Issue date: 4/12/07 Section: The Buzz

April 17 marks the 39th Annual Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Washington D.C. and once again Cal State Fullerton is gracing the stage in a huge way.

The festival, started in 1969, is a national showcase and competition where student candidates get a chance to shine, receive accolades and outside assessment as well as the chance to work with leaders in the field of performing arts. In short - it is where the creme de la creme of performing arts in the nation takes the stage every year.

An invitation to the festival is considered the highest honor a director, actor, lighting designer and the like can receive in the realm of performing arts, and CSUF students are no strangers to the highly acclaimed spotlight.

"We've come to expect Fullerton here," said Greg Henry, artistic director of the festival, in a phone interview. "We hold [CSUF students] in very high regard. They've set the bar really high … we look forward to getting to region eight. We always know we are going to see a strong production."

In order to be considered for the national festival, held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a production or a student first has to make it to "region" held in January and February. There are only eight regional festivals, CSUF falls in region eight, from which selected participants are chosen by a national team to be invited to the Kennedy Center.

CSUF had a strong showing at region and three students - Adam Navarro, Katy Streeter and Patrick Pearson - were extended the honor of all-expenses paid trips to the Kennedy Center and a chance to shine on the national stage. Lighting designer Katy Streeter and actor Dave Navarro will be competing for an award and scholarship respectively.

For Patrick Pearson, whose entire show The Diviners is being showcased, the invitation is the award. Only four shows across the United States were requested for performance at the Kennedy Center and Pearson's made the cut. Streeter, nominated for The Barbizon Award for Excellence in Scenic, Costume and Light Design, will be working double duty at the festival. She also happens to be the lighting designer for The Diviners.

"They've cut through a wide swath of other productions and performers to be here," Henry said. "We have a national selection team that goes to regional festivals … I see about 65 shows in an eight-week time period."

"Regularly the Fullerton students are represented at the national awards level," Henry said. " Every year Fullerton has a finalist at least in design, almost always in acting … this year they have both. And Patrick has been here before - I believe this will be his third time at festival."

Continued...

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