Limestone Theatre Has Big Impact At Kennedy Center Festival

The Limestone College Department of Theatre recently had several of its students recognized at the Region IV Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival at Georgia Southern University in Greensboro, Ga. 

Twenty Limestone students participated in the festival and eight were selected to compete in the Irene Ryan Scholarship Competition. A panel of invited judges selected the students based on their works in recent Limestone College productions.  

Those selected included J.R. Bloomer from Gaffney (Curtains); Jeanna Burch from Gaffney (9 to 5); Jessie Cantrell from Spartanburg (Curtains); Kinsey Gregg from Gaffney (Curtains); Luke Holt from Columbia (Dog Sees God); Autumn Krueger from Summerville, SC (August, Osage County); Hayden Peterson from Gaffney (Noises Off); and Christian Shupe from Athens, GA. (Dog Sees God).

Also at the festival, Limestone’s Musical Theatre Bachelor of Fine Arts students were selected to participate in the Musical Theatre Initiative, which is a national competition honoring the work of young performers in musical theatre. Students picked to participate lined up hours in advance in hopes of getting a slot for the audition, and all of the Limestone students secured a position.  Out of the 71 students who were allowed to audition, 16 advanced to the semifinals, including Limestone’s Bloomer and Holt.

After the semifinal auditions, six students were chosen to move forward to the finals and one of those was Holt from Limestone. On the final night of the festival, he sang in front of a large audience and placed third in the competition.

Also on the final evening of the festival, Limestone College Theatre was selected out of dozens of programs to present a musical number from Curtains, a musical it performed in the fall of 2016.  Professor of Music Dr. David Thompson accompanied on piano the 17 students who performed.

The Limestone College Department of Theatre is led by Dr. Tim Baxter-Ferguson, Chair of Theatre and Co-Chair of Musical Theatre.