Carthage Theatre Presents The World Premiere of
GHOST BIKE Written by Laura Jacqmin CAST Kathiamarice Lopez....................................................................................................................................Ora Mitch Weindorf....................................................................................................................................... Eddie Kaylee Annable............................................................................................... Nurse, Hipster Ghost, Soul Elodie Senetra......................................................................................Well Wisher, Hipster Ghost, Cady Courtney Matula...................................................................Well Wisher, Hipster Ghost, Persephone Tyler Seaman.....................................................................................................................Well Wisher, Rider Macee Jo Mueller................................................................................. Well Wisher, Hipster Ghost, Soul Haley Sherwood..............................................................................................................Well Wisher, Rider Mack Folkert.............................................................................................................Counselor, Rider, Alvin Andrew Stachurski............................................................................................................ Satyr, King Yama Nicole Middleton........................................................................................Hipster Ghost, Ferry Woman Dan Brennan...................................................................................................... Old Ghost, Hipster Ghost Amanda Garrigan....................................................................................................................Ganglot, Soul Desiree Gonzalez...............................................................................................................................Hel, Soul CREW Herschel Kruger................................................................................................................................. Director Matt Schaeflein.................................................................................................................... Stage Manager Shannon Meyer...................................................................................................................Scenic Designer Kim Instenes....................................................................................................................Costume Designer Martin McClendon................................................................... Lighting Designer, Technical Director William Newcomb.......................................................................................Assistant Technical Director Lizz Zitron........................................................................................................................................Dramaturg Lauren Eastman.......................................................................Property Master/Assistant Dramaturg Simon Skluzacek.................................................................................................................Sound Designer Skylar Reinhard................................................................................................. Assistant Stage Manager Ashley Hall................................................................................................................. Light Board Operator Gino Gumino........................................................................................................................... Spot Operator Alicia Petzoldt.........................................................................................................................Make-up Crew Bree Beelow.............................................................................................................................Make-up Crew Molly Mason........................................................................................................................... Costume Crew Grace Brunette...................................................................................................................... Costume Crew Jack Lambert.................................................................................................................................Stage Crew Christian Aldridge.......................................................................................................................Stage Crew Neil Geistlinger.............................................................................................................................Stage Crew Alex Johnson.................................................................................................................................Stage Crew Rose Grizzell..................................................................................................................................Stage Crew Brittany Coriaci....................................................................................................................House Manager Alexa Campea......................................................................................................................House Manager Ghost Bike
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T H E AT R E FAC U LT Y Anna Antaramian...................................................................................Adjunct Associate Professor of Theatre Maria Carig........................................................................................ Associate Professor of English and Theatre Maggie Ellsworth.......................................................................................................Adjunct Instructor of Theatre Valerie Gonzalez......................................................................................... Adjunct Instructor of Theatre-Dance Laura Gordon..............................................................................................................Adjunct Instructor of Theatre Kim Instenes........................................................................Assistant Professor of Theatre/Costume Designer Marcella Kearns..........................................................................................................Adjunct Instructor of Theatre Herschel Kruger................................................. Chair-Division of Fine Arts/Associate Professor of Theatre John Maclay................................................................................................................Assistant Professor of Theatre Martin McClendon.............................................................Department Chair/Assistant Professor of Theatre Faith Halaska................................................................................................ Adjunct Instructor of Theatre-Dance William Newcomb........................................................................................................Assistant Technical Director Stacy Pottinger............................................................................................Assistant Professor of Theatre-Dance Neil Scharnick............................................................................................................Assistant Professor of Theatre
BIOGR APHIES Kathiamarice Lopez (Ora)is a Sophomore at Carthage College. This is her first main stage production at Carthage. She has been apart of numerous theatre productions, however, some of her favorite characters she played are Carol in Oleanna, and Martha O’Neil in A Piece of My Heart. Kathiamarice would like to thank Laura Jacqmin for the amazing script and Herschel Kruger for the incredible opportunity of playing Ora. She would also like to thank her family as well as her friends for there constant support and encouragement, with a special thanks to her sister Deanamarice Lopez, for the late nights, going through lines. Mitch Weindorf (Eddie)is a Senior Theater Performance and Directing double major with a minor in German. Other shows Mitch has been in at Carthage include Tartuffe, Cabaret, One Day in the Season of Rain, Lysistrata, and the MT Workshop of A Little Night Music, and Urinetown. Mitch was a production intern at Peninsula Players Theater and performed in A Few Good Men. As he prepares to enter the professional world, he would like to thank the Carthage faculty for their guidance and his family and friends for their continued support.
