Theatre students win awards at symposium
Three Henderson State University theatre students won awards this month at the Southwest United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT) Regional 2017 Symposium in Norman, Oklahoma.
At the closing ceremony, Henderson theatre professors Douglas Gilpin and William Henshaw were recognized by the Institute with Honorary Lifetime Achievement awards for their support to the Institute. Gilpin has been a member since 1983, and Henshaw since 1996.
The symposium included three days of advanced classes in theatre design, technology, and management including hands-on training in advanced topics in scenery, costumes, lighting, and stage management and the regional design and technology exhibition and competition.
Magee-Lee Preston, a sophomore from The Colony, Texas, won a certificate of excellence in stage management, a Shure SM107 microphone and an Archibald Foundation $3,000 tuition scholarship for the display of her stage management work for Photograph 51.
Courtney Palsa, a sophomore from Searcy, won a certificate of excellence in sound design with her design work from Ten Little Indians, and an additional prize of one week of training from Meyer Sound at its factory in Berkeley, California.
Michael McMahen, a senior from Fort Smith, won an honorable mention for the exhibit of his scenic design and model for Photograph 51.
Other students competing were: Anthony McBride, a senior from Benton, with a costume technology exhibit from his work on Photograph 51; and Jennings Johnson, a junior from Heber Springs, with her lighting design for Photograph 51.
Sixty-five students from university theatre programs across the southwest region competed at the competition in categories of scenery, lighting, costumes, props, technical direction and stage management. The students attending the symposium and competing were from theatre programs such as the University of Oklahoma, St. Edwards University, Sam Houston State University, University of Texas-Arlington and Oklahoma City University.
In addition to the design adjudication, the advanced classes included topics such as Digital Costume Design, Advanced Dance Lighting, Thermoplastics for the Stage, and Building a Corpse for Props.