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Several Johnson State College students performed at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Region I Festival held Jan. 29- Feb. 2 at Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts.
Jess Silva, Eric Hill and Josh Puopolo were nominated for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship. These students were nominated by adjudicators who attended “Big Love” in November.
Each of these students will perform with a partner. Scene partners included Jenn Lindsay, Lauren Chapman and Zach Boykins.
“Well, ACTF went well and it’s been a great experience,” said Puopolo, who played Nikos in the production of “Big Love”. “There are so many awesome workshops to attend. Plus, there are many student productions to watch, which are really intense and are truly worthwhile.”
During the week, the six JSC students worked with the Living Theater, the “Grand-daddy of Avant Garde,” according to Professor of Fine and Performing Arts F. Reed Brown. “Working with the Living Theater is, by theater standards, pretty monumental,”he said.
The students will be performing a mini-show they thought up with the help of the Living Theater workshop leaders.
It is entitled “A Day in the Life of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival: February 2, 2008”
“It’s like a street show, that’s what ‘Living Theater’ is,” said Puopolo. “It can be done anywhere...it’s all improv and experimental.”
From left: Eric Hill, Zach Boykins, Josh Puopolo, Jenn Lindsay, Jess Silva, Lauren Chapman
photo by F. Reed Brown
Having made it to the semi-finals with his partner Zach Boykins, Silva was the first JSC student to make it to round two.
Two hundred pairs of actors competed for 36 spots in the semis. despite the auspcious beginning, Silva and Boykins were eliminated due to going over the time constraints.
Amber Couture, Nic Balkum, and Jeremy LaClair also attended the festival.
Couture was nominated for the Stage Management award. Balkum and LaClair were both nominated for Barbazon Technical Awards for their light and projection work for “Big Love”.
“Big Love” received a Merit Award from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival as the most Cohesive Ensemble in New England.
This is award is not given every year, but is awarded when judges feel that a show has gone above and beyond “ordinary” to “extraordinary.”
Brown directed “Big Love” in Dibden Center last fall.