» Media Center » News Releases » 2025 » February
Northwest Missouri State University was represented well again during the annual Region 5 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) in January, returning with several honors and an appearance in the festival’s Invited Scene Showcase.
Nine Northwest students attended the festival Jan. 19-25 in Des Moines, Iowa, where more than 1,500 college students from throughout the region share their work, attend workshops and develop theatre skills. KCACTF’s Region 5 consists of colleges and universities from throughout Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.
“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime,” which Theatre Northwest staged in November, was adjudicated by the Kennedy Center-American College Theatre Festival and nominated for an Outstanding Scene, which was performed at the annual festival.
The play was directed by Kat Bilbo, an associate professor of theatre who died unexpectedly in December. In addition to receiving Excellence in Directing at the festival, Bilbo, who was active in KCACTF and had served on its executive board, was remembered during a moment of silence at the festival’s opening ceremony.
Patrick Immel, a Northwest professor of theater who attended the festival, said Kat would have been proud of their students.
“They did a great job,” Immel said. “Hopefully somewhere up above, Kat was smiling.”
“The Curious Incident” garnered the following other honors for Northwest students and faculty:
“The Curious Incident” depicts a 15-year-old boy’s journey to find the reasons behind the death of his neighbor’s dog. Along the way, the boy, Christopher, uncovers life-changing secrets.
Wiese, a senior theatre performance major from Indianola, Iowa, portrayed Christopher’s teacher, Siobahn, in the play while also working as the production’s dramaturg and box office manager.
“This show was extremely personal to Kat, and I was so happy to see the show getting the recognition it deserved,” Wiese said. “The recognition and the show mean even more now that she is gone, and I wish she could have seen the full impact that it had.”
Left to right, Bridget Hopkins, Adam Clayton and Shelby Wiese appeared last fall in Northwest's production of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.” (submitted photo)
Five Northwest students – Bridget Hopkins, Taylee Parmenter, Clayton, Horton and Weiss – participated in KCACTF’s prestigious Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship competition.
Taylee Parmenter advanced to the semifinal rounds of the Irene Ryan Acting and Musical Theatre Intensive scholarship competitions at the Region 5 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in January. (submitted photo)
Parmenter, a freshman speech and theatre education major from St. Joseph, Missouri, advanced from more than 300 students competing in the initial round to the semifinal round of about 60 student actors.
During each round, competitors present a monologue and act with a partner in a scene. Only eight regional scholarships and one national scholarship are awarded annually.
“Being a freshman, I didn’t really know what to expect or how to prepare,” Parmenter said. “Still, I wanted to go even before finding out that I was nominated for the Irene Ryans because of how great of an opportunity it was.”
Parmenter also was a semifinalist in the Musical Theatre Intensive, a scholarship competition that incorporates singing and dancing.
“When I found out that I had advanced to semifinals in both the Irene Ryan and Musical Theatre Intensive, I was ecstatic,” Parmenter said. “Overall, KCACTF gave me the opportunity to meet and work with so many amazing people while also learning so much valuable knowledge about theatre and the industry.”
The annual festival gives Northwest students opportunities to network and learn with theatre students, instructors and professional artists from throughout the country while gaining unbiased feedback on their work.
In addition to presenting and competing, festival participants may choose to participate in intensive half- and full-day classes, attend workshops taught by theatre faculty and professionals, and audition and interview for summer theatre work at professional venues. Students view invited productions presented by peer institutions and have their performances and designs critiqued by theatre professionals.
“They’re immersed for a week and they see plays every day, and they can go to workshops, and they learn a lot, and they meet people,” Immel said. “I’m still friends with people that I met at KCACTF 35, 40 years ago.”
Wiese presented about her dramaturgy work, participated in professional auditions and attended several of the festival workshops, in addition to acting in the scene showcase and competing for the Irene Ryan scholarship.
“It really inspired me and reminded me that community is such an important aspect of theatre,” Wiese said. “It reminded me that there are others out there who love the art as much as I do, and that is such a reassuring feeling. It also opened doors, reminding me that there is always more to learn about the craft through different lenses.”
