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Lycoming College senior Mitchell Kelly was recently named a KCACTF/LORT ASPIRE Fellow, a prestigious recognition from the respected Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). Kelly will be the only student from a nine-state region to participate at a national event at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
The KCACTF/LORT ASPIRE Leadership Fellows Program is designed to cultivate a new generation of artistic and administrative leaders for the American theatre with a focus on engaging Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and members of other groups that are historically underrepresented in the field. This diverse national cohort of fellows assembled from all of KCACTF’s eight regions will convene at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., to engage in topics concerning equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism as well as leadership skills building, investigation of institutional challenges, and professional networking opportunities.
The Lycoming College Theatre department takes a group of students to the vibrant and prestigious KCACTF every year, and year after year Lycoming students continue winning accolades and awards.
“Lycoming College offers many opportunities for engagement and leadership and Mitchell is a student who definitely takes advantage of those opportunities. This is a great recognition and we are very proud of him,” said Biliana Stoytcheva-Horissian, chair of the theatre department at Lycoming College and Kelly’s advisor.
Previous theatre students from Lycoming were also recognized by KCACTF as students, including A’Feyah Smith ’20, who won the Region II National Directing Fellow Award for her excellent work in the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society program (SDC) and the Design Technology and Management Legacy Award for Costume Design; Victoria Ashmore ’17, who won the KCACTF Regional Award for Theatrical Design for Costume Design; Gabriela Birch ’18, who was awarded honorable mention for Allied Design Excellence for Puppet Design; and Dan Egan ’20 and Cason Morgan ’21, who were awarded the Improvisational Acting award.
Lycoming’s theatre program is full of opportunity for practical experience. Students flourish as they explore concentrations in acting, directing, musical theatre, design/technology, and stage management. As early as freshman year, students are encouraged to audition for shows and become involved in productions. The curriculum combines practical training in every aspect of theatre with a look back at the history and literature that has shaped theatre as an art form. More information on theatre at Lycoming College can be found at https://www.lycoming.edu/theatre/.