May 3, 2005
Two Purdue Theatre graduate students win national awards
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Two Purdue University Theatre graduate students captured national honors at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, which took place April 18-24 in Washington, D.C.
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Scenic designer Jesse Dreikosen and actress Amanda Folena were the Purdue winners at the festival, which drew the top finishers from eight regional competitions.
Dreikosen, a master of fine arts candidate from Spencer, Wis., won the Barbizon Award for Design Excellence in scenic design for his work during Purdue’s 2004 production of "King Lear." He received an honorarium and a fully funded trip to New York City to act as an observer at the National Design Portfolio Review at Lincoln Center.
Dreikosen, who also designed the productions of "Anton in Show Business," "Proof" and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" during his time at Purdue, received a fellowship to attend the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Summer Intensive program in scenic design.
Folena, a first-year graduate student from San Jose, Calif., won the national Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship. She was nominated for the award based on her performance in the role of Alexa Vere de Vere during Purdue’s 2004 production of "As Bees In Honey Drown." Folena received a scholarship from the Irene Ryan Foundation, which was established in 1971 to honor the most talented student-actors performing in the Kennedy Center festival.
Folena also portrayed Domina in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" during the 2004 season.
The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, started in 1969, is a national theater education program that identifies and promotes quality in college-level theater production. Each year, more than 1,200 productions involving more than 20,000 students nationwide take part in the festival.
Writer: Aaron Martin, (765) 496-3133, martinac@purdue.edu
Source: Lori Sparger, Purdue Theatre marketing director, (765) 494-3084, theatre@purdue.edu
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PHOTO CAPTION:
Purdue Theatre graduate student Amanda Folena, shown here portraying Alexa Vere de Vere during Purdue's 2004 production of "As Bees In Honey Drown," earned national honors for her work in that role during the recent Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Washington, D.C. Fellow Purdue graduate student Jesse Dreikosen, a scenic designer, also earned national honors at the annual festival, a national theater education program that identifies and promotes quality in college-level theater production. (Purdue Theatre file photo)
A publication-quality photograph is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/+2005/beesdrown.jpg.
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