[321] MTSU STUDENTS SCORE TOP HONORS AT REGIONAL THEATER FESTIVAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 25, 2009
CONTACT: Jeff Gibson, Department of Speech and Theatre, 615-898-5916

MTSU STUDENTS SCORE TOP HONORS AT REGIONAL THEATER FESTIVAL

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU students and faculty recently participated in the Region IV Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, bringing home several awards.
Held Feb. 3-8, MTSU students presented original works during the festival, including “Fathers,” written by Brandon Gwinn, a recent MTSU graduate, who won the Region IV Short Play Award at last year’s festival.
“As a winning play, we were asked to mount the show as a full production for presentation at this year’s festival,” said Professor Jeff Gibson, speech and theatre. “The play was directed by Professor Crosby Hunt and featured several MTSU students. (It) was well received by the festival audience and received positive response from the national respondents who provided feedback to the cast and crew afterward.”
MTSU student Jesse Cannady was recognized at this year’s festival for “Distinguished Achievement in Directing” through his involvement in the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers’ Student Directing Fellowship program.
“We had amazing success in student playwriting awards—again!” exclaimed Gibson, who serves as the chairman for KCACTF Region IV. “We have a long history of bringing home awards in playwriting from the regional and national festivals … (and) thanks to the incredible teaching and mentorship of Professor Deborah Anderson, we have done it yet again, but this time in almost sweeping fashion.”
Additional MTSU speech and theatre student winners at the Region IV event are listed below.

• David L. Shelton Full-Length Student Playwriting Award, presented to MTSU student Josh Ginsburg for “Ladybug.”
• Region IV Short Play Awards, presented to students Josh Ginsburg for “Shards of Glass” and David Bennett for “Portrait of A Mother and Son.”• Region IV 10-Minute Play Award presented to Jesse Cannady for “Swinging on Stars.”
Gibson said the Shelton Full-Length and the Regional Short Play winners will have their work presented as full productions at next year’s festival, meaning MTSU will have three productions before the festival audiences in 2010.
The regional winners in both the Short Play and 10-Minute Play categories will automatically become national finalists and are eligible for the national playwriting awards, he added, and will be announced at the KCACTF National Festival in Washington, D.C., in April.

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