Northwestern students excel at regional theatre festival

Two Northwestern College theatre students received national recognition at the Region Five Kennedy Center College Theatre Festival (KCACTF), which was held virtually Jan. 16–22.

Karisa Meier, a senior theatre education major from Badger, Iowa, received Region Five’s top scenic design award for her work on Northwestern’s production of the children’s play “Charlotte’s Web.” As a national winner, she will represent Region Five at the KCACTF National Festival in April, where her scenic design work will compete with that of seven other regional winners.

Wyatt Waage will also advance to the KCACTF National Festival. The senior theatre major from Vermillion, South Dakota, won Region Five’s top sound design award for his work for the college’s production of “Eurydice.”

In addition, Rachel Smart, a senior English teaching major from Brookings, South Dakota, won first place at the regional festival for her dramaturgy work. She designed the lobby display highlighting aspects of Northwestern’s production of the musical “Little Shop of Horrors.” Northwestern students also won eight certificates of merit in a variety of roles for their work on “Charlotte’s Web,” “Eurydice” and “Little Shop of Horrors.”

The KCACTF Region Five Festival is an annual event that includes undergraduate and graduate students from six Midwestern states.