Students and Faculty Win Kennedy Theatre Festival Honors

BW Theatre students attending the KCACTF in Cleveland’s PlayhouseSquare

BW students took home several honors at the recent Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region 2. More than 1,200 theatre students, faculty and professionals from nine states attended the festival, swarming venues at PlayhouseSquare in Cleveland, the country’s largest performing arts center outside of New York.

Joey Corradi ’16, a theatre-acting major, was nominated to participate in the Irene Ryan Acting Competition for his performance in ROMEO & JULIET. Out of 236 nominated actors, he made it to the final round of 16 and was honored with the Festival’s Classical Acting Award. His scene partner was Kelsey Baehrens '17, and BW Theatre & Dance Department chair, Adam Heffernan, was his acting coach.

Dayne Sundman ’15 a theatre-stage management major, and Brandon Romano ’15, an English major/theatre minor, were named as first alternates for the Institute in Theatre Journalism and Advocacy Award. Dayne and Brandon attended all the invited productions during the festival and wrote reviews under the guidance of The Plain Dealer's Andrea Simakis and region faculty.

Additional honors that were announced prior to the opening of the festival include a Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Directing to Adam Heffernan for BW's production of ROMEO & JULIET and a Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Costumes to the ROMEO & JULIET costume team of Charlotte Yetman (Faculty/Costume Designer), Melanie Boeman (Costume Shop Manager) and theatre major Molly Huey ’16 (Assistant to the Designer).

Adam Heffernan, Joey Corradi '16 and Kelsey Baehrens '17 in the Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square