A scene from the fall production of "Iphigenia and Other Daughters" by Hope College Theatre has been chosen for presentation during the annual festival of the Great Lakes Region of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (ACTF).
Hope is one of only six institutions to be participating in the event's "Evening of Scenes" on Wednesday, Jan. 14, chosen from among approximately 400 associate entries nominated by responders affiliated with ACTF who had viewed the productions.
The festival will run Tuesday-Sunday, Jan. 13-18, at Illinois State University at Bloomington-Normal. In addition to the "Evening of Scenes," the event will include workshops, lectures, roundtable discussions and performances of full-length productions.
Hope College Theatre presented "Iphigenia and Other Daughters" on Friday-Saturday, Sept. 26-27, and Wednesday-Saturday, Oct. 1-4, in the DeWitt Center main theatre. Written by Ellen McLaughlin, the play is a contemporary adaptation of classic characters from Greek tragedy, emphasizing the role of women. The production was directed by Daina Robins, associate professor of theatre and chairperson of the department.
Hope Theatre will be presenting a scene from the beginning of the third act, when the title character of Iphigenia confronts the character of Orestes. The performers, who will be reprising their roles for the festival, are: sophomore Sharon Kwon of Ann Arbor as Iphigenia; senior Patrick Kearney of Clinton Township as Orestes; and, as members of the chorus, sophomore Emily Casey of Wheaton, Ill., freshman Kate Goetzinger of Indianapolis, Ind., sophomore Kendra Stock of St. Charles, Ill., senior Jessica Trakimas of Carmel, Ind., and junior Lisa Warmus of Rochester, N.Y.
Several Hope students will be participating in the festival in other ways as well.
A total of six students were nominated by ACTF responders for the Irene Ryan Acting Competition. The Hope students competing are: junior Jared DeBacker of Jonesville (Euelpides in "The Birds" in April); senior Tim Heck of Libertyville, Ill. (Edgar in "King Lear" in November); senior Dan Kwiatkowski of Cheboygan (Pithetaerus in "The Birds"); Kwon, for "Iphigenia and Other Daughters"; senior Anne Mathias of Battle Creek (Clytemnestra in "Iphigenia and Other Daughters") and senior Erik Saxvik of Libertyville (Edmund in "King Lear").
In addition, six students have entered work they completed in Hope's costume design class in the festival's design project competition: sophomore Jessica Bodtke of Grand Junction; junior Rachel Jamieson of Orchard Lake; senior Micah Maatman of Kalamazoo; sophomore Zephyr Miller of Irons; senior Amanda Weener of Grand Rapids; and junior Abigail Youngerman of Royal Oak.
The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival is a national program designed to encourage excellence in college and university theater in the United States. Started in 1969, the program involves 18,000 students from more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country.
The program is divided into eight regions. The Great Lakes "Region III" includes colleges and universities from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Selection for the regional festival's "Evening of Scenes" is a second recent recognition for the college's production of "Iphigenia and Other Daughters." A photograph of a moment from the play, featuring Iphigenia and Orestes, is featured on the cover of the "Dramatics" 2004 College Directory, which was published in December and lists and provides background on more than 200 college, university and conservatory theatre programs. The photograph was taken by Michelle Bombe, who is director of theatre as well as an associate professor and resident costume designer at Hope.