A group of Saint Francis Fine Arts students and one faculty member attended the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Region II Festival at West Chester University last month.

The five-day festival in southeastern Pennsylvania consisted of sessions exploring the roles of actors and actresses in theatrical performances, as well as the work done by those working behind the scenes on theatrical production teams, including stage managers and dramaturgs.

The festival concluded with the performance of selected college productions from the fall semester.

“I really liked some of the events I attended,” said junior Olivia Theisen, stage manager for SFU’s upcoming production of “Grease.”

“The classes were very enjoyable and I liked watching the performances.”

Many colleges and universities from across the Mid-Atlantic Region participated in the festival.

“My favorite part of the trip was meeting others interested in theatre, making connections, and building off of each other’s experiences,” said sophomore Miranda Weiland.

In addition to attending various sessions and performances at the festival, several SFU students were nominated for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship, including Weiland, who submitted videos of a monologue to compete for the award.

“Now that I have experience,” said Weiland, “I can compete again with better knowledge of how to win the scholarship.”

Members of the SFU group who attended the festival included Assistant Professor of Theatre Lance Mekeel, along with sophomores Autumn Baum, Tessa Paluzzi and Miranda Weiland, and juniors Anna Parrish, Erin Pyle and Olivia Theisen.