McDaniel students named semifinalists at Kennedy Center regional theatre festival

McDaniel College senior Najee Banks of Westminster, Md., and junior Alex Tolle of Woodstock, Md., were named semifinalists at the 2017 Region II Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF), which was held Jan. 3–7, 2017, at Montclair State University in New Jersey. 

Banks, a Theatre Arts major at McDaniel, and Tolle, a Theatre Arts and Communication double major, were among 219 student-actors invited to participate with a partner in the festival’s selective Irene Ryan Scholarship auditions. In addition, Banks and Tolle were one of only 32 duos that made the semifinals. 

In the preliminary round, Banks and Tolle performed a comedic scene from Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew,” and Banks presented a monologue from “Superior Donuts” by Tracy Letts. In the semifinal round, they also performed a scene from “Fat Pig,” a contemporary American drama by Neil LaBute.

KCACTF brought together more than 1,200 students and faculty representing colleges and universities from eight states and Washington, D.C., for a week of performances, competition and professional development workshops with experts in production, directing, choreography, acting, writing, design, stage management, dramaturgy and dramatic criticism. For additional information, visit www.kcactf2.org.