NORFOLK, Neb. – Four Northeast Community College students or recent alumni were regional award winners in various theater production categories at The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.
Three of the students were honored for their work in “Silence” while another was honored for his work in “Almost, Maine.” All were Region 5 winners, which includes the colleges in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.
Charlie Starkel was honored for Costume Design, Marie Kubo was honored for Costume Crafts & Hair Design, and Charlie Henkel was honored for Sound Design. All three were honored for last year’s student production of “Silence.”
Micah Goedeken was honored for his work in Costume Design for “Almost, Maine,” which Northeast students put on the year before last. The award was meant to be given the year before but was omitted by mistake.
Northeast Community College Theater Instructor Adam Peterson said in the spring, the final Northeast/Norfolk Community Theatre production is put on exclusively by students.
This is the 57th year of The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Seven students from Northeast attended the festival, participating in workshops that covered topics like choreography and musical theater, among others. The students also attended multiple shows that were presented.
“It was just a great experience for all of them,” Peterson said. “It was nice that it was in Des Moines.”
Northeast students competed with students from colleges and universities of all sizes, along with a few community colleges. One of the advantages of being a smaller competitor means that the students are more heavily involved in the production.
One of the disadvantages is that some of the other colleges can enter all their productions because they are bigger and put on all their shows with students. Northeast is involved in a cooperative partnership with the Norfolk Community Theatre.
Along with the Kennedy regional festivals, there is a national festival in the Washington, D.C., area in April.
Award winner
“Silence,” which was put on by Northeast Community College students in the round last year, received three honors by students who worked on it. The awards were presented during the recent Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Des Moines, Iowa. (Northeast Community College)
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