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Kaylee Annable (Nurse, Hipster Ghost, Soul) As a Senior, double majoring in Theatre and Music Theatre, Ghost Bike marks Kaylee’s seventh mainstage production. Carthage College
Some previous roles at Carthage include: Gabriella (Boeing Boeing), Kitty (The Drowsy Chaperone), Glory/Marci/Villian (Almost, Maine) and Rosie (Cabaret). She is so grateful and excited to be involved in such an amazing new project. Thanks goes out to all involved for allowing new art to be made. Kaylee would also like to thank her friends and foremost her family for their unending love, support and encouragement. Elodie Senetra (Well Wisher, Hipster Ghost, Cady) is a senior theatre performance major and couldn’t be more delighted to play her first evil character! Elodie was last seen as Elimire in TARTUFFE, and Zorah Bloch in Inspecting Carol, and then galloping apace as Juliet in Shakespeare’s R&J Workshop. Courtney Matula (Well Wisher, Hipster Ghost, Persephone) is a junior theater performance and communications major and is thrilled to be performing as one of her favorite Greek mythological characters in this absolutely wonderful show! Courtney has recently been seen as Dorine in Tartuffe, M.J. McMann in Inspecting Carol, Benvolio in Romeo & Juliet Workshop, Courtney Machula in the KCACTF revival of The Railsplitter, and as Sister James in Doubt: A Parable. Courtney is extremely grateful for all the love and support of her family & friends and wishes to thank them for always being there.
B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) Tyler Seaman (Well Wisher, Rider) is a freshman at Carthage majoring in theatre and minoring in German. This is his second production thus far in his college career, the first of which having been Tartuffe he played Damis. He would love to extend a special thank you to Herschel for the wonderful opportunity of being involved in such an amazing show, and, of course, to the cast for warmly welcoming him into the show. He is absolutely ecstatic to be a part of this production and hopes that everyone enjoys the show!
Andrew Stachurski (Satyr, King Yama) Is glad to be a part of Ghost Bike, playing the roles of Satyr and King Yama. He was Joseph Wykowski in Biloxi Blues, Vilom in the KCACTF performance of One Day in the Season of Rain, Andrew Stuckowski in The Railsplitter, and Phil in Inspecting Carol. He would like to thank the Lisle Lizards, his Carthage friends, and his family for their support.
Macee Jo Mueller (Well Wisher, Hipster Ghost, Soul) is a freshman at Carthage and is double majoring in theatre performance and musical theatre with a minor in business. She would like to extend a huge thanks to Hershel Kruger for asking her to be a cast member of this show! She will also be playing Natalie in Carthage’s upcoming performance of Next to Normal. A few of her favorite roles include Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, and a cast member of Quilters. She thanks God for the journey He is guiding her on and she thanks her parents for supporting her. Risk and joy!
Nicole Middleton (Hipster Ghost, Ferry Woman) is a sophomore who is double majoring in theatre performance and sociology. She is everyday blessed for the fantastic cast and crew that she has been able to work with twice!! She has learned so much from working on Ghost Bike and will continue to hold this experience close to her heart. She has worked backstage for Inspecting Carol. Past credits include: Gregory Capulet in Romeo and Juliet. She is absolutely overjoyed to be playing Lydia in the upcoming project that Carthage is taking to the Smock Alley Theater in Dublin, later in January. She sends her thanks to her friends, family, and past directors for their unending support. She hopes this show makes you think a little.
