SAU Theatre and Dance students with awards
Eleven SAU Theatre & Dance majors and three faculty members attended the Region VI American College Theater Festival (ACTF) in Abilene, TX, this past spring. Participation in ACTF provides significant educational and professional development opportunities for students, including adjudicated feedback from faculty and industry professionals, workshops across all areas of theatre, networking with peer artists from across the region, and audition/interview opportunities for summer programs, graduate schools, and professional training initiatives.
Sophomore Design/Tech double major Erica Zofcin presented her puppetry and projection designs for SAU’s Fall 2025 production The Man in the Ceiling. She received a regional commendation for her puppet designs and was named a National Finalist for Theatrical Design Excellence in Projection Design.
Senior Design/Tech major Emma Melvin applied for and was accepted into the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) Directing Initiative, where she directed a scene from the play Lungs with SAU theatre students Tristyn Armstrong and Egypt Dollmeyer as actors.
Junior Design/Tech major Morgan Ayala was selected to direct a 10-minute play as part of the National Playwriting Program. Morgan directed Till Death Do Us Part, collaborating with playwright Cole Watson, dramaturg C.C. Lawrence, and actors Kiana Montoya, Hope Joyce, and Quinn Polk.
Seven students participated in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship auditions: Tristyn Armstrong, Tianna Bonner, Luke Butts, Egypt Dollmeyer, Annabelle Ferren, Nico Martinez, and Lucy Strahin.
The Irene Ryan competition begins with nominations based on performance work from the previous calendar year. Nominees present a short partnered scene and monologue for adjudicators, with selected students advancing through multiple elimination rounds, culminating in regional finalists who compete for scholarships and advancement to the national festival.
Junior musical theatre majors Tianna Bonner and Tristyn Armstrong, her scene partner, advanced to the semi-final and final rounds. Bonner was awarded a scholarship from Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA), recognizing excellence in vocal and speech performance within the acting process. This scholarship will allow Bonner to attend the 2026 VASTA Conference in Los Angeles, CA.
Seven students participated in the Musical Theatre Intensive Initiative: Tristyn Armstrong, Tianna Bonner, Carmelo Brown, Egypt Dollmeyer, Annabelle Ferren, Nico Martinez, and Lucy Strahin. Each student presented a 90-second musical theatre audition package and participated in a dance workshop led by Broadway veteran Correy West.
Senior musical theatre major Carmelo Brown was recognized for Excellence in Dance and received a scholarship from the Open Jar Institute to attend one of their Summer Broadway College Intensives in New York City.
Faculty members Morgan Baker, Joann Shaver, and Michael Womack presented three workshops at the festival: “You Can Lead a Horse to Water: Preparation You Will Actually Do”; “Crafting Your Perfect Musical Theatre Audition Book”; and “I Can’t Sing a Musical Theatre Song?!?: A Guide to Pop-Rock Auditions”.
SAU Theatre & Dance extends sincere gratitude to SAU for fostering experiential learning opportunities as well as artistic growth and to SAU Foundation for their generous financial support in helping make this educational trip possible.
About SAU: Southern Arkansas University provides students with the complete college experience in a caring environment of service, innovation, and community. With more than 100 degrees across four distinct colleges and the School of Graduate Studies, SAU initiates new degree programs to meet the needs of today’s career and professional trends. To learn more about SAU, visit www.saumag.edu.
