Theatre Arts Recognized by Kennedy Center

The Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) recently recognized HFC's Theatre Arts Instructor/Technical Director Gerry Dzuiblinski and HFCC Alumni Samantha York and Timothy Pollack for their work on the College’s 2013 production of “Ruined.”

Dzuiblinski received a Certificate of Merit for his scenic design for “Ruined.” York and Pollock received a Certificate of Merit each for their slideshow design for “Ruined.” Currently, York is in her junior year at Wayne State University, where she is a student in the Acting Program. Pollack is in his junior year at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

“It is an honor to be recognized in this highly collaborative art form. I want to thank the show’s director Chris Bremer, Dr. George Popovich (HFC director of Theater), and all the students and alumni who have contributed to the creativity and quality of this department,” said Dzuiblinski, who has been a member of the HFCC faculty for 26 years.

Written by Lynn Nottage, “Ruined” won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize. This haunting, probing work is about the resilience of the human spirit during times of war. Set in a small mining town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, this powerful play follows Mama Nadi, a shrewd businesswoman trying to survive in a land torn apart by civil war.

HFC’s production of “Ruined” was entered on the participating level in the KCACTF, whose mission is to identify and promote quality in college-level theater production. To this end, each production entered is eligible for a response by a regional KCACTF representative, and selected students and faculty are invited to participate in KCACTF programs involving scholarships, internships, grants and awards for actors, directors, playwrights, designers, stage managers and critics at both the regional and national levels.

Productions entered on the participating level are eligible for invitation to the KCACTF regional festival and may also be considered for national awards recognizing outstanding achievement in production, design, direction and performance.

HFCC was last honored as a regional winner in the KCACTF in 2004 with its production of William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” which was directed by Popovich.

“The KCACTF is a way of having theater professionals evaluate our shows and letting us know where we stand. The standards are extremely high; most of the colleges involved are four-year schools,” said Popovich.

The KCACTF is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide, and has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States. The KCACTF has grown into a network of more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country, where theater departments and student artists showcase their work and receive outside assessment by KCACTF respondents.

For more about the KCACTF, please visit https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/actf/. For more about HFC, please visit www.hfcc.edu.