EUGENE–The University of Oregon’s Spring 1998 production of "Two Gentlemen of Verona" has been selected as one of three finalists to be presented at the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival (KC/ACTF) Region VII competition to be held the week of Feb. 15 in Pullman, Wash., and Moscow, Idaho.

The KC/ACTF has been the major educational theater festival in the United States, bringing together faculty and students for the past 31 years. Each regional festival hosts a series of contests and competitions, as well as workshops and speakers, all designed to share ideas among theater educators in eight different regions of the country.

The University of Oregon has a long history of excellence in the Irene Ryan Acting competition, as well as in the design and writing competitions at this conference. This is the first entry of a play since "Kabuki/Bacchae" represented the university in 1991.

"Two Gentlemen of Verona" played a successful run in the Robinson Theatre in May and June of 1998. In September, it was revived for a tour of schools in Oregon and it played an additional three performances in the Robinson. During its Eugene run, it was adjudicated by two judges from the region and was selected from among more than 20 entries as one of three finalists in the six-state Region VII.

One of Shakespeare’s early plays, "Two Gentlemen of Verona" is the story of two young men going out to seek their fortunes, and the twists and turns their loves and loyalties take along the way. The UO production features a romantic, futuristic theme, with sets and costumes created from reflective, shimmering materials like vinyl, satin, sequins, aluminum and mirrors.

"Two Gentlemen of Verona" features sets by Rebecca Utz of Sacramento, Calif., who won the KC/ACTF Region VII Costume Design competition at the 1998 festival and received an Honorable Mention at nationals. Lighting was done by Alan McEwen of Bellingham, Wash., whose lighting design of "An Evening in Beckett’s Shorts" won the lighting design competition at the 1998 festival. These two students finished their Masters of Fine Arts degrees with this production last spring and graduated.

Costumes are by UO students Shannon Foord, a spring 1998 graduate from North Bend; Rabiah Troncelliti, a senior Romance languages and theater arts major from Tigard; and Dagua Webb, a senior art history major from Eugene. Janet Rose is the technical director.

The UO production also includes original music by Jonathan Cole and Melanie Moseley, both theater arts master’s degree students from Eugene; sound design by Mark Hayes, a spring 1998 graduate in theater arts from Portland; props design by Chris Wooten, a theater arts master’s degree student from Corvallis; and dramaturgy by Joel Harmon, a theater arts master’s degree student from Eugene.

"Two Gentlemen of Verona" will be presented on Saturday night, Feb. 20, after productions of "Mundome," an original script from Boise State University, and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," presented by the University of Alaska, Anchorage. These shows will be adjudicated by a national team and will be considered for presentation at the national festival in April in Washington, D.C.

In addition to the production, University Theatre has 11 students entered in the Irene Ryan Acting Competition. This is the most prestigious acting competition available to amateur actors in the United States. Two winners will be selected from the nearly 100 competitors and will represent the region at the national competition in Washington, D.C., in April. Both the regional and national winners are awarded scholarships to use as they need in their education.

Participants from the University of Oregon, who were selected by regional adjudicators from their work in University Theatre productions, include, besides Cole and Moseley, Ursula Aller, a senior theater arts major, Roseburg; Matt Berliner, a senior theater arts major, Las Vegas, Nev.; Bridie Harrington, a senior theater arts major, Lake Oswego; Ryan Honey, a senior theater arts major, Eugene; Jacob Hutchison, a junior theater arts major, Portland; M. Chandler Melvin, a senior theater arts major, Eugene; Rowan Morrison, a sophomore theater arts major, Eugene; Rene Ragan, a senior theater arts and humanities major, Eugene; and John Sanders, a senior theater arts major, Granite Bay, Calif.

Other University Theatre students participating at the conference, besides Foord and Troncelliti, include costume designers Heather Brooks, a theater arts master’s degree student, Ontario, and Liz Ryan, a junior theater arts major, Mahwah, N.J. Greg Hoffart, a theater arts master’s degree student from Eugene, has entered both costume and lighting designs into the competition.

—30—

#P-2124/A&E