ESU Theatre at KCACTF Region V In January, ESU students, faculty

PRESS RELEASE – SPRING 2015
For immediate release
ESU Theatre at KCACTF Region V
In January, ESU students, faculty and alums participated in Festival 47 for Region V of
the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Held at Normandale
Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota, the Ames Center for the Arts in
Burnsville and the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis the week of January 17, nineteen
students participated in workshops, performances and auditions.
At the opening ceremony of the festival, two ESU faculty members were awarded
Certificates of Commendation for their production work during the 2014 calendar year:
Dr. Jim Ryan, for his direction of Uncle Vanya in April, and Amanda Dura, for her
costume design for A Moon for the Misbegotten, presented in November.
Fourteen teams competed in the Tech Crew Showdown. A skills competition for tech
theatre students, the ESU team included Ethan Crapser (freshman, Overland Park),
Elizabeth Kennell (junior, Belton, MO), Andrew McCutcheon (senior, Gardner) Landon
Noll (senior, Winchester), John Alfrey (senior, Topeka) and Rochele Watson (junior, Oak
Grove, MO). ESU’s Tech Crew Showdown team was selected as a semi-finalist for the
competition, but was unable to hang on to the championship trophy from 2014.
314 students in the region (Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska,
Kansas and Missouri) were nominated for the prestigious Irene Ryan scholarship
auditions. 64 students were selected as semi-finalists including graduate student
Samaria Fleig (Emporia) and Brandon Jensen (senior, Salina). They performed with
their partners Justin Tinker (senior, Las Vegas), and Miranda Nation (junior, Winfield).
Kylie Geiman (senior, Louisburg) was selected to perform in the 10-minute play event at
the festival, which was presented at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, MN. Director
of Theatre Jim Bartruff directed the Region V Costume Parade on the Wurtele Stage at
the Guthrie for the closing ceremonies.
As the festival drew to a close, Lisa Tinker (senior, Derby) was awarded an honorable
mention for her stage management of Working. She was one of four students cited for
her outstanding work in this category.
Next year, Festival 48 will again be held in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul,
Minnesota.
For additional information: Jim Bartruff
Director of Theatre
620-341-5704
jbartruf@emporia.edu