March 10, 2023
By Hazel Scott/ASU
Three Alabama State University Department of Theatre Arts students walked away as top winners at the Regional Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) in Statesboro, Georgia.
Muhammad Ali, a senior theatre major, won first place in the Irene Ryan Acting Category, with Azona Williams serving as his acting partner. They both will travel to Washington, D.C., in April to compete for the top national prize. Carson Shearer won first place in the Best Partner category for Region IV. Shearer will not be competing in D.C.
More than 250 students participated in competitions in Leadership, Design, Technology, Management, Directing, Dramaturgy, Performance, Playwriting, Theatre Journalism and Advocacy, and Theatre Research and Scholarship.
The Region IV competition consists of colleges and universities from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Southern Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
“I am so proud of our students for continuing our tradition of excellence. This is not the first time ASU has won KCACTF regional and even national honors. Mr. Ali is a phenomenal talent and will soon be making his mark on the national stage,” said Dr. Wendy R. Coleman, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Brian Martin, chair of the Department of Theatre, echoed Coleman.
“This was an awesome, wonderful experience. To be winners at a time such as this is amazing…This is the first time since the pandemic that the festival was held in person, and we once again won the region. Alabama State University’s theater and dance department has some of the best talents in the entire Southeast region of 15 states, including Puerto Rico and Guam. My ASU still rises to the top.” Martin added.
About the Competition
Since its inception, KCACTF has given more than 400,000 college theater students the opportunity to have their work critiqued, improve their dramatic skills, and receive national recognition for excellence. KCACTF is a national theater program involving 18,000 students annually from colleges and universities across the entire country. KCACTF encourages, recognizes, and celebrates the finest and most diverse work produced in university and college theatre programs.