KCATF honors cast and crew of Pierce production

CHRISTOPHER TORRES

Photo & Sports Editor @chris_t_torres

In 2001, the president of the United States was George W. Bush and the first film of the Harry Potter series was released. It was also the last time a Pierce College production was selected to compete at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF).

The Pierce Theater program has been chosen as one of the six productions to be showcased from region VIII of the KCACTF.

The production being highlighted at the festival is Caryl Churchill’s “Top Girls” directed by Shaheen Vaaz, a professor of theater arts.

Vaaz compared the event to one of the most famous music festivals of all time but with different personnel.

“Just think of Coachella but filled with theater nerds,” Vaaz said. “Everyone’s wreally excited to go there and do workshops and see plays and interact with other people. It’s quite exciting.”

In addition to “Top Girls” being selected to compete at the KCACTF, Pierce sent eight acting students to participate in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship competition.

According to the KCACTF webpage, the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarships provide recognition, honor and financial assistance to outstanding student performers wishing to pursue a further education and career in acting.

As of Feb. 14, Actors Trevor Alkazian, Trevor Figueroa and Justine Gorry all advanced to the semi-final round of the of the acting competition.

Jon Michael Villagomez, assistant director for “Top Girls,” was selected to participate in the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) Student Directing Fellowship competition.

Villagomez won first place for his SDC directing scene at the KCACTF this year and he became the first Pierce student to ever advance to the finals and win this national competition.

The theater department also sent Sarah Webster, set designer for “Top Girls,” to partake in the Allied Design and Technology competition where she was also a finalist for her scenic design presentation for “Top Girls.”

Region VIII of the KCACTF is comprised of both community colleges and four-year universities from Arizona, Central and Southern California, Hawai’i, Southern

Nevada, Utah and Guam.

Despite the play being set in the early 1980s, Vaaz believes the message of “Top Girls” can be applicable in today’s society due to the fact that the whole theme is about women empowerment.

“Currently it’s the time of ‘Me Too’ and I think we felt that in the air as we were all working together,” Vaaz said. “We all had a really deep personal connection to it.”

Department Chair of Performing Arts Michael Gend said the play was written as a response to the women’s liberation movement in the workplace that was happening in 1970s Britain.

“It really is about women’s rise to power and the lead character is a female CEO,” Gend said. “With all the movements that have been happening lately, it feels like the story has become relevant again because of what is happening in society now.”

Gend said by being selected to this well-renowned festival, it is a great way to promote themselves as a department to colleges across the nation and show what they bring to the table.