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Kennedy Center Recognizes UCM Theatre and Dance Students, Faculty
By Jeff Murphy, January 26, 2022
WARRENSBURG, MO – At the same time preparations for Spring 2022 stage productions
are underway, Theatre and Dance students and faculty at the University of Central
Missouri are being recognized for excellence in multiple areas by the Region V Kennedy
Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF).
During the virtual festival, Jan. 16-22, Charlotte Sipple, a senior Bachelor of Fine
Arts in Musical Theatre major, was selected as a semi-finalist in the Musical Theatre
Intensive. Luke Habjan, a junior BFA Design/Technology major; TiJhana Hines, a sophomore
BFA Musical Theatre major; and Jace Nielsen, a junior BFA Theatre Performance major,
all advanced to the semi-finalist round of the Irene Ryan Acting Competition. Nielsen
and his partner, junior BFA Theatre Performance major Ryan Foster, also advanced to
the Final Round of the Irene Ryan competition among the top 16 college performers
from 185 competitors.
Student and faculty directors, designers, technical directors, and stage managers
also received Meritorious Achievement Awards on Sunday night during the opening ceremony.
For UCM’s Spring 2021 production of “Spotlight,” recent graduates Tony Smith and Caitlin
Whitehead were recognized for Assistant Direction; senior BFA Theatre Design/Technology
major Madison Skiljan was recognized for Stage Management; and senior BFA Theatre
Design/Technology major Kelsi Richardson earned recognition for Lighting Design. For
the Fall 2021 UCM production of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,”
Madison Skiljan was recognized in the area of Stage Mmanagement, and Assistant Professor
of Costume Design Jennifer Van Buskirk was recognized for Costume Design. The production
of “Elf The Musical” led to awards for senior Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education
student Ryann Hill in Stage Management and senior BFA Theatre Design/Technology student
Seth Holts for Technical Direction. Faculty member Dr. Aaron Scully was honored for
his adaptation of “Oedipus” performed at State Fair Community College in Sedalia last
spring. Additionally, TiJhana Hines was selected to the KCACTF Region V Student Advisory
Board, and sophomore BFA Theatre Design/Technology major Allison Winsby received regional
first-place recognition for Makeup Design in the play, “The Curious Incident of the
Dog in the Night-Time.”
During the Region V virtual festival in January 2021, UCM Theatre and Dance had two
productions, “Iconic” and “Tilikum,” selected for presentation. While UCM Theatre
and Dance received several national Kennedy Center recognitions for these productions
in April 2021, it was recently announced that they received additional national awards
in November 2021. For the UCM production of “Iconic,” presented outdoors in October
2020 at the Audrey J. Walton Stadium, recent graduate Valerie Ruggle was recognized
for Distinguished Achievement in Performance and recent graduate Ally Fields was honored
for Distinguished Achievement in Stage Management. The director of the production,
Chair of Theatre and Dance Ashley Miller-Scully, was awarded Distinguished Achievement
in Direction. The entire company of the production was awarded Distinguished Achievement
in Student-Centered Experience. The Creative Team for the UCM Theatre and Dance production
of “Tilikum,” originally presented virtually in October 2020, received Distinguished
Achievement in Production Design honors, and recent alumna Caitlin Whitehead received
Distinguished Achievement recognition in Stage Management.
In announcing the awards, KCACTF Artistic Director Gregg Henry cited colleges and
universities were at the vanguard of innovation in the field of theatre amid the pandemic.
He noted, “In this time of national strife, great losses, and fracture, it’s both
gratifying and heartening to see the principles of innovation, ensemble and collaboration
deployed to such great effect.”
Click here to learn more about Theatre and Dance academic opportunities and upcoming productions.