MESA, Arizona -- Nov. 23, 2016 -- Mesa Community College is hosting the prestigious Region VIII Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) in the college’s Performing Arts Center and MCC Theatre on Feb. 14-18, 2017.
Hundreds of students and faculty from over 50 colleges and universities in KCACTF Region VIII states: Arizona, Central and Southern California, Hawaii, Southern Nevada and Utah, will compete during this 49th regional festival.
Individual performances, full-scale productions and other student works compete for awards recognizing excellence in the arts and craft of theater, which includes performance, design, technology, playwriting and management.
Following the regional competition, award recipients and representatives from selected productions go on to attend the national KCACTF at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. in April 2017.
In its 49th year, the national KCACTF gathers award recipients from the eight regional festivals to provide students with master classes with leading artists from the international theatre community, opportunities to engage with peers from other regions, seats at local Washington D.C. productions, auditions for scholarship and residency opportunities, and attendance at the KCACTF national award ceremony.
“It is an honor and a rare privilege for a community college to host a regional KCACTF. Typically only universities are equipped to support the multitude of events hosted at a regional festival. MCC is uniquely positioned with two state of the art facilities; the new Performing Arts Center and the recently renovated MCC Theatre,” said Kara Thomson, MCC Theatre & Film Arts faculty and vice chair of DTM KCACTF Region VIII. “Being the host site of a competition of this stature is a compliment to our community, college administration and the entire Maricopa County Community College District. The caliber and importance of the arts at MCC has been acknowledged on a regional and national level. We are very appreciative of the support we receive for all our programs at MCC.”
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Media Contact
Dawn Zimmer, dawn.zimmer@mesacc.edu, 480-461-7892
The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) encourages and celebrates the finest and most diverse theatrical productions from colleges and universities nationwide. Through the regional and national festivals, the KCACTF celebrates the achievements of theater programs, individual students, and faculty of colleges and universities throughout the United States. The eight regional festivals provide opportunities for colleges and universities to showcase their finest work to diverse audiences of theater students and faculty from their regions. Learn more at https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/opportunities-for-artists/pre-professional-artist-training/kcactf/. MCC is part of KCACTF Region VII. Additional information is available online at https://kcactf-8.org
Mesa Community College is nationally recognized for service-learning, career and technical programs, civic engagement and innovative approaches to education. The college serves as a resource for career readiness, transfer education, workforce development and lifelong learning. Host to 30,000 students annually, MCC offers more than 195 degree and certificate programs at its two campuses and additional locations. MCC is an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution with a diverse student body that enriches the learning experience. Award-winning faculty are dedicated to student success, providing the education and training that empowers MCC students to compete locally and globally. MCC, located in the East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona, is one of the 10 colleges that comprise the Maricopa County Community College District. For additional information, visit mesacc.edu.
Mesa Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association (NCA) http://www.ncahlc.org
The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an EEO/AA institution and an equal opportunity employer of protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities.