Additional Festival Student Awards

  • NPP Awards: 
    • Julie Jensen Award: Buy Black!, Raymond Ingram, Bowie State
    • Gary Garrison Finalist: Fish Wizard, Elinor Melick, Carnegie Mellon
    • John Cauble Finalist: The Monument Maker, Sally Seitz, Carnegie Mellon
    • Gary Garrison Finalist: Joselyn Busato, Bucknell University
    • John Cauble Finalist: Lara Miller, Carnegie Mellon
  • Irene Ryan “Best Classical Performance”, Serena Rush, Rochester Institute of Technology
  • Honorable Mention for Stage Management, Leo Clark, Suffolk County Community College
  • NPP Outstanding Ensemble, Cast of “Keep Me Company”
The Citizen Artist Award

The Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Awards recognize programs in higher education using theatrical production to promote long-term societal impact in artistic terms, encouraging empathetic exploration of the complex cultural and physical world, and advocating for justice on campus and throughout the world.

 

  • Banned Books Club, Salve Regina University
  • Hurricane Diane, Northern Essex Community College
  • You and Me and the Space Between, SUNY Potsdam
  • ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
  • Buy Black! We Don’t Sell to Your Kind, Bowie State University
  • The Genderless Play Experiment, Carthage College
  • Mac Beth, Roanoke College
  • Cyrano de Bergerac, New World School of the Arts
  • Thoughts of a Colored Man, Norfolk State University
  • Chrysalis, Hollins University
  • Ricochet: Within the Echo of Violence, Nouveau Sud Circus
  • After Ever Happily, Johnson County Community College
  • Remember the Dance, University of Central Missouri
  • Thoughts of a Colored Man, University of Missouri
  • Galatea, Sam Houston State University
  • Blood at the Root, University of New Orleans
  • Bull in a China Shop, West Texas A & M
  • Lizzie, Tarleton State University
  • Cursed: The House of Atreus, Contra Costa College
  • What the Constitution Means to Me, Idaho Repertory Theatre
  • Pass Over, Stage Left Theater
  • Stephanie Lutz, University of Idaho
  • Anansi’s Carnival Adventure, CSU San Bernardino
  • Ironbound, Los Angeles Pierce College
  • Carthage Verbatim Theatre 2015-2024, Carthage College
Outstanding Achievement in the Facilitation of a Brave Rehearsal Space
  • Hurricane Diane, Northern Essex Community College
  • Grecian Burns, Slippery Rock University
  • Gruesome Playground Injuries, University of South Carolina Upstate
  • Chrysalis, Hollins University
  • Galatea, Sam Houston State University
  • Blood at the Root, University of New Orleans
  • Lizzie, Tarleton State University
  • Thoughts of a Colored Man, University of Missouri
  • Cursed: The House of Atreus, Contra Costa College
Distinguished Achievement in Stage Managment
  • Teagan Degroen, Alex Hamm, and Gracie Flanick, ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
  • Carolina Ortiz-Ruis and Emily Woodhouse, Cyrano de Bergerac, New World School of the Arts
  • Lauryn Brooks and Izzy Da Silva, Cursed: The House of Atreus, Contra Costa College
Outstanding Production of a Play
  • ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
  • Thoughts of a Colored Man, Norfolk State University
Distinguished Production of a Play
  • Gruesome Playground Injuries, University of South Carolina Upstate
  • Ironbound, Los Angeles Pierce College
Special Achievement in Production of a Play
  • Everybody, LaGuardia Community College
  • Hurricane Diane, Northern Essex Community College
  • Thoughts of a Colored Man, University of Missouri
  • Blood at the Root, University of New Orleans 
Distinguished Production of a Musical
  • The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, Normandale Community College
  • Lizzie, Tarleton State University
Outstanding Production of a New, Devised, or Company-Generated Work
  • The Boy Who Hates Everything, Hope College
  • Cursed: The House of Atreus, Contra Costa College
Distinguished Production of a New, Devised, or Company-Generated Work
  • After Ever Happily, Johnson County Community College
Outstanding Achievement in the Direction of a Play
  • Adil Mansoor, ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
Outstanding Achievement in the Direction of a Play by a Student
  • R’Myni Watson, Blood at the Root, University of New Orleans
Distinguished Achievement in Direction of a Play
  • Brianne Beatrice, Hurricane Diane, Northern Essex Community College
  • Laura Rikard, Gruesome Playground Injuries, University of South Carolina Upstate
  • Anthony Mark Stockard, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Norfolk State University
  • Christian Barillas, Ironbound, Los Angeles Pierce College
Distinguished Achievement in Direction of a New, Devised or Company-Generated Work
  • Chris Garcia Peak, The Boy Who Hates Everything, Hope College
  • Daina Robins, The Boy Who Hates Everything, Hope College
  • Carlos-Manuel Chavarria, Cursed: The House of Atreus, Contra Costa College
Special Achievement in Script Supervision and Devising Management
  • Audrey Kunce, The Boy Who Hates Everything, Hope College
Special Achievement in Playwriting and New Play Development as Teaching Tool
  • Carlos-Manuel Chavarria, Cursed: The House of Atreus, Contra Costa College
Special Achievement in Movement or Choreography
  • Iliana Tomasa Sharp, ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
  • Francois Des Marteau, TiJhana Hines, Ashley Miller-Scully, Addison Rutherford, and Shanna Snow, Remember the Dance, University of Central Missouri
  • Kerri Canedy, You and Me and the Space Between, SUNY Potsdam
  • Carlos-Manuel Chavarria, Cursed: The House of Atreus, Contra Costa College
Outstanding Achievement in Performance
  • Mirrorajah Metcalfe, Hurricane Diane, Northern Essex Community College
  • Olia Panasenko, Ironbound, Los Angeles Pierce College
  • Benny Brown, Lizzie, Tarleton State University
Distinguished Achievement in Performance
