From a UW press release:
An original one-act play by University of Wyoming senior theatre major Jaime Cruz of Evanston has been selected for competition at the national Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) in Washington, D.C.
Cruz's play "Dead in the Kitchen" won the Region VII KCACTF Short Play award in February and is a finalist for the prestigious national John Cauble Short Play Award sponsored by KCACTF.
Cruz won an all-expense paid trip to the national event, where he will attend a week of writing workshops with nationally known playwrights and attend a professional reading of his play this week. Cruz has also been asked by playwright Jose Cruz Gonzalez to attend rehearsals of the new play "Sunsets and Margaritas" at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
Named in honor of John Cauble, professor emeritus of UCLA who helped develop the KCACTF playwriting award program, the Short Play Award annually recognizes one or more outstanding productions of such plays in colleges and universities. The awards to each playwright whose work is presented at the national festival include $1,000 provided by the Kennedy Center; a professional development opportunity; and active membership in the Dramatists Guild.
This was the first year UW playwrights won all the playwriting awards at Region VII KCACTF.
American studies graduate student Drew Lyness of Shropshire, United Kingdom, won the Northwest Drama Conference (NWDC) Playwriting Contest with his play "Body of an American." Lyness won a trip to Seattle for a professional reading of the play at the Seattle Repertory Theatre.
Senior English major Randi Million of Laramie won the Region VII ACTF 10-Minute Play Competition. All three students were part of the spring 2008 Advanced Playwriting class taught by English Professor Craig Arnold and Theatre Professor William Missouri Downs.
Junior theatre major Steven Rotramel of Greeley, Colo., received the Region VII KCACTF Costume Design Award Winner for his work on the fall 2008 production of "Rabbit Hole" and also won an all-expense paid trip to compete at the national festival.
KCACTF is a national theatre program involving 18,000 students from more than 600 colleges and universities nationwide. KCACTF encourages, recognizes and celebrates the finest and most diverse work produced in university and college theater programs.
