The Los Medanos College drama department sent 15 students to the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) last week and did not come back empty handed. Two students, Marina Ketchum and Cesar Reyes, won awards for their roles in the LMC plays ‘Rough Crossing’ and ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’ respectively.
Marina Ketchum won two awards, the KCACTF Stage Management Meritorious Achievement Award and the SCI Las Vegas Summer Institute Trip. Cesar Reyes won the KCACTF Sound Design Meritorious Achievement Award.
The festival featured many different events and activities, including competitions. Acting, design, costume, sound, lighting, and stage management were some categories of competitions students could join. The docket of events was filled seemingly every minute of the five days of the festival. There were also workshops that carried on from early morning to late at night on every aspect of theater. There were six productions shown at the event including ‘Icarus’ and ‘Spring Awakening’ with the marquee event being ‘Bill Bowers’ Beyond Words.’
Cesar Reyes, one of the award winners said, “we had great opportunities to network and meet faculty from universities and their programs including the University of Idaho, Dell’Arte, and the Stella Adler School of Acting. Some of us have been sold on what schools we will be transferring to after LMC.” Reyes added, “Everyone was there to learn and share. One minute you were watching someone in the competition and next you were in a workshop with them as partners.”
Reyes was also very proud of the fact that he was recognized for his work. “It felt amazing when I found out I had received an award from the region for my sound design. I do the sound designs for the love of it… receiving recognition from the region is just the cherry on top.”
Tiffanie Diaz-Moore, another LMC student festival attendee said that she had a great experience attending it and was happy for the two who brought home awards. “It was a tough competition and we cheered and cried knowing that two of our own had won out of the many students, some even in BA programs which [are] difficult to compete against.”
She added that some of LMC’s theater actors were offered scholarships and internships, herself included, and had the opportunity to work with professors from Texas University and other major colleges.
Moore was grateful for the chance she received at being a part of such an education experience. “The trip was rewarding and we got great exposure to schools we would love to attend. It was an amazing opportunity to have been able to go.”
The next drama production at the school is entitled ‘The Underpants.’ It is directed by Nick Garcia and officially opens March 6 and runs through March 15.
The talents of Reyes and Ketchum, along with many others in the drama crew, will be working on the aforementioned play, as well as another one called ‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’ later in the semester.
