Theatre Program Earns 11 Awards For Inaugural Production ‘SUPERHERO & SUPERHERO’
The new Theatre program in the College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts received several awards and recognition for its inaugural production “SUPERHERO & SUPERHERO,” a comedic play devised by the ensemble about heroism in the contemporary world.
Two representatives from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region 6 attended opening night in November. The organization gave 11 awards to the ensemble.
Devised theatre is part of the newly launched Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre. Students and faculty built the performance from the ground up without a prewritten script.
The show was directed by george mcconnell, an associate professor in the program who prefers the lowercase version of his name. He said “SUPERHERO & SUPERHERO” is being considered to compete in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region 6 Festival in Abilene in February.
“This program isn’t about creating stars, this is about people working and crafting something beautiful together,” he said. “I really enjoyed watching the cast grow and seeing their trust in the process grow over time.”
Here’s a look at awards earned by the students, faculty and staff involved in “SUPERHERO & SUPERHERO.”
Ensemble Performance
The students in the cast received awards for excellence in ensemble performance.
JJ Stevenson
The freshman Visualization student played a superhero with healing powers.
“Being recognized for this reward is incredible, but it’s even more amazing that I get to share this with my friends,” Stevenson said.
Alessandra Balassa Toussaint
The sophomore Performance and Visual Studies student played a superhero who could change time.
“It is awesome to be recognized,” Toussaint said. “It feels especially fulfilling because it is a more experimental piece, and it goes to show that devised theatre can be important.”
Olivia Moreno
The junior Sociology student played a superhero focused on listening and hearing.
“There are so many talented individuals who were involved in this show,” Moreno said. “I can’t wait to take part in more opportunities similar to this show, and expand the theatre experience for not only myself but for others, too.”
Kylie Brittain
The sophomore Performance and Visual Studies student played a superhero with the power of love.
“It was an honor to be recognized for the hard work and love I put into this project,” Brittain said. “I got to create something super with an incredible group of people. Becoming involved in this performance was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and it brought me this wonderful reward.”
Breanna Loredo-Rayas
The senior Performance and Visual Studies student played a superhero with the power to control plants.
“To be recognized for this award along with all my fellow performers/creators is an amazing feeling,” Loredo-Rayas said. “The show demonstrated our creativity, hard work and parts of our lives that were later put into the show. We all had fun during the creative process.”
Kate Bertagnoli
The sophomore Theatre student played a supervillain who used mind control.
“Everyone who is a part of this show worked so incredibly hard and it is truly an amazing accomplishment for all of us,” Bertagnoli said. “We all created something so magical and beautiful, and being able to share that is so special. Being recognized for it and given awards is an amazing bonus and we are incredibly grateful.”
Bertagnoli, Moreno and Toussaint were invited to compete in the regional Irene Ryan Scholarship competition. The winners go on to compete in the national competition in Washington, D.C.
Music Composition/Performance
Two students performed live sound effects during the show and were recognized for excellence in music composition/performance.
Natcha Phaobunjong, a sophomore Performance and Visual Studies student, said she created live sound effects with a slide whistle, a creak box and an egg shaker.
“I wasn’t expecting an award, so this is a great honor,” she said. “I’m glad they liked the sounds and music for this show.”
Kyle Briscoe, a sophomore Performance and Visual Studies student, composed original pieces of music for the show.
“I really enjoyed this experience,” he said. “It was my first time getting to work as a composer in a collaborative context, and it taught me a lot about how to write music for plays.”
Creating/Directing
Excellence in creating and directing was awarded to mcconnell. As an artist, mcconnell said it’s rewarding to be recognized. But he finds motivation in the outcome of the work and what it can offer others.
“It’s always nice if the work connects with someone, and they find some value in it for themselves,” he said.
Costume Design
Rayna Middleton Dexter, interim program director for Theatre and instructional associate professor, was awarded for excellence in costume design. She crafted the costumes to align with the personality of each performer. She also designed costume pieces to represent each character’s superpower with a light shaped in bubble wrap.
“This was a bit of an experiment in merging my ideas for the designs with the ensembles’ actual identities — that was pretty new,” she said. “I am glad that it was successful.”
Set Design
Jeff Watson, the college’s theatre facility coordinator, was awarded for excellence in scenic design. He built walls, stairs, platforms and crystal formations for the show, and said the sets were designed to look like an ice cave with large crystals scattered across the stage.
“We wanted the setting to be a place of sanctuary that all superheroes have,” he said. “We leaned into the Fortress of Solitude from ‘Superman’ comics and movies. This was our first show for the program, so to receive awards for the work we did was icing on the cake.”
