Parker panelist at Live Design Institute

Scott Parker, Technical Director of the Department of Theatre, will moderate the third annual LDI Portfolio Review at Live Design Institute 2010, held at the University of Nevada - Las Vegas. Young professionals will receive critiques and career advice from lighting, sound, and projection professionals.

Vocal student finalist in Atlanta Symphony Competition

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Turner Classic Movies today announced that CSU student Joseph Brewer is one of three finalists for the “Atlanta Symphony Songster 2010” amateur vocal competition. Their YouTube.com video-entries are currently available at http://atlantasymphony.org/songsterfinalists. Finalists will sing “Over the Rainbow” with the Orchestra prior to the start of the The Wizard of Oz concert on Saturday, August 14, 2010 — the competition will also be streamed live on UStream.com. Audience members will select the winner by text message or by online voting. Winners will be announced at intermission of the concert by Ben Mankiewicz of Turner Classic Movies.

Joseph has studied voice with Kimberly Cone for five years. He performs with theatre companies around the region, including such roles including Jack in Into the Woods, Papageno in The Magic Flute, and Rusty Charlie in Guys and Dolls. Other shows include The Music Man, Oklahoma, Bye Bye Birdie, and Once Upon a Mattress. When not on stage, Mr. Brewer works at St Luke United Methodist Church in Columbus as a staff singer and accompanist, playing piano and organ, and the Springer Opera House, where he recently finished teaching Musical Theatre at the Springer Summer Academy. Mr. Brewer has said he is thankful to have the opportunity to be reunited with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra – many years ago he performed with the Orchestra as a boy soprano.

Theatre Students Capture Acting Honors Second Year in a Row

CSU junior Edward Zaboroskie and his acting partner Ansley Selman have won the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region 4 Irene Ryan acting competition, and will travel to Washington DC on April 18th to compete for the national title. This is the second year in a row that CSU Theatre students have captured this award, the highest collegiate acting award in the country. The Region 4 competition draws students from Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. Of the thousands of participants in college productions in these states, nearly five hundred graduate and undergraduate students were nominated for the acting competition for their superior work in college productions, including twelve from Columbus State.

Nominees select an acting partner and perform two scenes, as well as a song or a monologue. After the preliminary auditions, 32 pairs of semi-finalists are selected. Also making the semifinals this year was CSU Senior Carrie Poh, who partnered with Caleb Lawton. The semi-finals reduce the number of competitors to sixteen pairs, and two pairs of students are selected as regional winners at the final audition. Zaboroskie has the unique accomplishment of being nominated twice, for his performances in The Cripple of Inishmaan directed by CSU Theatre Professor Larry McDonald and Senora Tortuga, directed by Professor Brenda May Ito.

Zaboroskie and Selman will represent CSU at the national festival in April. They will receive an all expense paid trip to Washington DC where they will participate in workshops and seminars with tony-award winning directors, authors and playwrights. On Saturday, April 18th, they will perform on the Kennedy Center stage for a chance to win the national title.