Drama students prepare for prestigious festival
Roya Ghorbani-Elizeh
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Living
The biggest little city in the world is about to have some drama. The UP theatre department is sending roughly 40 students and faculty to the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Reno, Nev.
On Jan. 29, the actors in the Irene Ryan Audition/Acting Competition performed their scenes in a showcase, which allowed for the students to see each other's work and to be critiqued by faculty.
Their work will then be shown from Feb. 15-19 as the 26 UP students will compete in the Irene Ryan competition in Reno. Along with the actors in the acting competition, the cast of "Servant of Two Masters" by Carlo Goldoni will be going to Reno.
"Servant of Two Masters," which was performed last semester and directed by graduate student Michael O'Neill, was one of four plays to be chosen to perform at ACTF.
"From what I hear, 450 shows compete for those spots," O'Neill said. "It's such a great honor to go and it's such a huge honor for the school."
Thirteen cast members will travel to Reno to perform two shows of "Servant of Two Masters." Some members of the cast of the commedia-style show will also compete in the Irene Ryan competition.
"It's a lot of pressure, but I hope I gave them the impression that they could do no wrong," O'Neill said. "They can do this show in their sleep."
The last UP show that was invited to perform at ACTF was the 2006 production of "Getting Out," by Marsha Norman.
The showcase allowed for students to perform their two scenes and one monologue for their peers as well as an audience of faculty, friends and family.
"They always surprise me," Mindi Logan, acting professor, said about the performances last Friday. "They are just so good."
While Logan noted the times of each scene, the actors found the showcase to be a good dress rehearsal before the competition.
"It was important for us to perform our scenes in front of an audience," junior nominee Sammi Boyd said. "We were looking to see that the reactions from the audience were the ones we were looking for."
On Jan. 29, the actors in the Irene Ryan Audition/Acting Competition performed their scenes in a showcase, which allowed for the students to see each other's work and to be critiqued by faculty.
Their work will then be shown from Feb. 15-19 as the 26 UP students will compete in the Irene Ryan competition in Reno. Along with the actors in the acting competition, the cast of "Servant of Two Masters" by Carlo Goldoni will be going to Reno.
"Servant of Two Masters," which was performed last semester and directed by graduate student Michael O'Neill, was one of four plays to be chosen to perform at ACTF.
"From what I hear, 450 shows compete for those spots," O'Neill said. "It's such a great honor to go and it's such a huge honor for the school."
Thirteen cast members will travel to Reno to perform two shows of "Servant of Two Masters." Some members of the cast of the commedia-style show will also compete in the Irene Ryan competition.
"It's a lot of pressure, but I hope I gave them the impression that they could do no wrong," O'Neill said. "They can do this show in their sleep."
The last UP show that was invited to perform at ACTF was the 2006 production of "Getting Out," by Marsha Norman.
The showcase allowed for students to perform their two scenes and one monologue for their peers as well as an audience of faculty, friends and family.
"They always surprise me," Mindi Logan, acting professor, said about the performances last Friday. "They are just so good."
While Logan noted the times of each scene, the actors found the showcase to be a good dress rehearsal before the competition.
"It was important for us to perform our scenes in front of an audience," junior nominee Sammi Boyd said. "We were looking to see that the reactions from the audience were the ones we were looking for."
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