Theatre Design Students Advance to Kennedy Center National Festival

Two Department of Theatre & Dance students will represent the University of Kansas in April at the national Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) in Washington, D.C., following their recent KCACTF-Region V competition. 
 
Hana Rose North, a sophomore in theatre design from Salina, earned a National Sound Design award for Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties. Edmund Ludlum, a senior in theatre design and history of art from Topeka, earned a National Costume Design award for Cabaret and a Representation, Equity, and Diversity Principles in Design award. 
 
Outstanding work from the Department was also recognized through 13 regional commendations, which were all tied to fully realized University Theatre productions in 2023. The following is a list of those commendations.
 
For the production of Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties by Jen Silverman
- Cast for Ensemble Performance
- Hana Rose North for Sound Design
- Kennedy Tolar, a junior theatre student from Tulsa, Oklahoma, for Stage Management
 
Cabaret by John Kander and Fred Ebb
- Cast for Ensemble Performance
- Edmund Ludlum for Costume Design
- Jonah Greene, a PhD candidate in Theatre Studies, for Dramaturgy
- Leah Mazur, a guest artist, alum, and area head of the BFA in Design and Technology for the Department of Theatre & Dance at the University of Texas-Arlington, for Scenic Design
 
Love and Information by Caryl Churchill
- Jonah Greene for Dramaturgy
- Sara Baird, a MFA in scenography student from Tulsa, Oklahoma, for Lighting Design
- Kieran Spears, a recent alum from Lawrence, for Sound Design
 
Milking Christmas: A New Musical written by Friend Dog Studios and Ryan McCall
- Connor L. Maloney, a junior theatre design student from Wichita, for Stage Management
- Brad Mathewson, a freelance writer and recent alum, for Dramaturgy & Lobby Design
- Tara Leigh Burgat, a senior dance student and freelance choreographer and performer based in Kansas City, for choreography
 
“We’re extremely proud of our students’ talent and hard-work,” said Henry Bial, Chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance. “These achievements—the latest in a long-line of regional and national recognitions for KU—also highlight the outstanding education and mentorship provided by our faculty and staff."
 
“Getting to share in the growth of the students is always a treat. This conference gives them a chance to receive feedback on their work and experience workshops from professionals outside of our region. They leave the conference with a new understanding of how to achieve their goals and a new sense of how their work speaks to other artists,” said Kelly Vogel, Head of Scenography and Associate Teaching Professor in the Department.
 
The KCACTF-Region V annual conference and awards took place January 2024 in Des Moines, Iowa. Region V includes Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. At various times during 2023, representatives of KCACTF came to Lawrence to judge the submitted plays and provide responses. KCACTF is a national theatre program created through the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which celebrates excellence in university and college theatre programs.