Two KU students heading to nationals of Kennedy Center theater festival

Many Kansas University students took home awards from this year’s Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival regional competitions. The event took place in late January at Denver University.

  • Playwright Kristen Wirsig took first place in the Ten-Minute Play competition for her short play, “The Story of Izanagi and Izanami,” which she wrote during a beginning playwriting class taught by KU English professor Paul Lim. The win earns her an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where her play will compete against seven other regional winners during national finals, April 12-18. Wirsig also will attend a master playwriting class with professional playwrights from New York. The winner for the national competition will receive a cash prize of $1,000, and his or her play will be published in Dramatic Publishing, Inc.
  • Sara Armstrong, Cushing, Okla., graduate student, received the Kennedy Center Award for directing and was named best director for Ten-Minute Plays. She will also travel to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., to direct one of the 10-minute plays selected for the national competition. While she is there, Armstrong will take a directing class.
  • Beth Collins, Sanderstead, England, graduate student, won a second place Barbizon Award for her “Cabaret” costumes. She also received a certificate of merit for scenery and costume design.
  • Aaron Dyszelski, Milwaukee, Wis., graduate student, won second place for makeup. He also earned honorable mention in the Barbizon competition for “Lulu” costumes.
  • Robbie Jones, Lawrence graduate student, won second place for costume and scene design.
  • Brent Lind, Overland Park senior, won an honorable mention in the Barbizon Undergraduate Competition for his lighting design for “Cabaret.”
  • Matt Simon, Overland Park senior, won the Musical Theatre Award in the Irene Ryan Acting Competition.
  • Jennifer Stimple, Lawrence, junior, won second place in the regional undergraduate competition for scene design.
  • A certificate of merit was awarded to the technical staff of “Cabaret” for consistency of design execution.