UCA theatre was awarded several honors for its production of ?One Flea Spare,? by Naomi Wallace at the Arkansas Kennedy Center American College Theatre held on the campus of the University of Arkansas at Beebe.
The play was awarded Respondent?s Choice and tied with ASU-Beebe for the Director?s Choice award. Either award qualifies the production to be considered for an invitation to perform at the Region VI Festival to be held at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville at the end of February 2004.
In addition, UCA Theatre faculty and students captured several individual honors. Excellence in Directing was awarded to Chris Fritzges, assistant professor of Theatre. Excellence in Scenic Design was awarded to Dr. Greg Blakey, assistant professor of Theatre. Excellence in Stage Management went to theatre student Sarah Hoelzeman of Magnolia, and Excellence in Makeup Design was awarded to theatre student Lily Kuonen of Cabot.
The entire cast was awarded Excellence in Ensemble Acting. The cast included Doug Tyler of Conway, Courtney Bennett and Chad Bradford, both of Little Rock, Lacy Dunn of North Little Rock, and Ben McClung of Eureka Springs.
Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship nominees from ?One Flea Spare? were Doug Tyler, Courtney Bennett and Chad Bradford. UCA Theatre also named Irene Ryan nominees from its spring production of ?A Little Night Music.? Those nominees were Ian Galloway of Maumelle and Lacy Dunn of North Little Rock.
?One Flea Spare? was chosen for the Respondent?s Choice Award from a field of entries, which included Lyon College, Arkansas Tech University, Southern Arkansas University, and Arkansas State University-Beebe.
The production will now be judged along with productions chosen from other Region VI state festivals in hopes of winning a bid to the Region VI festival. Region VI includes colleges and universities from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico.
Only seven productions will be invited to perform at the regional level from a group of approximately 17 state winners. One winner from each of the seven regions in the American College Theatre Festival will be invited to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in late April 2004.
