School of Theatre Students Have Successful Showing at Competition

Six students from Illinois State University's School of Theatre have advanced to the national American College Theatre Festival as a result of regional ACTF competition held last week at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan.

The Irene Ryan Acting Competition began with 265 competing pairs at the regional event, was narrowed to 51 for the semifinals and reduced to 16 pairs in the final round.  Four pairs from Illinois State were in the finals are two of them won and will compete at the national ACTF in Washington, D.C., in April.

Ryan Hallahan of Mokena and acting partner Matt Kerrigan of Frankfort, along with Max Ganet and acting partner Matthew Gorkis, both of Naperville, won the Ryan Acting Scholarship Competition.

Two other students advancing to the Washington, D.C., event are Bob Quinlan, a graduate student from Urbana, who won the directing competition, and Neal Ryan Shaw, a graduate student from Bloomington, who won the dramaturg competition.

 At 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16, there will be a special performance of the winners' work in Westhoff Theatre in the Centennial Building on campus.  The 75-minute program is free and open to the public.

The other two Illinois State pairs who competed in the finals at Saginaw were Annie Rix of Wheaton and acting partner Ken Mooney of Vernon Hills, and Amanda Roeder of Oak Park, who also had Mooney as her acting partner.

The three acting teams that reached the semifinal round of the acting competition were Mike Tepeli and acting partner Elaine Small, Jackie Trabilsy and acting partner Carthy Dixon, and Brynne Barnard and acting partner Mikey O'Sullivan.

In other competition, Caitlin Boylan of Lombard finished in second place in the stage management competition