Hayley Sherwood (Well Wisher, Rider) is a freshman majoring in theatre performance. This is her first performance at Carthage and she is very thrilled to be apart of this unique experience. She was also thrilled to be cast as Laura in Glass Menagerie, which will be performed in March. Some of her favorite roles include Beth in A Lie of the Mind, Ophelia in Hamlet, and Roxie Hart in Chicago. Her thanks go out to Herschel Kruger for asking her to participate in Ghostbike and her parents, her boyfriend, and her best friend for their constant support. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Dan Brennan (Old Ghost, Hipster Ghost) is a Junior Musical Theater and Theater major. He is super excited to be returning to his role in Ghost Bike. The most recent shows he has been apart of at Carthage College include productions of The Drowsy Chaperone (Man in Chair) and Tartuffe (Tartuffe). Later this January, he will accompany Carthage Theater to Ireland to perform an original work at the Smock Alley Theater in Dublin. He would like to thank his parents, Dave, Joe, his cast and crew, and the wonderful Carthage instructors that helped him get this far. Enjoy the show!
Mack Folkert (Counselor, Rider, Alvin) Mack Folkert is happy to be hopping into the cast of Ghost Bike. He is a Theatre Performance major and was last seen as Robert in Carthage Theatre’s production of Boeing Boeing. Mack also recently played Fleance in Optimist Theatre’s Macbeth.
Amanda Garrigan (Ganglot, Soul) is ecstatic to be returning to her role in her first Main Stage production at Carthage her freshman year. She is a Theatre and Elementary Ed. double major and has been actively involved in theatre and dance her whole life. In just a few short weeks she Ghost Bike
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B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) will be traveling to Ireland to perform an original work at the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin. Amanda would like to send out endless thanks to her parents and family for giving her this opportunity and always supporting her. Amanda is humbled to work with such a talented cast and crew and to see the effort backstage from set design, to sound, to lighting, to costuming. Thank you to Herschel and Laura for the opportunity to work in such a great show once again, break a leg to the cast, and enjoy your time with us in the underworlds! Desiree Gonzalez (Hel, Soul) is a Music Theater Major and Dance Minor sophomore at Carthage College. She has been involved with theater since eighth grade landing roles in musicals such as Grease, Guys and Dolls, Seussical, The Sound of Music, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. She is thrilled to say that Ghost Bike marks her first main stage production here, and is honored to be apart of such a talented cast. She would also like to thank her friends and family for their continuous love and support, as well as the cast for making this such a wonderful experience. Good luck to everyone!! Herschel Kruger (Director) Herschel Kruger – Chair, Division of Fine Arts earned his M.F.A. in acting from the University of Illinois, and while there completed an Independent Study in Directing with Dr. Burnet Hobgood. Professor Kruger is also a graduate of the National Shakespeare Conservatory’s two-year Professional Actors Training program in New York City, and holds a B.A. in theatre communications from Cardinal Stritch University. He has worked as an actor and director in New York, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. In 2009, Professor Kruger directed the world premiere of Honest at Carthage, which was then selected as a full participating production at the 2010 region III Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Saginaw, MI. Commendations were given in Curricular Development, Playwriting, and Acting by the KC/ACTF National Selection Committee. Professor Kruger’s 2008 production of 4
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Independence was selected to represent the state of Wisconsin at the 2009 region III Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival evening of scenes. Professor Kruger teaches acting and directing classes, a variety of other theatre classes, and directs one-two main stage productions each year. He has also led J-Term trips to Greece, Germany, and New York City to study theatre. Directing credits at Carthage include Ghost Bike, Inspecting Carol, Cabaret, Sunday in the Park with George, Lysistrata, Honest, Moon Over Buffalo, Blood Brothers, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Postmortem, Independence, and the entire “Over the Tavern” trilogy including Over the Tavern, King O’The Moon, and Last Mass at St. Casimir’s. Laura Jacqmin (Playwright) was the winner of the 2008 Wasserstein Prize, a $25,000 award to recognize an emerging female playwright. Her play Ghost Bike was commissioned and developed by Carthage College, and made it’s world premiere on February 17, 2012. She is the Faith Broome 2012-2013 Playwright-inResidence at the University of Oklahoma where her new play And When We Awoke There Was Light and Light made it’s world premiere on Novemeber 14, 2012. Her plays include Look, We Are Breathing (Sundance Theatre Lab), Two Lakes, Two Rivers (commissioned by the Goodman Theatre, and workshopped through the Royal Court Theatre’s 2011 International Residency), January Joiner (Workshopped at the Long Wharf Theatre, Spring 2012) and Ski Dubai (Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s First Look Repertory of New Work). Her short play Hero Dad (a finalist for the 2012 Heideman Award) premiered in the 2012 Humana Festival of New Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Her work has been produced and developed by the Atlantic Theater, Roundabout Underground, Vineyard Theatre, Cape Cod Theatre Project, Ars Nova, Second Stage, MacDowell Colony, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, and more. Jacqmin was a member of the inaugural 20102011 Playwrights’ Unit at the Goodman Theatre. She has been commissioned by South Coast Rep, Goodman Theatre, Arden
