Senior Chad Bradford, a theatre major, was selected as one of two winners of the Region VI Irene Ryan Scholarship during the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival at Tulsa Community College.
The Irene Ryan Scholarship was founded by and named after the late Irene Ryan, who is best known for her portrayal of Granny on ?The Beverly Hillbillies? television show. Bradford received his nomination to attend the festival for his role as Hamlet in UCA Theatre’s production of ?Hamlet.? He received $500 for his regional win.
Bradford and his acting partner, Doug Tyler of Conway, competed against approximately 300 students from the Region VI area to win one of the two prestigious awards. Region VI consists of colleges and universities in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and New Mexico.
Bradford began his career with the Youth Theatre of Central Arkansas, a program sponsored by UCA Theatre for students in grades 3-12. He graduated from Hall High School in Little Rock and has been the recipient of a performance scholarship from UCA Theatre each semester and has also been the recipient of the prestigious James Bridges Scholarship. Bradford has appeared in numerous productions at UCA including ?Into the Woods,? ?Bloody Poetry,? ?One Flea Spare,? ?Les Liaisons Dangereuses,? and ?The Threepenny Opera.?
UCA Theatre has had two students win the Region VI Irene Ryan competition and compete at the Kennedy Center. In 2000, Nisi Sturgis of Conway was chosen as one of the two national winners and has gone on to a professional acting career in New York City.
