Students, faculty win Kennedy honors

Central Michigan University theater students and faculty earned honors at the 2020 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Madison, Wisconsin, in January.

Eighteen CMU theatre and dance students participated in workshops; attended productions; and competed against students from Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. Competitions covered acting, design-related fields, stage management, "tech Olympics" and auditions for staged readings learned during the week. Here are CMU's student finalists and winners:

• Anna Rudnitsky was a finalist in the Aspire Leadership Intensive competition.
• Evan Stehlik was a finalist in Regional Makeup Design Projects, received honorable mention for his makeup design, and he and his team won first place in the Design Storm.
• Hanna Shoemaker was a scenic design finalist in the National Realized Design competition for her scene design of "Miss Julie." Shoemaker also was presented with the Award for Excellence in Technology and Design and the Don Child's Award for Cross-Discipline Collaboration.
• Lindsey Marie Chidester was a finalist in the Stage Management Fellowship competition.
• Rebecca Rose Mims and her competition partner, Avery Kiefer, were among 16 finalists for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship out of more than 250 competitors. Mims also won the Vocal Excellence Award and was cast for a staged reading.

Faculty member Ann Dasen's costume designs from the CMU University Theatre production of "A Fox on the Fairway" were selected to be a part of the celebration of associate productions and costume parade. Dasen also was selected as a respondent for the Regional Design Project.

CMU's contingent also earned 10 certificates of merit for roles in CMU productions, including "Ragtime," "The Whipping Man" and "A Fox on the Fairway."