Today@Sam Article

Theatre Department Wins Big At Regional Festival

March 23, 2015
SHSU Media Contact: Tammy Parrett

Sam Houston State University’s Department of Theatre and Musical Theatre recently received 15 regional and five national awards for its production of Sophie Treadwell’s “Machinal” at the weeklong Region VI Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in San Angelo.

The group received five KCACTF national awards for its production of “Machinal.” Ryan Brazil brought home an award for distinguished sound design and was invited to compete at the KCACTF national festival in April at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; Shanae’a Moore was recognized for distinguished performance by an actress in a leading role; Connor Toups and Liz Freese won for special achievement in film and projection design; and Eric Marsh won for distinguished lighting design. David McTier also received a national award for distinguished director of a play.

The group presented two performances of “Machinal” during the festival, and as the second performance concluded, the cast was met with a standing ovation by the audience, according to McTier, professor of theatre at SHSU.

“Our performance at the festival was the highlight of my nine years at SHSU,” said McTier. “I was so proud of our students, as well as our faculty and staff who worked so hard to make this happen.”

Of the 28 students who were nominated, 15 also were given regional awards by external reviewers in areas such as design, technology, directing, stage management, acting and musical theatre.

Students who brought home awards were Brazil for excellence in sound design, Roberto De Hoyos for achievement in costumes; Peter Ton for achievement in graphics and student directing initiative; Charly Topper for achievement in scenic art; Jenn Sullivan for achievement in makeup; Shanae’a Moore, Maryann Williams, Connor Lynn and Brandon Whitley for musical theater initiative; and Andrew Carson, Shanae’a Moore and Anna Drake were finalists for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship. Carson also brought home a classical acting award.

KCACTF is a national theatre program connecting 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide and was founded in 1969 by Roger L. Stevens. The festival serves as a network for more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country, where theatre departments and student artists showcase their work to receive outside assessment by festival respondents.

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