LOCH SHELDRAKE, NY — Shakespeare once wrote that all the world is a stage and theater students at SUNY Sullivan have embraced the sentiment. SUNY Sullivan is proud to recognize the students who represented its theater program and their achievements at the Region 1 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival that took place from January 30 to February 3 at Central Connecticut State University. 

During the five days they attended the festival, the students took part in multiple competitions that tested their skills in varying aspects of theater. Andrew Pizzo, Kyra Lee Zanatta, Faye Kaiser-Valder and Erinn Gilmore took to the stage with prepared monologues and scenes in a contest for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship. Christine Barkl and Ashtyn Buckley put their costume design and stage management skills to the test in a Design, Technology and Management contest. 

“Christine had to prepare a portfolio/visual representation and speech for their costume design,” said Jessica López-Barkl, who is professor of theater and speech at the college, as well as the director of the theater program. “Ashtyn had to bring their prompt book for their stage management competition.”

After initial rounds, Kaiser-Valder, Gilmore and Zanatta were chosen out of 200 participants at the festival to compete for the National Playwriting Program’s Acting Award. Furthermore, Barkl was selected as the winner of the Award for Design, Technology and Management for “The Heart of the Art,'' for her costume design in Avenue Q. Kaiser-Valder was selected as the winner of the Student Representation Award for Equity, Diversity and Leadership. 

“We were surprised to have won a couple of awards,” said López-Barkl with pride for her students, “as there were about 500 people there competing.”

SUNY Sullivan congratulates all students who took part in the festival competitions. For more information on their upcoming staged productions, visit bit.ly/3SCvFYw.

Contributed by SUNY Sullivan.