AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
Hallmarks of Success
We strive to maintain a professional theatre environment while keeping education a priority that is focused on the individual needs of each and every student.
- Academic Distinction
- Artistic Excellence
- Acclaimed Teaching
- Student Satisfaction
- Professional Theatre Partnerships
- Community Engagement
- Graduate Success
Teaching Excellence Award
In 2009, Parkside's Theatre Arts Department was awarded the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents' "Teaching Excellence Award for Outstanding Academic Program." We are the only fine arts department in the state to ever win this award. In the area of artistic quality, our theatrical productions have received over 100 "Regional Awards of Merit" from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Take a look at some of our past productions, and see for yourself!
KCACTF Awards
UW-Parkside is very active in the Kennedy Center's American College Theatre Festival, Region 3 (the nation's largest).
We regularly accrue a significant number of Merit Awards (in Design, Direction, and Tech) as well as Acting Awards, including what we consider to be the highest accolade, The Ensemble Acting Award. At festival, our students compete and succeed. See for yourself below!
2020 KCACTF Awards
National Award Recipient in Lighting Design
Jake Bray (Faculty) - Stupid F##king BIrd
National Award Recipient in Sound Design and Composition
Kevin Gray (Faculty)
National Award Recipient in Scenic Design
Jody Sekas - (Faculty) - Stupid F##king Bird
Selected Invited Production
Director - Fabrice Conte-Williamson (Faculty) - Stupid F##king Bird
Excellence in Lighting Design Award Recipient
Jessica Baker - Romeo and Juliet
Excellence in Sound Design Award Recipient
Jack Purves - Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged]
Excellence in Costume Design - Finalist (National)
Mya Figueroa - Stupid F##king Bird
Regional Award in Costume Design - Finalist
Ben Compton
Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas (SILV) Scholarship Recipient
Jenny Bauer
Eight weeks at the summer institute in Theatre Technology Training
Vectorworks Award
Jenny Bauer
Open Jar Institute- Scholarship for Musical Theatre
Hans Pfrang and Elise Sparks- Finalists
One week intensive with the Open Jar Institute in NYC
National Stage Management Finalist
Abby Kubik - Stupid F##king Bird
Irene Ryan Semi-Finalist
Olivia Springsteen
Honorees
Cinderella
Talia Last | Irene Ryan
Ariana Gibeault | Irene Ryan
Samantha Feiler | Irene Ryan
Alexander Gray | Stage Management
Jessica Baker | Lighting Design
Sound Mixing | Jack Purves
Costume Design | Misti Bradford
Makeup and Hair Design | Isabella Cernuska
Projection Design | Noah Frye
The Glass Menagerie
Emma Foley | Irene Ryan
Sawyer Edwards | Irene Ryan
Briana Livesay | Irene Ryan
Kyle Aaron Racas | Merit Achievement Award for Excellence in Acting
Stupid F##king Bird
Garret Allen | Irene Ryan
Olivia Springsteen | Irene Ryan
Jody Sekas | Scenic Design
Jake Bray | Lighting Design
Kevin Gray | Sound Design
Fabrice Conte-Williamson | Directing
Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged]
Erin Dylan | Irene Ryan
Sawyer Edwards | Irene Ryan
Jack Purves | Sound Design
Noah Frye | Lighting Design
Miranda Riley | Stage Management
Romeo and Juliet
Ben Compton | Irene Ryan
Delaina Kuzelka | Irene Ryan
Ariana Gibeault | Irene Ryan
Jessica Baker | Lighting Design
2019 KCACTF Awards
National Lighting Design Winner
Chelsea Strebe - Silent Sky
Regional Sound Design Winner
Jack Purves - She Kills Monsters
Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas Scholarships*
Jenny Bauer - Lighting Design, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
*Jenny received one paid week in Las Vegas for professional training workshops.
