Recent Awards and Achievements
· Theatre Arts Associate Professor Susanna Rinehart has received a Students' Choice "Faculty Member of the Year" award in the 12th annual balloting. This marks the second time she has received this honor.
· Randy Ward, Theatre Arts professor and scenographer, designed the set and lights for Cathay: Three Tales of China, an original puppet-theatre work created by Ping Chong & Company in collaboration with the Shaanxi Folk Art Theatre of Xian, China. The work was commissioned for the Washington, D.C., Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of their month-long China Festival in October, after debuting at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. The show now has been selected for the prestigious Vienna Festival, and will be performed there in June 2006. Learn more about the show at the Kennedy Center and Seattle Rep links. Read a D.C. review.
· M.F.A. Grad Students Ashley Sparks and Sarah Chandler were "Featured Students" on the VT Graduate School home page during November, 2005.
· Megan Carney, an M.F.A. candidate in the Theatre Arts Directing & Public Dialogue program, was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame for her work with high-school age youth. The award was announced by Mayor Richard M. Daly and the chairs of the Commission on Human Relations and the Advisory Council on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues. Megan traveled to Chicago Nov. 1, 2005, to receive the award. Read the release.
· Patty Raun, department head in Theatre Arts, received positive reviews for her Edinburgh Festival Fringe performance of Eurydice, a one-woman show written by internationally-acclaimed VT English professor Thomas Gardner, which took place Aug. 8-10. Music for the show was composed by and performed by Alan Weinstein, a faculty member in the Department of Music. While in Scotland, Raun also presented a paper at the Voice and Speech Trainer's Association conference. Read more...
· The Theatre Arts department was featured in Virginia Tech Research Magazine for last fall's production of God Favors The Predator. The research carried out through theatre production work was the topic of an article in the summer issue of VT's premiere research publication. Read the article...
· Michelle Krusiec, a graduate of the VT Theatre Arts program, plays a starring role in the current film Saving Face, a SONY Productions release. Michelle is one of four nominees in the Best Actress category for her performance in Saving Face in the Golden Horse Film Awards Festival (the Taiwanese equivalent of the Oscars). There, the film won the "Audience Choice" Award. Read a review...
· Maura Sinnenberg, Theatre Arts major, has been selected as a College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences Ambassador for the 2005-06 year.
· David Johnson awarded a 2004-05 Certificate of Teaching Excellence, Randy Ward named for Excellence in Graduate Student Advising Award, and M.F.A. student Chris Adams given a special commendation for community service by the College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences. - read the details
· Theatre Arts named a 2004 Exemplary Department - read the details
· Jane Harrison, School of the Arts administrative assistant, received the 2004 President's Award for Excellence from the University.
· Don Drapeau, Professor Emeritus of Theatre Arts, was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre, in April, 2004. He joins Virginia Tech colleagues Bernie Dukore, Professor Emeritus of Theatre Arts & Humanities, and Tony Distler, Emeritus Director of the School of the Arts. Other College members include Edward Albee, Ming Cho Lee, Oscar Brockett, Kristen Linklater, Jon Jory, Zelda Fichandler, and Lloyd Richards.
· Scenographer Randy Ward nominated for prestigious American Theatre Wing Hewes Design Award for his lighting design for The Edda Project with international theatre artist Ping Chong at New York's Lincoln Center Festival last fall.
· The Laramie Project selected for 2003 ACTF Region IV Festival - read the details
· Robert Leonard, Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the New York-based Theatre Communications Group, the service organization for not-for-profit theatres. TCG has over 450 theatre members, and its Executive Director is former Virginia Tech theatre arts faculty member, Ben Cameron.
· Don Drapeau has been selected to head the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST), serving as president of this national accrediting body for a three-year term beginning in the 2002-03 year.
· Takiyah Amin named VT "Outstanding Graduate Student Leader" for 2002-03
Past ACTF awards