February 4, 2008
For Immediate Release
For an Interview:
Christopher Clark
(801) 863-8345
Several UVSC students have been selected to attend the American College Theater Festival at California State University in Los Angeles February 11-16. The students will compete in the Irene Ryan Competition along with more than 500 competitors in the hopes of moving on to the national competition in Washington DC.
Each time the UVSC Theatre Department presents a play during the season, a representative from the American College Theater Festival attends the performance. The representative gives feedback on the performance and selects two actors, as well as any outstanding student designers, directors, or stage managers, to attend the regional festival that year. “It’s a very great honor for our students to be nominated for their various skills and talents,” says Christopher Clark, assistant professor of theatrical arts at UVSC.
Students who have been invited to attend the festival and participate in the acting competition are Julie Mortimer from Orem; Joel Petrie from Orem; Jeremy Minagro from Orem; Alex Ungerman from Provo; Jordan Cummings from American Fork, Utah; Jana Grass from Springville, Utah; Jaclyn Hales from North Salt Lake, Utah; Mark Oram from Kaysville, Utah; Sara Preston from Kanab, Utah; Kyla Curtiss from Libby, Mont.; Katy Baxter from Bothell, Wash. and Wes Tolman from Grand Haven, Mich.
The UVSC students participating in the design competition are Anna Marie Johnson from Provo; Diedre Hiatt from Spanish Fork, Utah and Mike James from Spanish Fork, Utah. Several more students were invited to participate in the competition, but are unable to attend— Richard Newman from Orem; Aurora Borjas from Orem; Kristi Summers from Orem; Mahonri Stewart from Provo; Anne Stewart from Springville, Utah; Lacey Gardner from Spanish Fork, Utah; Mandy Lyons from Cedar Hills, Utah and Laura Garner from Cedar Hills, Utah. Anna Marie Johnson, Mandy Lyons, Mahonri Stewart and Ann Stewart have also submitted costume designs to be included in the festival’s costume parade.
The actors attending the festival will compete with two scenes and one monologue. Student designers compete by showing their designs in a display and giving a presentation on the steps of the creation and development processes that they went through in their designs.
Several UVSC faculty members will be involved in the Festival as
well. Terry Petrie, assistant professor of Theatrical Arts and
department chair, will be directing a short play at the festival.
John Graham, also an assistant professor of Theatrical Arts, is in
charge of coaching the acting competitors. Stephen Purdy, a lecturer
in the Theatrical Arts program, and Joe Fox, supervisor of UVSC’s
scene shop, will be involved in the technical portion of the
competition, and Christopher Clark is a regional acting respondent. A
scene from Clark’s production of Shakespeare's King Lear will also
be showcased at the festival.
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College Marketing Contact:
Megan Laurie
(801) 863-7149
Written by:
Brenda Johnson
(801) 863-7011