California State University Summer Arts Scholarship in Performance
Olivia Springsteen - Acting
National Allied Design & Technologies Award Runner Up
Noah Frye - Projection Design, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
National Stage Management Honorable Mention
Samantha Feiler - Stage Management, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Irene Ryan Semi-Finalist
Dylan Thomas and partner Samantha Feiler
Tech Olympics
Tianna Field and Noah Frye
Ten-Minute Plan Competition
Tomer Proctor-Zenker and Jon Rocha - actors
Honorees
Urinetown
Samuel Fitzwater-Butchart | Irene Ryan
Cody Summers | Irene Ryan
Tyler Coffey | Dramaturgy
Bri Humke | Stage Management
Alexa Joy | Charge Artist
Sam Landmark | Choreography
Darvell Peel | Choreography
Love’s Labour’s Lost
Kyle Aaron Racas | Irene Ryan
Cody Summers | Irene Ryan
Acting Ensemble
Samantha Feiler | Stage Management
Tianna Fields | Scenic Charge Artist
Alex Hamilton | Scenic Design
Alexa Joy | Makeup Design
Jordan Stanek | Props
Lauren Stoner | Costume Design
Chelsea Strebe | Lighting Design
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Erin Dylan | Irene Ryan
Dylan Thomas | Irene Ryan
Acting Ensemble
Kevin Gray | Sound Design
Jake Bray & Bryan Byars | Lighting Design
Noah Frye | Projection Design
Jody Sekas | Scenic Design
Samantha Feiler | Stage Management
Fabrice Conte-Williamson | Directing
Silent Sky
Bailey Johnston | Irene Ryan
Delaina Kuzelka | Irene Ryan
Outstanding Ensemble Performance
2018 KCACTF Awards
National Lighting Design Runner Up
Noah Frye - Midnight & Moll Flanders
Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas Scholarships*
Noah Frye - Lighting Design, Midnight and Moll Flanders
*Noah received one paid week in Las Vegas for professional training workshops.
Regional Costume Design Runner Up
Kyle Racas - Eurydice
Unrealized Regional Design Project Finalist
Kyle Racas - Costume Design - Eurydice
Kyle Racas - Scenic Design - Eurydice
National Lighting Design Award Winner
Jessica Baker - The War of the Worlds
Irene Ryan Acting Competition Finalist
Kyle Racas (and scene partner Lyric Simonson) made it to the final round of competition – top 16 of over 260 entries
Regional Costume Design Runner Up
Lauren Stoner - The Trojan Women
Design Storm Team Winner
Tyler Coffey - director of the Arcadia team
Words no picture: Spirit Award Winners in the Tech Olympics
Noah Frye and Tianna Field
Stage Management Competition Finalist
Bri Humke - Midnight and Moll Flanders
Ten Minute Playwrighting Competition Directors
Moisés Diaz and Bezza LeGreve Directed the winning entries
Honorees
Eurydice
Christiane Laskowski | Irene Ryan
Kyle Aaron Racas | Irene Ryan
Gabby Ashlin | Scenic Design
Keith Harris | Scenic Design
Jody Sekas | Lighting Design
Lisa Kornetsky | Direction
One Man, Two Guvnors
Alex Griffin | Irene Ryan
Rayne Kleinofen | Irene Ryan
Kyle Aaron Racas | Scenic Painting
The War of the Worlds
Jeff Brian | Irene Ryan
Cole Conrad | Irene Ryan
Samantha Feiler | Stage Management
Jessica Baker | Lighting Design
Midnight and Moll Flanders
Christiane Laskowski | Irene Ryan
Jenna Eve Kleinofen | Irene Ryan
Cole Conrad | Irene Ryan
Chelsea Strebe | Technical Direction
Jordan Stanek | Properties Master
Alexa joy | Charge Artistry
Noah Frye | Lighting Design
Bri Humke | Stage Management
2017 KCACTF Awards
National Lighting Design Winner
Zach Young - A Streetcar Named Desire
National Sound Design Winner
Colin Kovarik - A Streetcar Named Desire
Regional Costume Design Winner
Quinn Didier - Insurrection
National Design Finalist
Colin Kovarik - Sound Design - A Streetcar Named Desire
Quinn Didier - Costume Design - Angels in America
Zach Young - Lighting Design - A Streetcar Named Desire
Zach Young - Lighting Design - Angels in America
Unrealized Regional Design Project Finalist
Lauren Stoner - Costume Design - His Dark Materials
Quinn Didier - Costume Design - Insurrection
Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Regional Semi-finalist
Lyric Simonson - A Streetcar Named Desire
Ryan Zierk - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
In Addition to the winners at the Region III Festival, the Parkside Theatre Department also received the following honors:
A Streetcar Named Desire
Hannah Anderson - Irene Ryan Nominee - Blanche DuBois
Lyric Simonson - Irene Ryan Nominee - Stella Kowalski
Steven Novak - Certificate of Merit - Scenic Design
