DES MOINES, IA — The Neosho County Community College (NCCC) Department of Theatre earned three awards in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Region 5 festival in Des Moines, IA, on Jan. 19-25. The program was recognized for the Spring 2024 production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
The show’s on-stage cast was recognized in the Ensemble Work category, while awards for commendation were individually given to Elizabeth Swafford for Assistant Stage Management and Reon Thompson for Costume Design.
“These awards distinguish the best and brightest in college theatre across the nation. Many professional, working Theatre artists can trace their roots back to the Kennedy Center Awards,” said Kyle Chesney, NCCC Theatre Instructor. “We are so proud of our Panthers for winning these awards! Students like them are the reason we excel here at NCCC.”
The KCACTF is a national theater program involving 18,000 students annually from colleges and universities across the country. NCCC students were considered for KCACTF Region 5 awards alongside over 1,300 students from community colleges and universities across Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Since its inception, KCACTF has given more than 400,000 college theater students the opportunity to have their work critiqued, improve their dramatic skills, and receive national recognition for excellence. This was the 57th year of the festival presented by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.
About NCCC
NCCC is a two-year college located in Chanute, Kan., offering 40+ associate degree and certificate programs. NCCC serves 2,200+ students annually in Neosho, Franklin, and northern Anderson counties, and throughout eastern Kansas at two campuses, five outreach sites, and seven high schools. For more information, visit neosho.edu.
