UAFS ‘Dromnium’ play receives numerous awards

The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith theatre program received top awards and regional nominations from presenting "Dromnium" at the Arkansas State Festival of the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival which was held Oct. 24-28 in Arkadelphia.

The play, which was created by the cast and directed by Bob Stevenson of Fort Smith, received five awards, four students received awards for musical compositions, and 11 students and faculty members received individual awards.

The play also received the "Respondents Choice Award,” according to Stevenson. He said this means the play is now “being held for consideration,” which is like a nomination for inclusion in the regional festival to be held in February 2013.

The Respondents Choice award was presented by professional respondents Ray Paolino from the University of Georgia and Raymond Grabica of Western Illinois University.

Stevenson said feedback from the respondents was overwhelmingly positive and included such phrases as “the show has a quality of magic about it” and ”you transported us somewhere else, somewhere exciting.”

Additionally, UAFS was recognized for supporting new works, Stevenson said.
 
"To have that many people crying and laughing at our show, to have them come up to us in the lobby afterwards and even later that night at the hotel, shows what kind of effect we had on them,” Stevenson said. “All they wanted to do was talk to us about what the show meant to them, and I think, in any book, you have to consider that a smashing success.”

Group awards went to the visual team for production aesthetics, the physical creation team for physical performance creation; the music creation team for music creation; the creative team for creative excellence and the cast of “Dromnium” for ensemble performance.

Awards for compositions of original music went to Cheree Spann and Jacob “Bob” Lensing of Greenwood and Casey Moore of Robinson, Texas for “Boomwhackers,” and to Laura Wineland of Fort Smith for “Requiem for a Drom.”

UAFS was awarded for supporting new works.

The following students received individual awards.
• Batesville: Owen Bailey for properties design.
• Booneville: Hannah Yeager for lighting design.
• Cabot: Megan King for makeup.
• Fort Smith: L.J. Luthringer for sound design and Wendy Quick for costume.
• Greenwood: Cheree Spann for technical direction.

Stevenson received an award for direction, and Pablo Guerra-Monje of Fort Smith, assistant professor and production designer, received awards for scenic design and production design.

Three of the performers in the production, Ashley Behm and Fred Delarosa of Fort Smith and Stuart Campbell of Longview, Texas, were nominated for the “Irene Ryan Award for Acting.”