SBVC Theater Students Dazzle Judges at American College Theater Festival
San Bernardino Valley College theater arts students received the highest praise at
this year's American College Theater Festival (ACTF), taking home a record eight awards.
Sixteen talented students attended the February event in Glendale, where they performed, attended workshops, gave presentations, watched shows, and networked. The group also made school history, with the most students ever cast in performances and most award finalists.
Caitlyn Tiszai was invited to participate in the festival thanks to her costume design, and ended up cast in a 10-minute play and receiving an award for being a Music Theater International (MTI) Dance finalist.
"I got to see my fellow SBVC students perform and present, and I got some wonderful feedback both as a performer and as a designer," she said. "Truly, I really think this conference helped solidify my new passion for costume design and encouraged me to pursue it in a career."
Jose Garces joined her as an MTI Dance finalist, and was also chosen to appear in the Theatre for Young Audiences Showcase. He went to his first festival last year, and this time around "I said yes to everything," Garces shared. He appreciated the "friendly atmosphere" and how the students from different schools were "competing against each other but all still really supportive."
Five SBVC students competed in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Audition, including Ivan Carreon. The experience was "surreal," he said. "I've never done one of these and I didn't know quite what to expect."
Carreon dove right into the action, auditioning for as many productions as possible and participating in multiple acting workshops.
"They all taught me something that I was missing in my performances and now I have more versatility under my belt," he said.
Being part of SBVC's Theater Arts Department has been a gift, said Ana Perez, who served as Vice Director of Student Advocacy and Connection on the ACTF Student Advisory Board. Prof. Melinda Fogle ensures that productions are "very student-driven, and it's a really cool way to make friends and see how everything is done," Perez said.
"There are so many opportunities to learn and work. Valley gives you everything you need."
Sixteen talented students attended the February event in Glendale, where they performed, attended workshops, gave presentations, watched shows, and networked. The group also made school history, with the most students ever cast in performances and most award finalists.
Caitlyn Tiszai was invited to participate in the festival thanks to her costume design, and ended up cast in a 10-minute play and receiving an award for being a Music Theater International (MTI) Dance finalist.
"I got to see my fellow SBVC students perform and present, and I got some wonderful feedback both as a performer and as a designer," she said. "Truly, I really think this conference helped solidify my new passion for costume design and encouraged me to pursue it in a career."
Jose Garces joined her as an MTI Dance finalist, and was also chosen to appear in the Theatre for Young Audiences Showcase. He went to his first festival last year, and this time around "I said yes to everything," Garces shared. He appreciated the "friendly atmosphere" and how the students from different schools were "competing against each other but all still really supportive."
Five SBVC students competed in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Audition, including Ivan Carreon. The experience was "surreal," he said. "I've never done one of these and I didn't know quite what to expect."
Carreon dove right into the action, auditioning for as many productions as possible and participating in multiple acting workshops.
"They all taught me something that I was missing in my performances and now I have more versatility under my belt," he said.
Being part of SBVC's Theater Arts Department has been a gift, said Ana Perez, who served as Vice Director of Student Advocacy and Connection on the ACTF Student Advisory Board. Prof. Melinda Fogle ensures that productions are "very student-driven, and it's a really cool way to make friends and see how everything is done," Perez said.
"There are so many opportunities to learn and work. Valley gives you everything you need."
