FIU Theatre, students return from Kennedy Center regional festival with honors


FIU Theatre’s “The Cook” takes home Best Show honors at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival regional competition. Several students were also honored for their individual work and will be competing at the national competition in April.

By Jessica Rodriguez

FIU Theatre returned from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) in Greensboro, N.C., with the honor “Best Show at the Regional IV Festival” for their production of “The Cook.”  The production has been recommended for the national competition in Washington, D.C., at the Kennedy Center in April, which has FIU Theatre students and faculty crossing their fingers hoping they get to participate. FIU Theatre will find out if “The Cook” made the finals after the other regions complete their festivals. The anticipated date for the final results is early March.

“As it is, this is a huge honor to even be considered as one of the best productions in the country,” says Jesse Dreikosen, assistant professor of scene design.

Not only did FIU Theatre win merit for the production of “The Cook,” but BFA acting students Natalie Ceballos and partner Alaine Mesa along with Paul Perez and partner Bertha Leal made it to the Irene Ryan Finals for their presenting works. That competition began with 160 students. Only 16 students made it to the finals, including FIU Theatre students Ceballos and Perez.

BFA design students competing in the design competitions won the Region IV Design Competition in their areas.

Yamarys Salomon won the Region IV Barbizon Award for Scenic Design. Greg Contreras won the Region IV Barbizon Award for Lighting Design. Jason Torres won the Region IV Alcone Make-up Award.

Each student will compete at the national level in April at The Kennedy Center during the National KCACTF Festival. Among the 70 students who competed in the design competitions, Salomon, Contreras and Torres’ received top honors in Region IV for their work.

Theatre student Pedro Mir’s original play “Lasgrimas Negras” had a great showing at the regional festival and received great feedback from the regional judges on his work.

Michelle Cote participated in the National Stage Management Fellowship competition and was later invited to go backstage with the production stage manager of the touring production of “Momma Mia” to meet the cast.

FIU Theatre’s faculty also received honors at the festival:

Jesse Dreikosen – Excellence in Scenic Design, “The Cook”

Tony Galaska – Excellence in Lighting Design, “The Cook” and “Spring’s Awakening”

Wayne E. Robinson, Jr. – Excellence in Directing, “Electricidad”

Phillip Church – Excellence in Directing, “Spring’s Awakening”

Stephen Neal – Excellence in Directing, “The Underpants”

FIU Theatre’s trip to Greensboro was made possible by generous donations from Justo Pozo, president of Preferred Care Partners; The Office of University and Community Relations at FIU; The Office of the President of FIU; and The Office of the Dean of the College of Architecture + The Arts. Without their support, FIU Theatre would not have been able to travel and compete in the festival.

-FIU-

Founded in July of 2006, Florida International University’s College of Architecture + The Arts is one of the newest of the University’s twelve colleges.  It is committed to excellence in art, design and performance. The college is comprised of the disciplines and professions of Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Art, Art History, Dance, Music, Theatre and Speech Communication. Florida International University was founded in 1972 and is Miami’s only public research university. With a student body of more than 38,000, FIU graduates more Hispanic students than any other university in the country.

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