B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) Theater Company, InterAct Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater/NNPN, and Ensemble Studio Theatre/ Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Project. BA Yale University; MFA Ohio University. Martin McClendon (Lighting Designer/ Technical Director): Theatre Department Chair/assistant professor of theatre at Carthage. Before he began teaching he spent 10 years working as a professional actor, carpenter, and scene designer in Chicago and Los Angeles. He designed more than a dozen sets for Chicago’s Defiant Theatre, twice receiving Joseph Jefferson Citation nominations for his scenic work. As an actor he has appeared on the stages of Chicago’s Steppenwolf, Northlight, and Victory Gardens theatres among others. Martin has also worked in television, appearing in national and regional commercials, episodes of “ER” and “Early Edition,” and several pilots, as well as independent films. He would like to thank Jennifer, Arabella, and Horatio for their support. Kim Instenes (Assistant Professor of Theatre/Costume Design Supervisor) Kim holds an MFA in Costume Design and Technology from Ohio University, and a BA in Theatre from UW-Whitewater. Kim Joined the Carthage faculty in 2008 and before coming to Carthage she had designed a number of productions for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Lawrence University including Imaginary Invalid, Pride and Prejudice and the Trojan War. Kim continues to work as a freelance costume and make-up designer working in the Milwaukee/Chicago area. Design credits include The Giver and Perseus Bayou at First Stage, Milwaukee Shakespeare, the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Utah Shakespearean Festival and the Racine Theatre Guild. Recent credits include designs for the World premier of Gossamer, written by Lois Lowery at First Stage Milwaukee and Heroes at the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. William Newcomb (Assistant Technical Director): The newest member of the Carthage Theatre faculty, William holds a B.F.A.
degree in Technical Theatre from Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas, and an M.F.A. degree in Arts Administration from Southern Utah University. He was Assistant Manager of the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre for two years before coming to Carthage. William also serves as Production Manager for the Optimist Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park. Other credits include Technical Director of the Wells Fine Arts Center at Tarleton State University, Assistant Technical Director at Oberlin College, Scene Shop Foreman at Ohio Light Opera, and Assistant Production Manager of the Utah Shakespearean Festival. William teaches Play Production I: Stagecraft in addition to managing the scene shop. He would like to thank his wife Alison for her continued love and support. Lizz Zitron (Dramaturg) is Outreach Librarian at the Carthage College Hedberg Library and a lifelong theatre fan. She has done dramaturgy for Biloxi Blues, The Rail Splitter, Cabaret, and other Carthage productions. Big thanks for Herschel and Matt for a smooth production. Many many thanks for Laura for creating a play that combines my love of research with my love for mythology and story. Huge thanks to the wonderful Lauren Eastman for her incredible research work. Thanks especially to Erik for understanding why I don’t get home until 11pm. Lauren Eastman (Prop Master) is a junior this year, studying scenic design and artistry. Ghost Bike is Lauren’s premiering role as Assistant Dramaturge and Properties Master. She is incredibly grateful to be working on a production as unique as Ghost Bike. Lauren has been a scenic painter for nearly all Carthage mainstage productions, and is happy to announce that she is a scenic painting intern at Milwaukee’s First Stage Children’s Theatre. Thanks for coming, and enjoy the show! Shannon Meyer (Scenic Designer) A 2012 graduate majoring in Theatre Production and Design with a minor in Studio Art. She is thrilled for the opportunity to be doing Ghost Bike
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B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) her fist main stage set design as her senior thesis. Her previous work includes sound design for both Honest and Inspecting Carol. She would like to thank her family and friends for all their support, especially those who have traveled long distances, and a special thank you to her grandparents. Matt Schaeflein (Stage Manager) is a Senior in the theater department and this is his first time as PSM. He is very proud to work with such a great production and performance team. He’d like to thank those that helped him though this processes especially Herschel and Skylar. Please enjoy the best bike theater piece ever written and preformed ever.