  • Gwynnethe Glickman, Hurricane Diane, Northern Essex Community College
  • Olivia Barberian, Hurricane Diane, Northern Essex Community College
  • Jonah Hartman, ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
  • Sophie Hosna, ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
  • Clark Eileen Atkinson, ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
  • Julia Polisoto, ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
  • Maddie Young, ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
  • Abigail Malczon, Grecian Burns, Slippery Rock University
  • Danai Mandebvu, The Boy Who Hates Everything, Hope College
  • Kai Ady, Cyrano de Bergerac, New World School of the Arts
  • Lyric Dukes, Gruesome Playground Injuries, University of South Carolina Upstate
  • Noah Deal, Gruesome Playground Injuries, University of South Carolina Upstate
  • Gabriel Mensah, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Norfolk State University
  • Jordan Hampton, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Norfolk State University
  • Aaron Tyler, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Norfolk State University
  • Justin Richardson, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Norfolk State University
  • Adam Moskowitz, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Norfolk State University
  • Myles Whitaker, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Norfolk State University
  • Brandon Bradley, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Norfolk State University
  • Leighson Selman, Bull in a China Shop, West Texas A&M
  • Signe Elder, Bull in a China Shop, West Texas A & M
  • Joshua Scott Gould, Ironbound, Los Angeles Pierce College
  • Kris Hernandez, Ironbound, Los Angeles Pierce College
  • Kayvan Shai, Ironbound, Los Angeles Pierce College
  • Drew Bainbridge, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, Normandale Community College
  • Emma Howard, Avenue Q, Santa Monica College
Outstanding Achievement in Ensemble Performance
  • Hurricane Diane, Northern Essex Community College
Distinguished Achievement in Ensemble Performance
  • Cyrano de Bergerac, New World School of the Arts
  • Gruesome Playground Injuries, University of South Carolina Upstate
  • Lizzie, Tarleton State University
  • Cursed: The House of Atreus, Contra Costa College
Outstanding Achievement in Performance and Production Ensemble
  • ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
Distinguished Achievement in Performance and Production Ensemble
  • Everybody, LaGuardia Community College
  • Medea, Howard Community College
  • The Boy Who Hates Everything, Hope College
  • Thoughts of a Colored Man, Norfolk State University
  • The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, Normandale Community College
  • Blood at the Root, University of New Orleans
  • Ironbound, Los Angeles Pierce College
Outstanding Achievement in Production Design
  • ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
  • Thoughts of a Colored Man, Norfolk State University
Distinguished Achievement in Production Design
  • The Boy Who Hates Everything, Hope College
  • Gruesome Playground Injuries, University of South Carolina Upstate
  • Blood at the Root, University of New Orleans
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design
  • Damian E. Dominguez, ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
  • Eileen Gizienski, Ironbound, Pierce College
Distinguished Achievement in Costume Design
  • Michelle Bombe, The Boy Who Hates Everything, Hope College
  • Antonio Mitchell, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Norfolk State University
  • Leigh Anne Crandall, Bull in a China Shop, West Texas A & M
  • Ralph Hoy, Cursed: The House of Atreus, Contra Costa College
  • Ananda Keator, Life x 3, Idaho State University
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design
  • Xotchil Musser, ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
Distinguished Achievement in Lighting Design
  • Eric Van Tasell and Ken Chamberlain, The Boy Who Hates Everything, Hope College
  • Kaylynn Wright, Gruesome Playground Injuries, University of South Carolina Upstate
  • Jason Amato, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Norfolk State University
  • Michelle Ludlow, Life x 3, Idaho State University
Outstanding Achievement in Projection Design
  • Natalie Rose Mabry, ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
Distinguished Achievement in Projection Design
  • Jim Eischen, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, Normandale Community College
Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design
  • Toni Woods, ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
Distinguished Achievement in Scenic Design
  • Sotirios Livaditis, The Boy Who Hates Everything, Hope College
  • Jason Amato, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Norfolk State University
  • Paul Yeates, Lifex3, Idaho State University
Distinguished Achievement in Sound Design
  • JR Caldwell, Everybody, LaGuardia Community College
  • Eric Van Tasell and Ken Chamberlain, The Boy Who Hates Everything, Hope College
  • Lola Mann, Gruesome Playground Injuries, University of South Carolina Upstate
  • Jalen Lott, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Norfolk State University
  • Amara Skinner, Blood at the Root, University of New Orleans
  • Vanessa Ballam and Chad Rodgers, Life x 3, Idaho State University
  • Aaron Landgraf, ≈ [Almost Equal To], Point Park University
Special Achievement in Media Design
  • Everybody, LaGuardia Community College
Distinguished Achievement in Dramaturgy
  • Jessica Newey, Hurricane Diane, Northern Essex Community College
Special Achievement in Original Music Composition
  • Christian Howard, Bull in a China Shop, West Texas A & M
Special Achievement in Musical and Vocal Direction
  • Wade Girton and John Greer, Lizzie, Tarleton State University

The 2024 KCACTF National Production Awards