Theatre Faculty Honored in Kennedy Center Festival

A number of CSU Department of Theatre faculty members have been recognized by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in 2009. 

Recognized for Meritorious Achievement for Faculty Design were Professor Krystal Kennel for her Lighting Design of Senora Tortuga and Sound Design for Machinal, Professor Kimberly Manuel for her Scenic Designs of A Streetcar Named Desire and Cloud Nine, and Costume Designer Kimberly Garcia for her design of Senora Tortuga.

Two faculty directors were recognized for their work on three productions, Professor Larry McDonald for his direction of the fall production of A Streetcar Named Desire, and Dr. Becky Becker two times for her spring direction of Machinal and fall direction of Cloud Nine.

The Department of Theatre has a long track record of success at the regional conference, placing at least 2 students in the finals in each of the past five years. Last year, Theatre Majors Caroline Thrasher and James Pharr won the Region IV Irene Ryan competition, and travelled to Washington D.C. to work with renowned theatre professionals and Tony Award winners. Their week culminated in a Saturday night performance on the Kennedy Center stage.

Theatre Students Win Kennedy Center Festival Honors

Students of the CSU Department of Theatre continued their impressive run of Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival honors in 2009.

12 students were nominated for the prestigious Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship, and will compete at the Region IV Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for the chance to travel and compete for national honors at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in April.

In addition, the Department was recognized for student achievement in the following areas: Costume Design (2), Lighting Design, Sound Design, and Dramaturgy (2). Four students were recognized for achievement in Directing, and a total of five students were recognized for their work in Stage Management. Junior Dureyea Rashad Collier has been selected to compete for the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers fellowship at the Regional Conference.

Guitar Student Wins prize in North Carolina

Schwob School of Music student Donovan Butez was awarded 4th prize when the Music Academy of North Carolina hosted its 5th Annual Guitar Festival in November 2009. Over 40 students representing 25 cities and 12 states participated in the competition. Masterclasses were held with faculty clinicians Mark Mazzatenta and Wolfgang Planz, and guest clinicians Jason Vieaux, Patrick Lui, and Brett Parnell and Geremy Shulick of Threefifty Duo.

Guitar Students Excel in Mississippi Festival

Two CSU music students from Professor Andrew Zohn's guitar studio won prizes in the 2009 Mississippi Guitar Festival held at Southern Mississippi University. David Sigler won first prize in the Intermediate Competition, and Arash Noori won the second in the Advanced Competition. David is a freshman, Bachelor of Music Performance major from Fort Walton Beach, Florida; Arash is an Artist Diploma student from Canada. The Mississippi Guitar Festival is Mississippi’s collegiate classical guitar conference open to pre-college and college-level students.

CSU Music Students Shine at MTNA Competition

Congratulations to Schwob School of Music students who competed in the MTNA competition in November. Winners go on to compete in the MTNA Southern Regional Competition, to be held in Birmingham in January 2010. Alternates (one per category) go on to the Regional if the winner cannot.

First place winners in the Senior Performance Division (ages 15-18) were Kory Baggarley, flute student of Professor Andrée Martin and Coraine Tate, voice student of Professor Earl Coleman.

First place winners in the Young Artist Competition (ages 19-26) were Leslie Thompson, flute student of Professor Andrée Martin; Nick Wheeler, composition student of Professor Fred Cohen; Jing Yang, violin student of Professor Sergiu Schwartz; and Huan Yang, piano student of Professor Gila Goldstein.

Alternates were Shaun Branam, trumpet student of Professor Robert Murray; Brady Richards, clarinet student of Professor Lisa Oberlander; and Sara Beth Shealy, viola student of Professor Maureen Gallagher.

Fort Foundation awards major grant to Art Department

A $70,000 grant from the Mildred Miller Fort Foundation was awarded to the CSU Department of Art to ensure world-class exhibitions and a Visiting Artist and Scholars Residency Program. The program, now in its second year, has had hundreds of applications from artists interested in participating in the program.

Art Dept. Hosts Amos Eminent Scholar in Latin American Studies

CSU art students led by Pepon Osorio created works of art in individual community homes as a community service oriented class called “Art and the Community”. The Department of Art and Center for International Education hosted Osorio as the spring 2009 Elena Diaz-Verson Amos Eminent Scholar in Latin American Studies.