FEBRUARY 18- 22, 2003

Thanks so much to all of you for making the festival this past week a great success. This year we had more participants than ever in history and more Irene Ryan participants--175. Bellevue Community College, Olympic College, and Highline Community College were wonderful hosts. And Jack Watson and Mark Kuntz deserve a special thanks for taking care of registration and the program.

This was a wonderful festival with wonderful events and productions. William Mastrasimone our keynote speaker and playwright for the readings of AFGAN WOMEN managed to capture all of our hearts and respect for his work. A special thanks must also go to all of the individuals that brought productions to our region. It's a long difficult journey from the first production to remounting at our festival and we can't thank you enough. I don't know if all of you are aware but three of these directors were young new faculty working on their first directorial assignments and of course the student written one-act was directed by a student.

• Director Robert Caisley for U of Idaho production of FRONT
• Director Deborah Greer for Western Washington U production of KIND NESS
• Director Kelly Marchant for George Fox University production of GODSPELL
• David Edgecomb, University of Alaska Anchorage SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN
• Director Don Welch, South Puget Sound, DEATH OF A SALESMAN
• Writer Nathan Bloch, University of Oregon WAITING TO BE EXILED

The KCACTF WINNERS that will go to the Kennedy Center April 14-20 are:

• Irene Ryan Winner, Kunal Nayyar from the University of Portland
• Irene Ryan Winner, Alicia Bickley from the University of Idaho
• 10-minute Play Winner, Tom Campbell from the University of Wyoming
• Lighting Design Winner, Richard Wolf-Spencer from the University of Idaho
• Mehron Makeup Design Winner, Liz Johnson from Western Washington University
• Costume Design Winner, Daniel Zimmerman from Western Washington University
• National Critics Institute Winner, Rebecca Last from Boise State University
• Set Design Winner Sean O'Skea, from the University of Portland

The Following AWARDS were also given:

• Mark Twain Comedy Acting Award, Kunal Nayyar from U of Portland
• Classical Acting Award, Jeff Davis from the University of Idaho
• Best Partner, Jesse Calixto from the University of Idaho
• TVI Achievement Award, Jesse Calixto from the University of Idaho
• Sound Design Winner, Brandon McElroy, University of Alaska, Anchorage

MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS and ALTERNATES were:

• Irene Ryan First Alternate, Jeff Davis from the University of Idaho
• Irene Ryan Second Alternate, Hannah Kellerby from the University of Wyoming
• Critics Forum Second Place Aaron Tobiason from Western Washington University
• Critics Forum Third Place, Annie Berical from Boise State University
• Barbizon Meritorious Achievement Lighting, Erin Westfall, Central Washington University
• Barbizon Meritorious Achievement Mehron Makeup, Shasta Hankins, U of Idaho
• Barbizon Meritorious Achievement Costume, Aerin Holman, Oregon State University
• Meritorious Achievement Sound, Maureen Eller, Central Washington University
• 10-minute play runner up, Eva Suter from WWU

In addition Phil Atlakson from Boise State University was selected by the Executive Board as our regional faculty directing fellowship winner. Phil will go to the Kennedy Center to mentor two of the student directors for the 10-Minute Plays.

Paul Bell from Central Washington University was selected by the Executive Board as the Regional Nominee for the KCACTF stage management fellowship. His application will compete with the other regional nominees to become the stage manager for the 10-minute play festival at the Kennedy Center in April.

This Year's prestigious Kennedy Center Medallions for long range committments to the region went to Gordon Reinhart, Millie Stenehjem, and Tom Ward.