 "Photo: Amy Adams")
Several schools across the nation are in pursuit of four Amarillo College theater arts students.
Last month, Lindsey Parker, Nik Peacock, Micah Blain and Bo Kemp “represented Amarillo College superbly in front of 44 schools from across the nation” at the Texas Educational Theatre Association convention, according to an e-mail from Ray Newburg, an assistant professor of theater arts. Parker submitted three costume designs for Macbeth, Moon Over Buffalo, and Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music. Peacock submitted one scenic design and two lighting designs, Dead Man’s Cell Phone and Lucky Stiff. Blain submitted two designs in DesignFest, a graphic design for Macbeth and scenic design for Avenue Ten’s production of Rent. “This is the second time Micah has represented AC, and he has done so with style and professionalism both times,” Newburg said. Kemp auditioned with pieces from Big River and The History of America Abridged. Parker and Kemp both were awarded scholarships at the convention. Parker received the TETA Founder’s Scholarship for Design, and Kemp received the TETA Founder’s Scholarship for Acting. Newburg said Kemp’s win is “the first time an AC student has won the acting scholarship.” Both TETA scholarships are $2,000 to be used at any Texas university. “In six of the past seven years, one of our students has won the Founder’s Scholarship for Design,” said Monty Downs, a theater arts instructor. “But this is the first year for both scholarships to go to AC students.” All four students also have received numerous callbacks. “The callbacks are mostly from Texas schools – WTAMU, Texas A&M at Corpus Christi and Texas State University – however, some are from outside of the state,” Downs said. Peacock is “currently making his rounds with 17 different universities,” Newburg said, “a record for an AC student with the number of callbacks that he has received.” Parker said she is considering Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi, Midwestern State University and Sam Houston State University. Kemp said he is interested in West Texas A&M University, Sam Houston State and Texas A&M at Corpus Christi. The accomplishments of the students could be credited to the training they receive in the AC theater program. “Our students get an intensive training in theater,” Downs said. “They have to do it all, tech and acting, because we are a small department. “When a student leaves from here, they leave with a resume of six to eight productions that they have acted in and/or designed for.” Downs said theater arts students through the years who go on to other schools after leaving AC consistently do well.
“Many schools want our students because of the training they get here,” he said.
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