Eastern Connecticut State University’s Department of Communication, Film and Theatre (CFT) sent 16 students and two alumni to the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF), Region 1, from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1 at Central Connecticut State University.

Eastern students to win awards at KCACTF included Jillian Marzella and Zoe Calhoun; alumna Kylie Tinker-Palaia ’25 also received an award. Riley Ciaburri and Kane Waggoner performed a scene from Eastern’s fall 2024 main stage production of Sarah Ruhl’s “Eurydice.”

Several students were also cast in 10-minute plays after auditioning at the festival, including Ciaburri, Brandon Young, Karynn Hardy and Emma Elizabeth Yacono. Matthew Corbin participated in a collaborative design project, and Tinker-Palaia won a competition called the “Tech Olympics.”

Professor Anya Sokolovskaya served at the festival as co-chair of design, technology and management (DTM). Sokolovskaya and Professor Alycia Bright-Holland traveled with the students to the festival. Lighting Technology Specialist Tim Golebiewski supported Ciaburri and Waggoner during their scene from “Eurydice.”

“I view the experience students had at the conference as a continuation of learning within a community larger than Eastern and from professionals from all over the country,” said Sokolovskaya.

She continued: “They make new connections and form friendships that might play a huge role in their futures. We the mentors like to say to students: those who you have met at the conference will be the ones who give you work in the future.”

Ciaburri performed as Eurydice as well as acting in the one-act show “Schrodinger & Co.” Ciaburri was one of about 30 people among the roughly 85 who auditioned to be cast in one of the 10-minute productions.

“That was a great experience … I got to go to KCACTF and just act the whole time,” said Ciaburri.

As the lead in “Eurydice,” a re-imagination of a Greek myth, Ciaburri bonds with her father (Kane Waggoner) in the underworld after their untimely deaths.

“Eurydice” was one of Eastern’s main stage theatrical productions last semester. Still, presenting a scene from the play in front of an audience of students from more than 50 regional colleges and universities was a totally different, but comparably positive, environment.

“It was really supportive,” said Ciaburri. “Everybody was very interested in what we were doing and thought it was good.”

Calhoun was awarded Outstanding Director for a New National Playwright Program (NPP) 10-Minute Play. The play was Patricia Lynn’s “An Honest Lesson in Self-Defense,” and Lynn worked with Calhoun as she prepared to direct the play.

Calhoun decided to apply to direct at the festival without much hesitation: “I love directing, so I might as well do it,” she recalled thinking. She was assistant director of Eastern’s production of “Eurydice,” and KCACTF marked her first time working with a playwright.

A panel at the festival reviewed each of the 10-minute plays before selecting Calhoun as the only winner of the outstanding director award. Calhoun remained humble: “We were basically showcasing the playwrights’ work,” she said.

Tinker-Palaia, who finished her graduation requirements last semester, won the National KCACTF Vectorworks Award. Vectorworks is the industry-standard software for lighting design, which Tinker-Palaia used in her design work for “Eurydice.”

As part of the award, Tinker-Palaia received a free one-year subscription for Vectorworks. “That comes at a great time,” said Tinker-Palaia, who is looking to build her resume while applying for jobs.

Tinker-Palaia clinched the award during a portion of the festival called the DTM Expo, where she presented the design work she did for “Eurydice.” This entailed using Vectorworks to build a light plot and construct lighting paperwork and instrument schedules.

Tinker-Palaia took equal gratification in watching the other presentations at the expo. “I put a lot of work into my presentation; I just wanted to watch them and show support,” she said.

As a young professional entering the workforce, Tinker-Palaia hopes to use her portfolio to get her foot in a variety of doors. “Theatre is an atypical industry,” she said, referring to the “gig economy” that much of the field’s work exists in.

“It’s about spreading yourself wherever people need you … if you’re starting out in theatre, you’re probably supplementing it with another, non-theatre job.”