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ASU Play in Regional Festival

January 22, 2014

Angelo State University’s recent University Theatre production of “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” has been chosen as one of six plays to be presented at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) for Region VI on Feb. 25-March 1 in Shreveport, La.

The ASU play was chosen from a pool of about 200 college productions from institutions in Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri.  The Region VI festival will be hosted by Centenary College at the historic Strand Theatre in Shreveport.  This is the second straight year an ASU production has been picked for the regional festival.

“We are thrilled to have our production of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play’ invited to the regional festival,” said Dr. Bill Doll, director of University Theatre.  “It is a unique style, with the production a play-within-a-play.  It was well received here in San Angelo and by the regional committee, and we are certain it will be a hit with the students, faculty and other professionals in attendance at the festival.”

Additionally, six ASU students have been nominated for the KCACTF’s Irene Ryan Acting Competition and three others will compete in design/technology management categories at the regional festival.  Maggie Hogan of Ballinger, Tyler Hastings of Midland and Janae Hatchett of Lubbock were nominated for their acting performances in “The Lion in Winter” last fall.  Cameron O’Briant of San Angelo, Rebecca Sussdorf of Grape Creek and Heather Walker of Lockhart were nominated for their acting roles in “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.”  Jacob Scott of Bronte will compete in the Scenic Design category, Elizabeth Holland of Anna will compete in the Lighting Design category and Cassandra Trautman of San Antonio will compete in the Costume Design and Properties Design categories.

In preparation for the festival, the cast and crew of “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” will present two performances on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 8 p.m. and on Sunday, Feb. 23, at 2 p.m. in the ASU Auditorium.  Tickets are $8 for the general public and $4 for non-ASU students.  Arts at ASU subscribers, ASU activity card holders and ASU students will be admitted free.

“We decided to remount it in front of an audience because by the time of the festival, it would have been two and a half months since we had staged it,” said the play’s director, Mike Burnett, assistant director of University Theatre.

The ASU box office will begin taking reservations for Arts at ASU subscribers on Feb. 6 and for all others on Feb. 10.  The box office is open 2-6 p.m. weekdays, and reservations can be made in person or by calling 325-942-2000.

Started in 1969, the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival includes more than 600 academic institutions nationwide participating in eight regional festivals.  More information is available online at www.kennedy-center.org/education/actf/.

Other schools with productions in the Region VI festival are Tarrant County College-Northwest, University of Oklahoma, University of the Ozarks (Missouri), Southeastern State University (Missouri) and Northwestern State University (Louisiana).

For more information, call the ASU Department of Visual and Performing Arts at 325-942-2146.