Student Wins Major Award at American College Theatre Festival

(Ms. Garbarski, front row in red, with the cast and crew of Proof, in the Diane Ballweg Theatre.)

Madison, Wis. (January 26, 2015) – Stacey Garbarski, a senior Theatre Arts major, and her scene partner Leigha Sander won the Irene Ryan Dramatist Guild Award for Excellence in a Performance from a New Play or Musical at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Region 3, held earlier this month in Milwaukee. This marks the first time an Edgewood College student has been so honored.

Ms. Garbarski competed with hundreds of other nominated theatre students.  She and Ms. Sander advanced from the semi-finals to the finals, with each level of competition requiring a new work. The finals in the competition end with each student delivering a monologue.

The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region 3 includes universities and colleges in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Indiana, in the Irene Ryan Acting Competition. There are eight regions nationwide.   Each year the Theatre Arts department sends students to present at this conference in all areas of theatre, including acting, stage management, sound design, props, and costumes.

Ms. Garbarski was nominated to compete in the Irene Ryan acting competition based on her work in Proof, presented this fall. In all, the College sent nine students to the competition.