From The Center for the Arts at Salem State University
Five Salem State University theatre students won a total of nine awards at the 2021 Region 1 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF), which was held virtually, January 24 – 31. Awards were received in a range of categories including acting, scenic design, and lighting design. In addition, Salem State University won the Tech Trivia Championship overall, and will have the honor of running the Tech Olympics at the 2022 KCACTF Region 1 Festival. KCACTF Region 1 includes colleges and universities based in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Northeast New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Related Reading: “The Show Must Go On” at Salem State University
Salem State University award winners include:
Fernando Barbosa ’22, of Everett, received the New England Theater Conference (NETC) Best Comedic Actor Award.
Laura Chipman ’21, of Lynn, received a SILV Award, which includes an invitation to an intensive training program at The Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas.
Isaac Goldbaum ’22, of Amherst, received the Region 1 Achievement in Scenic Design Award, the Vectorworks Award, and a SILV Award, which includes an invitation to an intensive training program at The Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas. Goldbaum was also named Individual Tech Trivia Champion.
Rémani Lizana ’22, of Springfield, named Region 1 finalist for the National Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship and will compete at the KCACTF national festival in April. This is the third year in a row that a Salem State student has been named Region 1 acting finalist and advanced to the national festival.
Hunter A. Mountz ’21, of Leesport, Pennsylvania, received the Region 1 Excellence in Lighting Design Award, and will compete at the KCACTF national festival in April. This is also the third year in a row that a Salem State student has won the Region 1 lighting design award and advanced to the national festival. Mountz also received a SILV Award which includes an invitation to an intensive training program at The Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas, and an invitation to attend the USITT Virtual Conference in March.
“I am so proud of our very talented students and our wonderful professors who mentor them,” said Jerry L. Johnson, chair of the theatre and speech communication department at Salem State University. “Go Salem State Theatre!”
Established in 1969, the KCACTF is a national theater program that recognizes and celebrates the “finest and most diverse work produced in university and college theater programs” and involves 18,000 students annually. A leader and champion of the performing arts, “The KCACTF honors excellence of overall production and offers student artists individual recognition through awards and scholarships in playwriting, acting, criticism, directing, and design.”
About Salem State University
Salem State University, established in 1854, is a comprehensive, public institution of higher learning located approximately 15 miles north of Boston, Massachusetts. One of the largest state universities in the Commonwealth, Salem State enrolls about 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students. It offers 32 undergraduate programs and graduate programs that offer degrees in 24 fields. The university also has a continuing education division that offers both credit and non-credit programs. Known for the academic strength of its faculty, Salem State was named a Top Producer of U.S. Fulbright Scholars in 2011 and for the 2016-2017 academic year. The university is designated a Top College and University by Military Advanced Education and a Best for Vets College by Military Times. Salem State proudly participates in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement and has shown a student voting rate well above the national average, earning the university a gold seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
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