Over 50 theater students were invited to participate in the 44th Annual Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival for region eight up at Weber State College
Every year, thousands of students participate in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in eight regional divisions. These regional festivals not only give students a chance to showcase their work but also vie for the coveted four to six productions that will travel to the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
This year, Weber State College in Ogden will host 50 universities, UVU included, for the Region Eight festival. Students will compete in various categories including acting, design and technology and direction. Each university will perform one play in its entirety and a few selected scenes from other productions. This year, “Eurydice” will be performed while scenes from “Elephant’s Graveyard,” “Tea with Mint or Lemon,” “Short Attention Span Theater,” “Oklahoma!” and “Othello” will also be showcased.
Since the festival is invitation only, the opportunity alone to compete is quite an honor. This is not UVU’s first time going to regionals. In 2004, students competed with “Farewell to Eden,” in 2007 with “The Tempest,” in 2009 with “Nosferatu” and last year with “She Stoops to Conquer.”
“This is a big honor for us to be invited,” said theater professor Christopher Clark. “It speaks volumes about the theater department.”
UVU has never won the regional competition, though in 2009 “Nosferatu” was chosen as a national alternate. “This means it was the fifth best production in the country that year,” Clark said. When it comes to the performances, the judges are looking at everything from performance to design to directorial concept. “They want it to look and feel professional,” Clark said. “That’s what we strive for in our work.”
Although KCACTF is a competition with awards and potential scholarships on the line, students like to focus more on the festival aspect of the event. “Rather than just trying to beat a school or a particular production, we want this to be something that celebrates everyone’s work,” Clark said.
For more information , visit kcactf-8.org or kcactf.org.
By Kelly Cannon
Life Section Editor
