Doane University Theatre racked up awards at this year’s Region 5 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). The department’s 2021 productions of “Lonely Planet” and “The Theory of Relativity” received five awards and honors each during the festival and Nicole Carraher, ‘23, was named a semifinalist for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship. The festival was held virtually from Jan. 16-22.
Since 2006, Doane Theatre has been recognized with 136 major regional and national KCACTF awards, but had never received five regional awards at once for a production. That two shows achieved the feat this year is a mark of excellence for the department, faculty and students, and the university as a whole.
For the regional festivals, productions can be submitted at two different levels: associate and participating. Associate productions are reviewed by one juror, where participating productions are reviewed by a selection committee for a chance to tour at the regional festival — and, if invited to the festival, a chance to move on for a performance at the national festival.
“We're just thrilled and I'm so proud of this amazing team,” McKercher said.
The first and only other time a Doane production has toured at regionals was in 2006, McKercher’s first year at Doane, for a play he directed titled “Phedre.”
The chance for a larger audience to view his and his peer’s work on “Lonely Planet” is the festival aspect Mason Morrill is most grateful for and humbled by.
“That's the biggest thing that I'm really appreciative of for this opportunity, is that I get to share our work with more people,” Morrill said. “And I'm so, so excited that people get to see my scenic designer’s and lighting designer’s and sound designer’s work because it is so good. And my actors as well. They were just phenomenal.”
“The Theory of Relativity” was submitted as an associate production and featured four Doane students earning awards in their respective fields:
- Bailey Roberts, ‘20, for “Outstanding Achievement in Stage Management”
- Mallari Hangman for, ‘21, “Outstanding Achievement in Projection and Animation Design”
- Sheila Murphy, ‘21, for “Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design”
- Boston Reid, ‘23, for “Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction.”
The entire cast was awarded “Outstanding Achievement in Ensemble Performance.”
“Lonely Planet” was an invited production and featured five Doane students earning individual awards:
- Mason Morrill, ‘22, for “Outstanding Achievement in Direction”
- Ceci Barr, ‘22, for “Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design”
- Lauren Walther, ‘22, for “Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design”
- Calvin Schlautman, ‘21, and Wyatt Jorgensen, ‘22, for “Outstanding Achievement in Ensemble Performance.”
Awards aside, the KCACTFs are a chance for Doane theater students to connect with other theater students across the country, attend workshops and receive feedback on their projects.
Eight regions host their own festivals before the National Festival. Region 5 is comprised of undergraduate and graduate students from universities and colleges of all sizes in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, including Iowa State University, University of Kansas and University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
In 2020, then-senior Jimmy Nguyen received two national acting awards during the Irene Ryan Acting Competition at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.
