The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival
UNDERGRADUATE THEATRE SCHOLAR AWARDS

KCACTF is pleased to announce a new awards program for undergraduate theatre scholars attending KCACTF participating institutions. 

In order to further student activity in the discipline of scholarship, this program will encourage and reward research and scholarly writing among undergraduates throughout the nation.  Research Papers on all areas of the art and craft of Theatre, the outcome of class assignments or students’ own research interests, will be reviewed by KCACTF appointed readers for cash awards, KCACTF National Festival residencies and professional development opportunities.

Submission Criteria

The manuscript should be a scholarly paper of 15-20 pages [plus endnotes and references] on any area in the art, craft and/or history of theatre, or a cross-disciplinary topic with the art of theatre featuring as a key area of investigation.

Eligibility

The submitting student must be a bona fide, matriculated undergraduate student, at least half-time enrollment, at an institution that has participated in KCACTF in 2008 or 2009.
 
The submitted manuscript should have been written no earlier than September 2008.

At this time, co-authored manuscripts will not be considered for the awards.

To Submit
A. All submissions will be in PDF format. No paper or CD Rom copies will be accepted.
 
B. Each manuscript will be submitted with a blind title page:
1)Title of Paper
2)Date
3)The statement: “This is a copyrighted work submitted for review purposes only”
 
C. The manuscript will have no author identification within the body of the paper [headers, footers, at pagination points, etc.]
 
D. A full title page consisting of
1)Title
2)Name of the author
3)Date
4)Copyright notice [“copyright 2009 name of author”]
5)E-mail address
6)Snail mail address
7)Name of academic mentor
must be submitted as a second, separate PDF document in the same e-mail as the blinded manuscript.
 
E. to ghenry@kennedy-center.org
 
F. by December 4, 2009 
Award Selection Criteria

The manuscripts will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

·         Originality of the topic or approach

·         Scholarly rigor

·         Use of primary resources

·         Organization

·         Style

·         Syntax

·         Grammar

·         Punctuation

A selection panel of eight readers, one from each KCACTF region, made up of faculty and emeritus faculty, will be appointed by each KCACTF Regional Chair. No faculty member with a student in the submission pool will be appointed to the selection panel. The KCACTF Artistic Director will appoint a team of finalist readers in consultation with the KCACTF National Committee, should the total number of submissions warrant.
 
The award recipients will be announced on or around March 1, 2010.

The Awards

First place $1000
Second Place $500
 
Both first and second place award-winners will receive an all-expenses paid fellowship to participate in the National Festival at the Kennedy Center, April 12-18, 2010.
 
KCACTF will announce additional professional development opportunities for the award-winners  at a later date.
 
Questions? 
 
Gregg Henry, Artistic Director
Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival
Education Department
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington DC 20566-0001
202.416.8864
ghenry@kennedy-center.org