Everyone in theater has a different time and place where they received their training or got their  big  break, and for some, it happened at the same time.

The Region III Theater Festival is one such place where education and scholarships make for the next star to be born.  

This past winter while many where enjoying Winter Break, Madison College was actively engaged in sponging the six day theater festival that went from January 8-13.

The Kennedy Center Region III Theater Festival (KCACTF Region III) is specifically intended to service the theater community of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin and a small section of Ohio.

The Theater Festival is where some of the best theater training takes place, and offers numerous scholarships in partnership with The University of Wisconsin Madison as well as it’s partnership with Edgewood College.

This year, Madison College’s very own, Maria Cina made it to the final for the prestigious Irene Ryan scholarship competition.

According theater teacher, Mike Lussenden, “the impressive thing about this is that (Cina) was competing against 4 year schools and graduate schools.”

The Theater Festival has anywhere from 15-16 events every hour that went from 830 in the morning to 11 at night.

Costume design big part of the Theater Festival competition. Similar competitions include design, property design, sound design, or properties (props) design scholarships. There are also workshops on three-D  screen design available during the six day festival.

“People really love the campus in collaboration of University of Wisconsin, “ stated Lussenden, “but Madison college hosted all the competitions.”

For many attending the KCACTF Region III, the week is an educational opportunity with a side of networking which showcases  the best of the region’s theatrical talents.

If you are interested in getting involved in the Region’s theater festival of 2020 the deadline for registration will be in December of 2019.

Madison College instructor Miranda Hawk put countless hour into this years Region III events, and would be available to answer questions regarding enrollment for the annual Regional Theater Festival coming in 2020.