Maquella Chacon
Staff Writer
The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) is a national theatrical festival, held in various regions of the country throughout the year.
This year, 16 students and five faculty members from ISU are attending the festival for KCACTF’s region seven. This region includes colleges and universities from Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming and Montana, as well as parts of California and Nevada.
It is being held at the University of Oregon from Feb. 18 to Feb. 22. The events of the festival will take place throughout their performance facilities, primarily in the Erb Memorial Union Building.
KCACTF was started by Roger L. Stevens in 1969, with the goal of building and monitoring collegiate theater programs across the country.
The festival provides opportunities to students for growth and encourages productions at participating universities. Annually, 400,000 students compete nationally in the various regional festivals.
“This festival is a wonderful way to bring more exposure and recognition to the great work that’s happening in the ISU theatre program,” said ISU theatre professor Vanessa Ballam.
Throughout the academic year, the theatre program will participate in several conferences, as well as organizing four productions.
The festival gives students an opportunity to interact with industry professionals they might otherwise never meet, living in Pocatello. Theatre student Annette Thelin said she is looking forward to finding contacts for job opportunities and getting her name out to other people in the field.
“I feel that KCACTF is vital for our students,” Ballam said. “It allows them to broaden their horizons beyond Pocatello, for future job opportunities, for scholarships, to receive additional training and to have an understanding of the art that’s being created at other institutions in our region.”
KCACTF also provides opportunities for scholarships and the chance to audition for job opportunities with well-known theatre companies.
Some ISU theatre students will be competing in the festival’s Irene Ryan acting competition. This competition allows them to showcase their skills and have a chance to win a scholarship.
They will also have opportunities to audition for musical theatre scholarships.
Participants are encouraged to make connections at the festival that could benefit them throughout their career.
“It is a great recruiting tool,” Ballam said, “allowing our students to have a regional and national experience to share work, compete, train and also interact with schools and students from around the nation.”
Master classes, workshops and other opportunities to learn new skills are offered during the week, in addition to the acting, technical theatre, and playwriting competitions.
All aspects of theatre are included in the events of the festival.
The regional festival being attended by ISU students is one of eight in the nation. A national festival will be held for regional finalists later in the year. The national festival will be held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
“[It’s] a whole week of straight theatre,” said ISU theatre student and festival competitor Hannah Romney. “You get to do and see whatever you want to do, an incredible opportunity.”
