Music Major Wins Kennedy Center Regional Award

February 25, 2016

A SUNY Plattsburgh music major won the Richard E. Maltby Jr. Award for Musical Theater Excellence at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Region I conference.

Daniel De Cranie-Pierre was nominated for his November 2015 portrayal of Curley in the college’s theater and music departments’ production of “Oklahoma!” As winner of the regional competition, held Jan. 26-31 at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, the senior from Sangre Grande, Trinidad and Tobago is awarded a full scholarship to the Broadway Theater Project Summer Training Program, a three-week intensive held on the University of South Florida campus in July. According to the Broadway magazine, Playbill, the theater project is “the world’s most prestigious musical, theater arts education program … for college students.”

Assistant Professor of Theater Erika Guay received a certificate of merit award for scenic and lighting designs for the Rogers and Hammerstein classic as well at the Danbury conference. Shawna Mefferd Kelty, associate professor of theater, directed the Region I finalist one-act play, “Crash,” by Samantha Noble, as part of the National Playwriting Program.

In addition, Katie Bedell, a junior TV/video production major from Corinth, N.Y., progressed through to the second round of the state management expo. Senior English writing arts major Melanie Kiehl from Brewerton, N.Y., participated in the Institute for Theater Journalism and Advocacy Critics workshop, a conference-long program on writing about performance.

Senior theater, TV/Video production and audio/radio production major Tina Tendy of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., presented her sound design for “Tale of the Bamboo Princess,” and senior Nick Agoney, an audio/radio production major from Keeseville, N.Y., presented his sound design for “Oklahoma!” at the design, technology and management expo.

The Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship nominees included Sarah McNally, junior theater major from Chazy, N.Y.; Shannon Formas, senior English literature and theater major from Great Neck, N.Y.; Mel Iglody, senior theater and English writing arts major from Chestnut Ridge, N.Y.; Dana Bowers, senior music major from Cold Spring, N.Y.; and Malamin Conteh, senior theater major from the Bronx. Their acting partners were: Kiehl; Dana McLaughlin, senior theater major from Whitehall, N.Y.; Xavier Claude, sophomore theater major from Brooklyn; Tyler Smith, sophomore business administration major from Schenectady, N.Y.; and Mireena Fleury, a non-matriculating student from Morrisonville, N.Y.

As the 2015 winners of the Tech Olympics, SUNY theater students, along with Staff Production Manager Adrienne Wells, hosted the competition this year at the university in Danbury.