Simon Skluzacek (Sound Designer) A 2012 graduate of Carthage who double majored in Theatre and Physics. Simon is very happy to be able to work on Ghost Bike to help create something new. Simon’s past designs at Carthage include Almost, Maine, Far Away, and Biloxi Blues. Simon would like to thank everyone who supported him on this journey. Skylar Reinhard (ASM) is a Junior Theatre Performance/Communication double major with a Music minor. She is from Gurnee, Il and has been doing theatre since middle school. Last year, she was seen in the studio theatre as Nina in Beautiful Bodies. This is her first time being involved backstage with a mainstage, and her first time EVER as stage management. She is overjoyed to be a part of this production and is so proud of all of the hard work the cast has done!
D I R E C TO R ’ S N O T E S Five years ago my colleagues and I envisioned an initiative that would become a cornerstone of the theatre department and create an identity that makes Carthage College Theatre unique. The idea was to commission a new play each year and premiere the productions at Carthage during the spring semester. GHOST BIKE is the fourth original work we have commissioned and each project has brought its share of challenges and learning experiences. Each production has also explored very different themes and ideas and given us an array of stories and styles of performance. In GHOST BIKE it was easy to be drawn in conceptually by a retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth while chasing around the streets of Chicago and the Underworld on fixies, BMX’s, and other types of velocipedes. The task then was to bring it all to life with 18 different locations and a dozen different time periods and styles of dress. Student scenic designer Shannon Meyer, Kim Instenes faculty costume designer and I had several concept/design meetings trying to work through the puzzle of places and people and how we could align our choices, and create a multifaceted and timeless world. Playwright Laura Jacqmin attended rehearsals, answered questions, and gave us rewrites even as we approached opening night. This part of the process reflects the nature of working with a playwright on original work and the importance of creative problem solving and collaborative interaction. From workshops, to design meetings, to auditions, to opening night the value of this experience is immeasurable. The process has so many challenges, but it is the truest test of our work as theatre artists, and our goals as theatre educators.
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D R A M AT U R G I C A L N O T E S Seminal mythologist Joseph Campbell defines the function of a mythology as a cultural framework for a society or people to educate their young, and to provide them with a means of coping with their passage through the different stages of life from birth to death. In “Ghost Bike,” the main character Ora grapples with her best friend’s death through literal and figurative mythology. Ora both encounters and tells herself stories which force us to consider the impact of mythology. What do the stories we tell say about ourselves? What do they actually DO for us? What happens when stories are no longer needed; where do they go? Ora and Eddie are the modern-day versions of a common mythological story: unable to cope with Eddie’s death, Ora follows him to the Underworld to bring him back. The Japanese version is grim and disturbing with siblings committing incest to bring their parents back to life, reflecting a value of parental honor at all cost. The Greek version is a sad romance that does not end well and tries to make sense of death, love, and the afterlife all at once. Like her Greek counterpart Orpheus, Ora is driven underground mostly by the story she has told herself, which is that she cannot live without Eddie and vice-versa. As Ora journeys further through the Underworld to find Eddie, she discovers a rich world inhabited by too-hip ghosts, curious creatures and sinister gods. Some are Norse, some are Chinese and some are Greek. In most mythologies the Underworld is not the Judeo-Christian Hell. Many cultures view the Underworld as continuations of life, just not with the living part. There are great rewards and great punishments in some myths, but it’s more of an unknown place rather than something to fear. On her first stop in the Underworld, Ora meets characters unsure of where they are. They struggle to grasp what they are doing. While Ora is also struggling, she knows exactly why she’s in the Underworld. Most of the characters she meets know exactly what roles they are to play. And it’s not pretty. Perhaps they have gone unchecked by a modern world that no longer needs them as much. Or maybe they reflect Ora’s grim state of mind. As she gets deeper, we must ask do the mythologies control Ora, or does she control them? Once stories are created, do they take on a life of their own, or remain under human domain? Ora struggles against the stories of others and the stories she tells herself. She discovers personal and cultural mythologies can help make sense of facts but also blind oneself to truth. Much like the humans that create it, mythology is complex, nuanced, and tricky. Mythology gives us values, identities, community, explanation, duality, initiation, consciousness, origin, meaning and sometimes, the answer we really need.
