UMass Boston

Once again, UMass Boston Theatre Arts students returned from Region I of the American College Theatre Festival with an armload of awards in acting and design, technology, and management.

Hosted this year by Siena University in Albany, the annual festival gathers nominated theatre arts students from throughout the Northeast. Formerly known as the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, the organization suspended its relationship with the Kennedy Center last fall, seeking new opportunities for a national gathering for next year.

In all, 13 UMass Boston students attended, each nominated for their work in the past year’s productions, Peter and the Starcatcher in Spring ’25 and Natashia, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 last fall. Five of them came home with significant recognition. Nominees are chosen after a response from a faculty member from another member college and recognize work on and off stage.

Actors Sam Stanley and Hannah Rolston won the Irene Ryan Scholarship Competition for “Outstanding Work on a Comedic Piece.” Stanley was a finalist (final 15) for the coveted Irene Ryan Award and was nominated for her portrayal of Smee in Peter and the Starcatcher, Rolston was a semi-finalist for the Irene Ryan and was nominated for portraying Bolkonsky in The Great Comet. Jaylse Ware, nominated for playing Mrs. Bumbrake in Starcatcher, was a semi-finalist in the Musical Theatre Auditions, the first UMass Boston student to go so far in over a decade.

Deleyah Creese was recognized with two Design, Technology and Management awards, the “Eye of the Storm Award” and the “BOLD Bridge Award” for costume and sound design. Marge Rosas won the “Tempest Award for Scenic Design” in the Design, Technology and Management.

But the ACTF is more than awards competitions. Students share their work, bring nominated 10-minute and one-act plays to life, attend workshops, and network with students and theater professionals from throughout the region. It involves weeks of scene rehearsal, auditioning with three rounds with judges who give professional feedback, all under the mission of celebrating the work of college theatre programs, developing theater skills and insight. Every student in each level and category receives professional feedback from designers, directors, musical artists and actors from across the country.

“The festival itself is a remarkable opportunity for our students, and we’ve long been proud to be a part of the region,” said Carrie Ann Quinn, Acting and Directing Professor and Performing Arts Chair. “It’s a whirlwind of activity, including weeks of preparation, and I’m always struck that our students have as much to teach their fellow attendees, while always hungry to learn and do more.”

“It’s not really about competition and awards, but after 18 years of helping students prepare their presentations and scenes, I can’t help but beam with pride that we’ve always had UMass Boston students walking across the stage to accept honors.”

Other nominees from the past year attending the ACTF included the following:

From The Great Comet:

Hannah Rolston performing in Natashia, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Irene Ryan (acting) nominee Quinten Lauture (Pierre) and Sierra Simone (Natasha), Musical Theatre Nominee Max Cavanaugh (Anatole), Dramaturg Elizabeth Garcia, Stage Manager Sarah Schneider, Scenic Designer Scott Ramlal, who additionally earned a Merit Award for his work as Fight Captain for Peter and the Starcatcher.

From Peter and the Starcatcher:

Sam Stanley performing in Peter and the Starcatcher

Irene Ryan (acting) Dylan Moore (multiple roles), and (again!) Sarah Schneider, Stage Management.

A number of these students have graduated, and more will again share their talent and skills in Medea, a Greek tragedy by Euripides, opening April 1.