September_CollegeNews24

THEATRE Acting, Musical Theatre, Per formance and Production, Teacher Certif ication in Theatre, Technical Production, & Theatre FACULTY ACCOLADES Leigh’Ann Andrews was the Stage Manager for Beautiful: the Carole King Musical at ZACHTheatre this July-September. [1] Amanda McCorkle was awarded the Presidential Excellence Award for Service at Texas State University. Tobie Minor opened Arcadia as Bernard Nightingale at the Austin Playhouse and Equity House in Austin. Bryan Poyser completed production of his new feature film Leads this summer. The comedy-drama was shot on the Texas State campus and in Austin and stars Heather Kafka ( The Leftovers) , Justin Arnold ( Scenes from the Suburbs) , Macon Blair ( Oppenheimer) and Sara Paxton ( Aquamarine) and includes 50+ Texas State students, alumni and faculty in major roles in front of and behind the camera. The film was screened in August as part of the Austin Film Society’s Works-in-Progress program and was awarded an Austin Film Society Grant for post- production, out of nearly 100 applications. The film is currently being completed for a film festival premiere in early 2025. Bryan Poyser’s award-winning short film Don't You Go Nowhere won the Best Short Film in Texas Award at the ATX Short Film Showcase Best of the Year Showcase, where it was also nominated for 4 other awards: Best Director, Best Dramatic Short, Best Cinematography and Best Dramatic Lead Performance. Colin Shay was the Technical Director for a second summer season at Colorado Shakespeare Festival 2024 summer season. Caitlin Turnage was named the National Playwriting Program Vice Chair for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region 6. 1 2 3 STUDENT ACCOLADES Mackenzie Anderson went to the International Thespian Festival (ITF) this summer at the University of Indiana in Bloomington and got a perfect score in Duet Musical Theatre, earning a Thespy award. [2] Brendan Behm opened Grease as Eugene in early June at Casa Mañana in Ft. Worth. Kevin Bowman and Caleb Sporrer opened 9to5 and Gypsy at Music Theatre Wichita early this summer. Mia Kaplan is one of the leads of Empire Waist a new film about body positivity that premiers this fall. Ramiyah Brooks was a Production Assistant for BigCreativeProductions from June to August 2024. Kate Herlihy was selected as the playwright for Marion Art Center's incubator development program for the 2024-2025 year for her full-length play, Jab . Two current Bobcats Alyssa Hurtado and Kathleen McDowell opened Arcadia at the Austin Playhouse and Equity House in Austin. Alyssa is stepping into the role of Thomasina Coverly and Kathleen served as the assistant director to the production. Cade Huslig was a carpenter for the Colorado Shakespeare Festival's 2024 summer season. Ella Jackson was the Production Assistant on wardrobe crew for Beautiful: the Carole King Musical at ZACH Theatre this July-September. Quinn Kent was a carpenter for Maples Repertory Theatre's 2024 summer season. Lacy Kohen opened in Newsies at Interlakes Theatre this July. Simone Straub-Clark and Christian Dorey stepped into the roles of Hattie and Paul in Kiss Me Kate at Wagon Wheel Professional Theatre this June. They also were in the cast of Beauty and the Beast in early June. Austin Riley opened up Anything Goes at the Woodstock Playhouse. Eric Shawn opened South Pacific at Godspeed Musicals this June. Abigail Thompson’s original TV series pilot titled You Have To Break A Few Eggs advanced to the second round screenplay competition in the 2024 Austin Film Festival. [3] Mckenlee Wilson opened Spring Awakening at the Flint Repertory Theatre as Wendell Bergman in early June. Aiden Valentine opened Rock of Ages at the San Antonio Broadway Theatre in late May. ALUMNI ACCOLADES Alex Aponte , Madeline Bourgeois , and Cameron Sirian opened Newsies at Theatre Under the Stars in Houston in late May. Taylor Aronson played Polly Baker in Crazy For You at Ogunquit Playhouse this June. Jacob Burns opened the world premier of Gatsby: An American Myth at the American Repertory Theatre in late May. Lu Chavez starred as Luisa in the world premier of The Turnaway Play by Lesley Lisa Greene at the Kitchen Theatre Company. Chris Clark stepped into the role of Tommy DeVito Jersey Boys in May at the North Shore Music Theatre. Paola Cortes was invited to participate in the Production Designers Gathering's special Educators Day. She will be flying to Greece in October to attend this gathering and further their education in production design. Ruben Cruz & Daphne Curran were the Assistant Stage Managers for Beautiful: the Carole King Musical at ZACHTheatre this July-September. Jordan Faniel's short film Imposter won Best Screenplay at the ATX Shorts Best of the Year Showcase in August 2024. Chance Friedman played Motel in Fiddler on the Roof at Shenandoah Music Theatre this June. Beau Harmon was featured dancing in the movie If which opened in theatres this past summer. Beau was also seen in early may in the previews for Death Becomes Her at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. 18 | September | College News College of Fine Arts and Communication | 19 Leigh’Ann Andrews was the Stage Manager for Beautiful: the Carole King Musical at ZACH Theatre this July-September Mackenzie Anderson went to the International Thespian Festival (ITF) this summer at the University of Indiana in Bloomington and got a perfect score Abigail Thompson's original TV series pilot titled You Have To Break A Few Eggs advanced to the second round in the 2024 Austin Film Festival