Performing Arts Dept. Earns Nod for Outstanding College Theater Production
December 06, 2011
The Emmanuel College Department of Performing Arts' spring 2011 production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has been selected as one of the "Outstanding Overall College Theater Productions of 2011" by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (ACTF). This is the first such award for the department. As part of the acceptance, the Emmanuel troupe will present an encore performance of the production at the ACTF regional festival to be held January 25th-30th at Fitchburg State University.
"We are overjoyed at this recognition for our students," said Assistant Professor of Performing Arts & Director of Theatre Scott Gagnon. "I am so deeply grateful to work with so many talented and dedicated students in such a supportive environment. Ours is admittedly a small department, but we grow more and more each year. I feel this honor only reaffirms something we've known for a long time-that in addition to so many other wonderful things, our program right here in the heart of Boston is a wonderful place to study and do theater."
Gagnon received word of the department's selection during the College's production of It's A Wonderful Life during the weekend of December 3rd and announced the news to his students and the audience during the performance's curtain call. Emmanuel was chosen among 165 shows in the region. Thirteen performances were held for consideration, which also included the department's fall production of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, marking a rare occurrence in ACTF's history to have two productions from the same college up for consideration at the same time.
In addition, several Emmanuel students were recognized by the ACTF. Douglas Dame '13 and Robert Gabriel '11 were nominated for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship for Spelling Bee, Robert McCall '13 was nominated for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship for Sleepy Hollow, and Brendan McMahon '12 earned a nomination for the ACTF/Barbizon Award for Excellence in Stage Management.
The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival is a national program dedicated to the recognition of excellence in collegiate theater. The Emmanuel College Department of Performing Arts has been involved with ACTF since 1999. In 12 years, the College has presented 60 shows, six of which have been held for award consideration.
In addition to its encore ACTF performance, the department held an on-campus performance in the Jean Yawkey Center on January 22nd.
