December 20, 2015 - Merced College’s Theatre Department has been called “exceptional” by The Kennedy Center, and now a special recognition has been bestowed upon the program.
Merced College is only one of 10 colleges and universities out of 75 entries selected to attend the prestigious Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival in Hawaii in February 2016.
The Center’s Region VIII governing board selected the College to participate in the “Evening of Invited Scenes” category at the University of Hawaii for the 48th Annual Kennedy Center/American College Festival. The College’s original production of Suijin & The Kappa will be performed by a cast of Merced College theater students.
“I cannot tell you what an opportunity like this means to our community college students,” said Theatre Arts professor Carin Heidelbach. “This is an opportunity to be seen in a competitive environment with our peers from other larger, more prestigious institutions."
“Our students will be able to network with faculty from colleges that are possible transfer possibilities, and to participate in a life-changing competition that will help catapult the student artist to the next level of professionalism. It is truly an honor for our students to be recognized for not only their individual acting talent, design and/or technical skills, but also for their creative work on a production that was student-devised, student-directed and student-performed.”
In addition, several of the College’s theater students have been nominated to participate in the Irene Ryan Acting competition, which awards scholarships to regional winners as well as providing entry into the national competition in April in Washington DC.
“In addition to the actors, we have two students who will be participating in the Festival's stage management and lighting design programs,” Heidelbach said.
The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival is a year-round program in eight geographic regions in the United States. In January and February of each year, regional festivals showcase the finest of each region's entered productions and offer a variety of activities, including workshops, symposia, and regional-level award programs. Region VIII, includes community colleges and four-year universities from Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Hawaii and Guam.
Source: Merced College