Zach Young - Certificate of Merit - Lighting Design
Colin Kovarik - Certificate of Merit - Sound Design
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Alex Griffin - Irene Ryan Nominee - Pseudolus
Ryan Zierk - Irene Ryan Nominee - Hero
Michelle Housh - Certificate of Merit - Stage Management
Quinn Didier - Certificate of Merit - Costume Design
Don Juan
Jarrod Langwinski - Irene Ryan Nominee - Sganarelle
Shane Richlen - Irene Ryan Nominee - Don Juan
Beth Albrecht - Certificate of Merit - Scenic Artistry
Destiny Kent - Certificate of Merit - Makeup & Hair
Ensemble at Large - Certificate of Merit
Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches
Cole Conrad - Irene Ryan Nominee - Prior Walter
Hannah Anderson - Irene Ryan Nominee - Rabbi/Henry/Hannah/Ethel Rosenburg
Jarrod Langwinski - Irene Ryan Nominee - Louis Ironson
Zach Young - Certificate of Merit - Lighting Design
Quinn Didier - Certificate of Merit - Costume Design
Beth Albrecht - Certificate of Merit - Scenic Design
Michelle Housh - Certificate of Merit - Stage Management
2016 KCACTF Awards
Regional Costume Design Runner-up
Focal Press/Rafael Jaen Showcase Award
Quinn Didier - Costume Designer - laughter City
Gabriella Ashlin - Costume Design - The Tempest
Beth Albrecht - Scenic Painting - Almost, Maine
Eamonn Higgins - Projection Design - Macbeth
Anna Janicek - Lighting Design - Hedda Gabler
Anna Janicek - Lighting Design - Hedda Gabler
Olivia Kraus - Irene Ryan Nominee - Hedda Gabler
Matt Rangel - Irene Ryan Nominee - Eilert Lovborg
Catherine Kleinofen - Certificate of Merit - Scenic Painting
Shane Richlen - Irene Ryan Nominee - Macbeth
Quinn Didier - Certificate of Merit - Hair and Makeup Design
Steven Novak - Certificate of Merit - Technical Direction
Quinn Didier - Irene Ryan Nominee - Tiny Tim
Cole Conrad - Irene Ryan Nominee - Ebenezer Scrooge
2015 KCACTF Awards
In addition to the winners at the Region III Festival, the Parkside Theatre Department also received the following honors:
2014 KCACTF Awards
The Company as a whole won the prestigious Golden Hand Truck Award for best load-in (set up) and load-out (tear down) of the scenery, lighting, costumes, and sound among all invited productions.
Several students also competed and earned recognition in other areas of the festival:
Tayler Varney (JR) - Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas Award for Into the Woods costume design and construction. She received a one-week paid intensive workshop at the professional training institute in Las Vegas. She also received a Merit Award for Excellence in Scenic Design for It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.
Zachary Cooper (SR) - John Cauble Short Play National Semi-Finalist for his original work, The Fast Nickel.
Kelliann Keeler (JR) - Regional Design Project Finalist (Costume Design)
Jazmin Medina (SR) - Regional Design Project Finalist (Costume Design)
Robin Feltman (JR) - Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions Regional Semi-Finalist
Spencer Gray (SR) - Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions Regional Semi-Finalist Partner
Anna Janicek (JR) - Merit Award for Excellence in Sound Design
Antonio Torrez (SR) - Merit Award for Excellence in Scenic Painting
Laura Arnold (SR) - Merit Award for Excellence in Stage Management
2013 KCACTF Awards
Ethan Hall, Brenna Kempf, Hayley Cotton, Kenjamin Lafayette,
Certificates of Merit:
Misti Bradford - Costume Design (Twelfth Night)Jamie Cheatham - Directing (Twelfth Night)
Katlin Kobernick - Makeup Design (Twelfth Night)
Chris Payne - Lighting Design (Twelfth Night)
Jody Sekas - Scene Design (Twelfth Night)
Ensemble Award (Book of Days)
2012 KCACTF Awards
Parkside's production of Dancing at Lughnasa was chosen as a participating production.
- Brenna Kempf - Student Dramaturgy Award (Honorable Mention)
- Antonio Torrez - Regional Design Competition Finalist (Costume)
- Chris Payne - National Design Competition Finalist (Lighting)
- Mikayla Durkee - National Design Competition Finalist (Hair/Makeup)
- Kevin Duffy - National Design Competition Finalist (Properties)
- Michael Dalberg - Irene Ryan Regional Semifinalist
Irene Ryan Acting Award Nominees:
- Brenna Kempf
- Michael Zimmermann
- Brittany Boeche
- Laura Chartrand
- Michael Dalberg
Certificates of Merit for Dancing at Lughnasa:
- Jamie Cheatham - Direction
- Jody Sekas - Scenic Design
- Chris Payne - Lighting Design