April_CollegeNewsFinal2

28 | April & May | College News Ella Jackson (Technical Production ‘24) was ASM at ZACH Theatre for What the Constitution Means to Me and Stage Man- ager at Alchemy Theatre this spring. Ella Jackson (Technical Production ‘24) will be Dresser at ZACH Theatre for Waitress and Wizard of Oz this summer. Kelsey Nelson (Technical Production’23) was promoted to Resident Stage Manager and Production Coordinator at MagickTheatre in San Antonio. She Stage Managed Elephant and Piggie's, We Are In A Play and ¡Lotería: Game On! this spring. Kelsey Nelson (Technical Production’23) will be Stage Man- aging Dragon's Love Tacos at Magik Theatre in San Antonio this summer. Jack Roark (Technical Production '24) will serve as Assistant Technical Director at Colorado Shakespeare Festival in Boul- der, Colorado this summer. DEPARTMENT ACCOLADES Bryan Poyser’s feature film LEADS will have its world pre- miere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival in New York City in June. The comedy-drama about an acting teacher and her volatile younger brother who joins her acting class was shot on the Texas State campus and in Austin last year and included 50+ Texas State students, alumni and faculty in major roles in front of and behind the camera, including producer Taylor Wright (Film Concentration ‘21) and actors Aaliyah Tardio (Theatre & Acting ‘23), Wade Smith (P&P ‘25), Tyra Williams (Film Concentration ‘22), Kat Adams (Acting ‘23), Ethan Cruz (P&P ‘25), Jordan Faniel (Film Concentration ‘23), Jordan Jarvis (Film Concentration ‘24) and Evan Marsh (Film Con- centration ‘25). LEADS will screen 4 times at the festival and is one of 12 films in the US Narrative Feature Competition, where it will compete for prizes like Best Feature, Best Perfor- mance, Best Screenplay & Best Cinematography. [10-12] KC/ACTF WINNERS 2025 Design, Technology, and Management: National Finalist, KCACTF Award for Theatrical Design Excel- lence in Sound: Catherine Kenner - Small Mouth Sounds National Finalist, KCACTF Award for Theatrical Design Excel- lence in Lighting: AJ Rose - Small Mouth Sounds National Finalist, KCACTF Award for Theatrical Design Excel- lence in Costume: Michael Aguilar - Oh To Be Pure Again National Finalist, KCACTF Award for Theatrical Design Excel- lence in Scenic: Emma Bayless - Our Town 10 11 12 The cast and crew of LEADS at the Performing Arts Center Ethan Cruz, Justin Arnold, and Kat Adams in LEADS at Live Oak Hall soundstage Bryan Poyser's film LEADS will have its world pre- miere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival in New York City in June