Students travel to Charleston to compete during theatre festival

Historic City News has learned that eight Flagler College students recently returned from the nationally-recognized Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Charleston, where they competed in categories ranging from design and technical theatre to performance, stage management and dramaturgy.

Theatre Arts students Olivia Levine, Soranda Lewis and Caroline Brady took home Region IV’s “Devised Theatre Project Award” for a movement-based performance piece titled “Paths”. Their performance explored life choices and the scars left behind from them and posed the question: If you could change a moment from your past, would you?

Five other students also joined Levine, Lewis and Brady for the festival, which was held from February 2nd to February 6th. Jillian Cicalese and Will Windle were nominated to be recognized for the Irene Ryan Acting Award for their work in production “Life Is A Dream,” with Brian Matthews and Rebecca Woods serving as their acting partners. Jennifer London was nominated for a stage management award and Rhian Franchebois, though she did not attend the festival, was nominated for audio design.

Region IV’s competition in Charleston, just one of eight organized around the nation, was an opportunity for Flagler College students to present and compete alongside the best theatre students from around the South.

In addition to the competitions, students attended many workshops, performances and lectures. Levine gave a short talk on the international organization Artists Striving to End Poverty; a group focused on using arts education to end the cycle of artistic poverty in low-income schools and neighborhoods.

Flagler College has been participating since 2012. Last year, Mary Hickox, made it to the final round of the Irene Ryan Acting Competition (one of eight students out of over 300) and was given an award in Classic Acting. In 2011, Associate Professor Andrea McCook was recognized for Excellence in Directing and resident costumer and adjunct faculty member Elaina Wahl-Temple for Costume Design in “Les Liaison Dangereuses.”