PL AY WRIGHT NOTES What happens after we die? What happens to the people we leave behind? It was out of these two questions that the idea for Ghost Bike sprang. Feeling that most stories about death were divided too simply into black-and-white, heaven-and-hell, something-andnothing, I decided to delve more deeply into the underworld and afterlife myths from cultures around the world. Contained in the play are elements of Greek, Japanese, Chinese, Norse, Korean, Mesopotamian, and Congolese mythology about the dead and the people who pursue them into Yomi, Diyu, the Ten Courts of Hell, the Asphodel Meadows, and beyond. These stories, written centuries ago and in places thousands of miles away from each other, contain startling similarities. All of them grapple with the same central issue: our unwillingness to let our loved ones go after they’ve passed away, and our fascination with where they might have gone. In Ghost Bike, Ora, not content to be left only with memories, pursues her friend into a literal “underworld:” a city below the one she explored with Eddie. Convinced she can find a way to bring him back to the city above, she battles ghosts, creatures from some of the most famous myths, and her own demons. But ultimately – just like all of us – she must find a way to cope with her friend’s death, and decide how to memorialize him. Ghost Bike
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SPECIAL THANKS The bicycles for the production of GHOST BIKE were bought or donated through special arrangement with DreamBikes. DreamBikes is more than a used bike store. It is a 501 (c)3 non-profit bike store staffed by neighborhood kids who otherwise would not have the chance for a job. DreamBikes gets kids on bikes who normally couldn’t afford one. Once you donate a bike, the kids will clean it up, tune it up and prepare the bike for resale in the store. DreamBikes brings safe and quality bicycles at a great price to a community in need and in doing so, helps to build the community. DreamBikes provides the bikes and the jobs to open new world of possibility. The entire operation is a dream. Where is it? The first DreamBikes is located in the Allied Dunn’s Marsh neighborhood of Madison, Wisconsin. The second location is located in the brewer’s Hill neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In communities where there are needs for dreams to be answered, DreamBikes delivers. Contact Information: Russell Jobs - General Manager email: russell@dream-bikes.org web site: www.dream-bikes.org
the k ennedy center american college theater festi val™ X L I V
The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Honorable Stuart Bernstein and Wilma E. Bernstein; the Kennedy Center Corporate Fund; and the National Committee for the Performing Arts. This production is entered in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). The aims of this national theater education program are to identify and promote quality in college-level theater production. To this end, each production entered is eligible for a response by a regional KCACTF representative, and selected students and faculty are invited to participate in KCACTF programs involving scholarships, internships, grants and awards for actors, directors, dramaturgs, playwrights, designers, stage managers and critics at both the regional and national levels. Productions entered on the Participating level are eligible for inclusion at the KCACTF regional festival and can also be considered for invitation to the KCACTF national festival at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC in the spring of 2011. Last year more than 1,300 productions were entered in the KCACTF involving more than 200,000 students nationwide. By entering this production, our theater department is sharing in the KCACTF goals to recognize, reward, and celebrate the exemplary work produced in college and university theaters across the nation. 8
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