On the heels of its regional honors from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF), the Emmanuel’s Theater Arts program also received four national awards for its Fall 2020 production of “Theater Macabre: Network,” from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., a first-time milestone for the program.
In efforts to keep bringing theater to audiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and the fall semester of remote learning, the Performing Arts program also took its performances virtual. “Theatre Macabre: Network” is an immersive theater piece in the dystopian/horror genre set entirely online. It is an interactive show experience in which audience members choose the format and scenes they see, meaning not all audience members will “see” the same show. The script was more than 200 pages long with a total of 96 scenes for the final product to come together.
The programs efforts were rewarded with awards for Special Achievement in Virtual Community Engagement and Audience Development; Special Achievement in Overall Production Design; Special Achievement Award in Company-Generated Work; and Innovative Use of Technology.
“It is particularly exciting to be singled out for things we all really value—technological innovation, community engagement, and collaborative writing,” said Assistant Professor of Performing Arts and Director of Theater Scott Gagnon. “We can also now officially say that our program is nationally recognized for its achievements. It’s also great that all of these are for group and collaborative work as opposed to individual achievement.”
An official press release from the KCACTF National Committee and National Office at the Kennedy Center noted the unconventional nature this year’s performances. “During these unprecedented times, we celebrate these imaginative and evocative theatre-makers and productions as being at the forefront of a revolution in artistry that ignites conversations of national importance through innovation in process, content, form, design, technology, outreach, and audience engagement.”
In the spring, the program’s production of “Theatre Macabre: Network” was selected as a Festival Attendee for the KCACTF Regional Festival, which took place virtually from January 24th-30th, while “Mystery Radio Theater: Season Three” was held for consideration.
Visit the Theater program’s website to view “Network,” as well as the Spring 2021 production of Euripides’ “Medea” and student-directed work by seniors Jenna Cormier ’21, Mia Straccia ’21, Michael Giordano ’21 and Selena Malaterra ’21.
The KCACTF is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide and has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States since 1969. The KCACTF has grown into a network of more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country, where theater departments and student-artists showcase their work and receive outside assessment by KCACTF respondents. Many collegiate thespians equate it to the Oscars of college theater.
Julia Burke '22 as Josette Dufresne in "Network"
Nick grew up in a family of medical professionals—his mother and grandmother are both nurses and his father is a paramedic. “I’ve always been surrounded with medical jargon and stories of health incidents, crises, and the rewarding benefits of providing care,” he said.
For Nadel, the stage is her “second home,” and the community she’s found within Emmanuel’s Theater program, a second family. While she originally thought she would pursue college theater as a hobby, she soon realized the work would define her student experience and provide a foundation for life beyond Emmanuel.
As a mathematics and economics double major with a concentration in statistics, Matt found actuarial work of calculating the financial consequences of risk for companies right in line with his interests.
Prior to coming to Emmanuel, Gianna had never heard of the field of sociology, but was very familiar and passionate about issues of crime and justice. Her time at Emmanuel helped her to not only put a name—but also, a purpose—to that passion.
Propelled by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, students and faculty in the Mathematics Department are studying the rate of evolution in spatially structured populations using evolutionary graph theory, which may inform the estimation of important events in our evolutionary past, such as when humans split from our closest primate relatives.
Assistant Professor of Communications and Media Studies Mark Flynn and Tristyn Suprenant ’20 take a look at food advertisements and the effects of mindfulness on television binge watching.
In collaboration with Emmanuel graduate, Kierstin Giunco ’17, Associated Professor of Education Christine Leighton and current student Kayla Balthazar '20 are working with local elementary students to deepen reading engagement and comprehension.
As her research in economics education has focused on innovation in the classroom and finding ways to help students apply economic theories to real-world situations, students are vital in every aspect to Associate Professor of Economics Rebecca Moryl’s work.
When choosing a college, Eileen knew two things for sure—that she would be able to get to know her professors and peers and that she wanted to be in an area in which she would have myriad opportunities in the research and medicine.
When Melissa started at Emmanuel, she chose what she believed to be two separate and distinct majors—studio art and history—to fulfill her both her personal and professional interests.
Kai has always had the inclination to try to make any situation better. When he was searching for colleges, Emmanuel's social justice mission resounded deeply with his ideals of supporting those who need the help.
Robert’s interest in the workings of the wider world grew in 2011 as the Arab Spring became international news. “I love history,” he said, “so knowing the history of the states as well as their current affairs made their actions and interactions much more interesting to me.”
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