University of Idaho students earn top awards for theatre work

MOSCOW, Idaho — Several University of Idaho theatre students were honored with top awards during the Region 7 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival held in Spokane in February.

Master of Fine Arts candidate Stephanie Lutz of Oakley, California, received two awards: the Advocacy and Innovation Award and the first-ever Thornton Wilder Award for Theatrical Innovation for her groundbreaking work on the Vectorworks Artificial Intelligence Drafting Tool. The Wilder Award comes with a $2,000 prize and an invitation for round-trip transportation to the national Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Washington, D.C., April 24-26.

MFA candidate Lou Perrotta of Newport, Rhode Island, received the first-place award for Excellence in Scenic Design for his work in “Measure for Measure.”

MFA candidate James Martin of Murray, Utah, received the George R. Caldwell Graduate Scholarly Paper Award.

MFA candidate Raven Bouvier of Moscow received the Lighting Hang and Focus Award.

Senior Daisy Erskine of Caldwell received the inaugural Jay Duckworth Proptologist Meritorious Achievement award for her prop work in “Amelie.”

“The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Awards represents one of our best external measures that our students are excelling in their particular fields and our faculty mentors are doing an extraordinary job in the classroom and rehearsal studio with our emerging theatre artists,” said Robert Caisley, chair of the Department of Theatre Arts. “We are so proud of our students being recognized in this way once again this year. Excellence is what we strive for, and excellence is what so many of our students are achieving.”

The festival awards, presented during the group’s Region 7 Conference, are part of a national theatre program involving more than 18,000 students from colleges and universities across the country, which has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theatre in the United States. Region 7 includes Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Alaska, Northern Nevada and Northern California.

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Media Contact:

Kelly O’Neill
Media Relations, Department of Theatre Arts
University of Idaho
208-885-6465
koneill@uidaho.edu