NMU Makes Mark at Regional Theatre Festival

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance made a strong showing at the American College Theatre Festival (ACTF) Region 3 Festival in Madison earlier this month. Senior Liam Fisher was the region winner in the Music Theatre Intensive vocal category, and freshman Neel Archis Manish was region runner-up for the Irene Ryan acting award. NMU's production of CTRL+ALT+DELETE, directed by Jimmy Ludwig, also won the BOLD Audience Choice Award after two sold-out performances at the festival.

ACTF Region 3 includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Western Ohio.

"It is so important and useful for students to leave the insular environment of campus and be exposed to the kind of work happening at other universities in these programs, and the talents of faculty from the other schools," said Ludwig. "When our students have a chance to prove themselves beyond Northern and soar, it reinforces that the hard work, grit and dedication we consistently preach here is paying off. The festival also brings in pro guest artists. Many of our students had a chance to meet AJ Links, an Emmy-winning casting director in Chicago who cast the TV series' based there, including Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D."

Ludwig said Northern had never won ACTF Region 3 in any category prior to three years ago, when alumna Maya Moreau made history by winning the coveted Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship and advancing to nationals at the Kennedy Center. Mark Simons was the regional winner in the Music Theatre Intensive last year and also advanced. Fisher's win in the same category this year demonstrates the growth of NMU Theatre and Dance, both in enrollment of talented students from across the country and in the quality of its productions, Ludwig added.

Fisher also received a scholarship to attend this summer's Open Jar Institute, New York City's premiere Broadway actor training program. Other notable individual results from the festival included Copeland Diver, who was a finalist in the Irene Ryan acting competition and won the Selector's Contemporary Award; and Hannah Johnson, a finalist in both dance and Music Theatre Intensive-vocal.

ACTF Region 3 sent two adjudicators to an October performance of CTRL+ALT+DELETE at NMU. They determined the show was worthy of being invited as a participating production at the festival. The decision wasn't announced until Dec. 5. With the holiday break, the cast and crew had less than a month's notice to literally take the show on the road. The response in Madison proved they managed exceedingly well, based on two packed audiences in the black box space there.

"There were respondents who saw the show and gave us feedback afterward and it was very positive; the word 'phenomenal' was uttered over and over again," Ludwig said. "Our entire design team was student-led, with the exception of one alumna who worked on costumes. We didn't have any faculty designers, which is a big difference between us and other schools; our students do a lot more design work."

Ludwig's faculty colleagues David Pierce, Bill Digneit and Jim Davis also accompanied students to the festival. Kristen Ludwig was there as well, to serve as coordinator of the Music Theatre Intensive. Jimmy thanked Arts and Sciences Dean Rob Winn, Provost Anne Dahlman and Assistant Provost Dale Kapla for securing the necessary additional funding for truck rental, lodging and other expenses associated with staging a show in Madison.