Five Texas State students advance to Kennedy Center competition

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
Office of Media Relations
April 17, 2017

Five theatre students from Texas State University have advanced to the John F. Kennedy Center this week as national finalists via the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival program, making 2017 the seventh year in a row that the university’s theatre program has produced at least four Kennedy Center finalists.

The five students are attending the 2017 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Washington, D.C., April 16-22, taking master classes with professional artists and seeing the work of their peers from across the country. In each category, they will be eligible for additional awards and professional opportunities.

Two Texas State students advanced in playwriting categories. Playwriting student Caitlin Turnage's one-act play, In a Dark Room, The Lord Knows, competes against three other finalists for the national short play award. T.J. Young has already been declared the winner of the Harold and Mimi Steinberg National Student Playwriting Award for No. 6.

Bruce Turk advanced to the national competition having won the SDC Directing Initiative Fellowship during the Region 6 competition in March.

Sally Rath is one of eight costume design finalists, and Brandon Newton is one of eight scene design finalists. They both advanced from the regional festival based on their design work for the department's productions of Ajax in Iraq and Tartuffe, respectively.

In addition, Andrew Heinrich has been invited as one of five playwrights to attend the Kennedy Center MFA Playwriting Workshop in Washington, D.C., during the summer. Andrew will be assigned a dramaturge, directors and professional actors to workshop his play.

About Texas State University

Founded in 1899, Texas State University is among the largest universities in Texas with an enrollment of 38,849 students on campuses in San Marcos and Round Rock. Texas State’s 170,000-plus alumni are a powerful force in serving the economic workforce needs of Texas and throughout the world.  Designated an Emerging Research University by the State of Texas, Texas State is classified under “Doctoral Universities:  Higher Research Activity,” the second-highest designation for research institutions under the Carnegie classification system.