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For Immediate Release
January 07, 2003
NEBRASKA WESLEYAN THEATRE PRODUCTION
SELECTED AS FINALE TO REGIONAL FESTIVAL
Lincoln, Neb.— The conclusion of an upcoming
regional theater festival will highlight four students and their
performance of the play True West.
Wesleyan’s True West, written by
Sam Shepard and directed by NWU associate professor Jack Parkhurst,
has been selected to compete in the Region V Kennedy Center American
College Theater Festival. The festival will be held at the University
of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa January 21-26. True West
will perform at the festival’s conclusion on January 26th.
"It’s a little intimidating to be the
last show," said Parkhurst. "It’s the culmination
of everything."
Nine full-length productions were selected to compete
at regionals through a year-long adjudication process. Other competitors
include University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Kansas, University
of Minnesota-Duluth, University of Missouri-Columbia, Minnesota
State University, Kansas State University, and Metropolitan State
University in Minneapolis, Minn. Parkhurst said the selection committee
had nearly 200 entries to choose from.
"We had the confidence that this play had the
potential to be selected," said Scott Gealy of Lincoln, who
plays a lead role in True West. "But it was a pleasant surprise,
and it is nice to be able to keep working and improving it."
Selected performances will advance to the national
festival, which will be held in April at the John F. Kennedy Center
for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
True West was performed at Nebraska Wesleyan
in November. Due to its popularity, the shows sold out. In preparation
for its appearance at the regional festival, Nebraska Wesleyan’s
theatre department will present a special performance of True
West on Monday, January 20 at 7 p.m. in McDonald Theater located
on the Wesleyan campus. Tickets are available only at the door on
the evening of the performance and cost $10 for adults and $7 for
students.
True West is a comedy about two brothers-–who
are as different as night and day–who concoct a scheme to
write a screen play that is a contemporary "true western."
It is a biting satire of sibling rivalry, Hollywood dreams and California’s
new age philosophy. The cast includes Matthew Lukasiewicz of
Hastings, Scott Gealy of Lincoln, Kylie Fogland of Grand Island
and Ryan Kathman of Omaha.
The regional festival also provides an opportunity
for theater students to learn and improve their acting skills,"
Parkhurst said.
"Our goal isn’t to take a show but to
be the best that we can," he said.
Student actors will also compete in the Irene Ryan
Scholarship Auditions. These scholarships are designed to provide
recognition, honor and financial assistance to outstanding student
performers wishing to pursue further education. The Irene Ryan Foundation,
named for the actress best known for her role as "Granny"
on the television show "The Beverly Hillbillies," awards
19 regional awards and two fellowships annually. Selected to perform
from Nebraska Wesleyan are Deanna Pohl of Bruno, Logan Turner
of Lincoln, Sophia Jasnowski of Aurora, Scott Gealy of Lincoln,
Matthew Lukasiewicz of Hastings and Kylie Fogland of Grand Island.
For more information about the festival or to arrange
an interview with the True West director or cast, please
contact Sara Olson at (402) 465-2185.
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