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ISU Theatre students and faculty earned top honors at the regional Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF), held January 22-28 in Des Moines.

Emily Oldham, Iowa State senior in performing arts and mechanical engineering, is the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) Region 5 national finalist in stage management. Oldham will represent Iowa State this April as the top Region 5 stage manager at the national festival held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

KCACTF is a national organization affiliated with the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. The organization celebrates and encourages excellence in college and university theatre across the country. KCACTF’s Region 5 includes Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas and Missouri. 75 different colleges and universities were represented at this year’s regional festival with over 1,300 students and faculty in attendance.

In addition to Oldham, numerous Iowa State students and faculty also received honors and awards at the festival:

• Jackson Newhouse, senior in performing arts – Honorable Mention and Innovative Use of Technology awards for his Design Expo entry for ISU Theatre’s fall 2022 production of “Night of the Living Dead”
• Stephanie McClelland, junior in performing arts and entrepreneurship – First Place in Tech Olympics
• Bobbie Buie, sophomore in performing arts and English – First Place in Tech Olympics
• Alex Harrell, sophomore performing arts major – Tech Olympics Safety award
• Morgan Reetz, fall 2022 graduate in performing arts – Musical Theatre Intensive finalist
• Reily Harker, junior in advertising – Musical Theatre Intensive finalist
• Elise Cameron, fall 2022 graduate in performing arts – Musical Theatre Intensive semi-finalist
• Samuel McDaniel, sophomore in performing arts – Musical Theatre Intensive semi-finalist
• Kaitlyn Meylor, senior in performing arts – Musical Theatre Intensive semi-finalist
• Brandon Schumann, junior in performing arts – Musical Theatre Intensive semi-finalist
• Morgan Wolfe, senior in public relations – Musical Theatre Intensive semi-finalist
• Dane Singer, senior in performing arts – cast member for the National Playwriting Program’s Region 5 Ten-Minute Play Festival

Kelly Schaefer, teaching professor of theatre, displayed her costumes for “Night of the Living Dead” during the invitation-only Region 5 Costume Parade. Cason Murphy, assistant professor of theatre, received the Region 5 Outstanding Teaching Award. Brad Dell, chair of the Department of Music and Theatre, was recognized for serving as the festival host.

The following students and faculty also were honored with KCACTF Certificates of Merit for their work on 2022 ISU Theatre productions:

• Alex Brown, fall 2022 graduate in performing arts – assistant stage management for “One-Act Play Festival”
• Joseph Cave, senior in performing arts – sound design for “Polaroid Stories”
• Will Coeur, resident lighting designer and production manager – scenic design for “Polaroid Stories” and projection design for “BABA”
• Natalie Hining, former ISU Theatre staff – project design for “BABA”
• Hannah Johnson, senior in construction engineering – lighting design for “Polaroid Stories”
• Stephanie McClelland, senior in performing arts – stage management for “One-Act Play Festival” and “Night of the Living Dead”
• Jackson Newhouse, senior in performing arts – lighting design for “Night of the Living Dead”
• Grant Tetmeyer, fall 2022 graduate in performing arts – playwriting and direction for “One-Act Play Festival”

Dell is the national KCACTF vice-chair and past chair of KCACTF Region 5. Schaefer is the Region 5 hospitality coordinator and past chair of design, technology, and management for Region 5.