Gabby D'Arcangelo Receives Kennedy Center American College Theater Nomination

2012 Jan 5

Gabby D'Arcangelo of Southaven was among the seven Northwest Mississippi Community College students recently nominated by The Kennedy Center American College Theater (KCACTF) for awards for their outstanding performances and contributions to the March production of The Glass Menagerie and the October production of Smoke on the Mountain.

Irene Ryan Nominees for Acting include Garrett Atkinson of Olive Branch and Katie Hardeman of Southaven for their performances in The Glass Menagerie and Abi Wiggins and Camille Bishop, both of Senatobia, for their performances in Smoke on the Mountain. For his work on Smoke on the Mountain, Kevar Maffit of Olive Branch was nominated for the Barbizon Scenic Design award. Alcone Makeup Design nominees include Hardeman for her work on Smoke on the Mountain and Nic Temple of Olive Branch for his work on The Glass Menagerie. Gabby D'Arcangelo of Southaven was nominated for the National Stage Management Award for her work on Smoke on the Mountain. Atkinson's one-act play, Shoulder Men, has also been selected as one of the six semi-finalists in the KCACTF Region IV one-act play contest.

"I am very proud of them," said theatre instructor Sadie Shannon. "To be nominated for these awards is an honor and brings a great recognition to our college, not to mention it looks very good on a resume. Being affiliated with KCACTF encourages our students and our audience members to expect higher standards of theatre."

The KCACTF honors excellence of overall production and offers student artists individual recognition through awards and scholarships in playwriting, acting, criticism, directing and design, according to Shannon. In January and February of each year, regional festivals showcase the finest of each region's entered productions and offer a variety of activities, including workshops, symposia and regional-level award programs. Shannon and Joel King, Northwest's fine arts technical director, will be taking eight students to their regional festival the first week in February. At the regional festival students compete to move forward to the national festival held at the Kennedy Center. Regional festival judges, in consultation with the program's artistic director, select four to six of the best and most diverse regional festival productions to be showcased in the spring at the annual noncompetitive national festival at the Kennedy Center, all expenses paid.

"I am incredibly honored to be nominated," said Hardeman. "This is an amazing opportunity. It is very surreal but very exciting. I don't think I could really put into words how much I appreciate the Northwest Theatre Department and my instructors, Mrs. Shannon and Mr. King. It is a blessing to work with such experienced, knowledgeable teachers. I love learning about what I love to do, and being involved with this department has done nothing but make me a more well-rounded artist. I have Mr. King and Mrs. Shannon to thank for that."

"I'm very grateful for this nomination, because I personally have never been to KCACTF before," said Bishop. "I'm excited for the new experiences, lessons, and friendships the convention will bring."

"Being nominated for the Irene Ryan Award is something that I set my sights on last year when friends of mine attend KCACTF," said Wiggins. "Going to compete with other talented actors and learn from many different people is a great experience, and I am proud to be representing my school at KCACTF this year."

"I am super excited to go to KCACTF alone, but to know that I am going to compete with other talented stage managers in our region makes it that much more exciting," said D'Arcangelo.

KCACTF respondent Rory Ledbetter commended the Smoke on the Mountain cast for their enthusiasm and energy. "All of the main characters had a moment where they revealed a special secret or passion to the audience through a monologue," said Ledbetter. "What was amazing was that all the actors conveyed their characters' passion with precision and a depth that accented the deeper psychological motivations underneath the surface. The actors also effectively used gestures and their bodies to command the space and communicate the subtext of their lines."

Atkinson's one-act play selection has landed him one of six coveted semi-finalist spots in the KCACTF Region IV one-act play contest, sending him and Northwest theatre faculty for a concert reading of his work at the 2012 Region IV festival in Daytona Beach, Fla., Feb. 1-4.

Pictured: Northwest students Katie Hardeman of Southaven (top, l-r), Kevar Maffitt of Olive Branch, Dalton Russell of Pittsboro, (seated on stage) Camille Bishop of Senatobia and Joseph Kelly of Oxford, perform the song "Whispering Hope" as the family sings about the hope of God, while June, played by Abi Wiggins of Senatobia (center), plays the autoharp.