Students, university recognized at regional theater festival

HUNTINGTON, Ind. Numerous Huntington University students and faculty were recognized during their January-term

Amber-Dawn Katulic presents her bed design, construction and execution for "Once Upon a Mattress" at the KCACTF 2012 Allied Design and Technologies.

Ashley Pifer presents her design, collaboration and renderings of "The Birds" at the KCACTF 2012 Design Storm competition.

Kendra Kendall presents her scenic art for "Once Upon a Mattress" at the KCACTF 2012 Allied Design and Technologies.

trip to the regional Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.

The KCACTF is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide which has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States.

This year, 13 students and theater faculty attended the regional KCACTF during Jan. 3-7, which includes colleges and universities from Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and selected western parts of Ohio.

At the festival, HU students attended workshops, viewed high quality regional theatrical productions and competed in design and acting competitions as well as competitions in dramaturgy and playwriting.

"KCACTF covers a wide gamut of events, and every year we have students coming back with merits and recognitions honoring the work they do at Huntington in our theater department," said Jay Duffer, assistant professor of theater arts at HU. "Every student that has gone in the past has gained so much valuable insight into theater."

Recognitions for Huntington University and students included:

• Amber-Dawn Katulic, a senior theater design and technology major from Winter Garden, Fla., and Kendra Kendall, a senior theater design and technology major from Mount Vernon, Ind., competed in the Allied Technical Theatre Competition and submitted realized designs for Properties and Scenic Painting, respectively. Katulic advanced to the final round of competition with her elaborate and whimsy design of the 20-mattressed bed for the Huntington University production of "Once Upon a Mattress."
• Three costumes from the fall HU production of "Once Upon a Mattress" were selected to be highlighted in the costume parade at the festival a first for the university. The selection committee chooses eight to 10 productions throughout the region to showcase excellence in costume design and execution. Mary Zellers, HU costume designer and costume shop supervisor, along with her dedicated group of student workers in the costume shop, are to be commended for their hard work and wonderful designs, Duffer said.
• Ashley Pifer, a junior theater design and technology major from Sylvania, Ohio, competed in Design Storm which is a competition where students have only a few days to design a non-realized production of a preselected play. Pifer took on the roles of both scene designer and make-up design for "The Birds" by Aristophanes.
• Three students participated, along with their scene partners, in the Irene Ryan acting competition. The Irene Ryan nominees from HU were Meagan Heffner, a senior theater performance major from Reading, Pa.; Breana Balliet, a senior theater performance major from Kahoka, Mo.; and Dom Corsoe, a junior graphic design major from Williamstown, N.J. All three performed well but did not pass through to the semifinal round.
• Jonathan Hicks, HU assistant professor of theater, presented a workshop titled "Color and Light" to more than 30 students interested in lighting design for the stage while Duffer continued his role as an Indiana State Judge in the preliminary round of the Irene Ryan Acting competition.