BSC Theatre wins two merit awards at regional competition

[Piehl, Marnie]

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Marnie Piehl, PR & Communications Manager
Bismarck State College
marnie...@bismarckstate.edu
701-224-5699 or 701-220-2704

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 5, 2013

 

BSC Theatre wins two merit awards at regional competition

 

Bismarck State College Theatre came away with two merit awards for work submitted to the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival competition held Jan. 20-26 in Lincoln, Neb.

 

Judges who viewed the BSC fall production of “Dancing at Lughnasa” awarded Dean Bellin, assistant professor of technical theatre, with a Certificate of Merit in outstanding scenic and lighting design for the show.

 

Ashley Kramer, a sophomore in the Graphic Design and Communications program from Bismarck, received the other Certificate of Merit for her poster design depicting “Dancing at Lughnasa.” The poster was a collaborative effort between the Graphic Design and Theatre Arts programs.

 

Sixteen theater students attended the festival with Bellin and BSC Theatre Director Dan Rogers. Students participated in a range of theater craft workshops, master classes and seminars and saw showings of plays by other colleges and universities from a six-state area.

 

At the festival, Brandon Wetch, Bismarck, and Nathan Kurtti, Mandan, appeared in showcase productions that were cast, rehearsed and performed during the festival.

 

BSC was the defending regional champion in the Stage Crew Showdown, but fell just shy of making the finals after scoring high in three of four competition categories. Cody Walker, a team member last year from Bismarck, anchored the crew that included newcomers Cody Schirado, Bismarck; Heather Pearson, Wilton; and Dylan Leland, Sidney, Mont.

 

Four BSC students earned nominations for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship audition from ACTF judges who saw “Lughnasa” and the December production of “The Movie Game.” Competing among a record 325 audition contestants were Allison DeKrey, Bismarck, Shelby Johnson, Mandan (“Lughnasa”), and Dakota Stein and Mercer Sage of Bismarck (“The Movie Game”).

 

Each prepared a monologue and two scenes for the scholarship audition that included non-competing scene partners Brandon Wetch and Alaina Kloster of Bismarck. For the first time, a BSC audition nominee worked with a student from another school. Nathan Amberg from Dickinson State University partnered with Dakota Stein. The duo worked with coaches from both colleges and did some rehearing via Skype.

 

The American College Theater Festival is comprised of eight regional festivals that offer theater craft training and present the best plays and talent in each region. The program, run by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., also recognizes excellence with awards and scholarships. Colleges in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa make up Region V.

# # #

About Bismarck State College

Bismarck State College, an innovative community college in Bismarck, N.D., offers high quality education, workforce training, and enrichment programs reaching local and global communities. For more information visit www.bismarckstate.edu.