Theatre at Southeastern wins five national awards at the American College Theatre Festival

April 3, 2023

The Theatre at Southeastern Company was recognized with a number of awards.

Theatre at Southeastern won five national awards for their performance of “Keely and Du” at the American College Theatre Festival – Region 6.

The festival was held February 27-March 2 in Abiliene, Texas. Riley Risso Coker is director of theatre at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Theatre at Southeastern produced “Keely and Du” in October 2022 and entered it into the competition where it was viewed by two members of the regional committee. The region Southeastern competes in consists of colleges and universities from Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas and Louisiana.

From their performance in October, three of the cast members were recognized for excellence in acting and were nominated for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship – Karlie Carr, Dottie Fuhr and Robert Turner.

Carr is a senior theatre major from Kingston, Oklahoma; Fuhr is a junior theatre major from Sherman, Texas; and Turner is a senior theatre major from Paris, Texas.

The entire cast and crew were recognized for their “approach and care to sensitive material.” Finally, Trista Davidson, a senior theatre major from Durant, was recognized for “scenic painting and numerous and significant backstage contributions.”

In December, “Keely and Du” was one of five productions selected across the region to perform at the festival where it was viewed by six members of the national committee.

From that performance, Theatre at Southeastern was awarded the following:

The Citizen Award: the Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Awards recognize programs in higher education using theatrical production to promote long-term societal impact through an artistic lens, to encourage empathetic exploration of the complex cultural and physical world, and to advocate for justice on campus and throughout the world.
Distinguished Achievement in the Facilitation of a Brave Rehearsal Space: this new recognition celebrates teaching artists who create a rehearsal room community that prioritizes the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of their student artists; empowering them to safely engage with challenging theatrical stories.
Distinguished Achievement in Stage Management – Trista Davidson
Distinguished Performance by an Actor – Dottie Fuhr
Distinguished Performance by an Actor – Karlie Carr

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) is a national organization that exists to celebrate the educational and creative process of university and college theatre. KCACTF promotes professional standards and provides students and faculty with opportunities to bridge the academic and professional worlds. KCACTF honors achievements in diversity and excellence and encourages experiences in all areas of theatre.