(St. Mary’s City, MD) December 11, 2012—“Laughing at Life: A Performance of Kyôgen Plays,” a recent production at St. Mary’s College of Maryland sponsored by the theater, film, and media studies department, has been selected for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival’s (KCACTF) Region II showcase in January.
The production, directed by Professor Holly Blumner, is one of eight plays selected out of 90 entries from the mid-Atlantic region. The KCACTF Region II showcase will be held at Towson University on January 12-16. “Laughing at Life” will be performed on Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 8:30 p.m. in the Stephens Hall Theatre.
In January and February of each year, KCACTF regional festivals showcase the finest of each region’s entered productions. Regional festival productions are judged by a panel of three judges selected by the Kennedy Center and the KCACTF national committee. Judges select the best and most diverse regional festival productions for awards in over ten different categories.
Three of the actors from the “Laughing at Life” plays, Tobias Franzén ’13, Nick Huber ’13, and Emma Kaufman ’15, have also been selected to compete in the Irene Ryan Scholarship Acting Competition at the Region II festival in January. The Irene Ryan Foundation has awarded scholarships to the outstanding student performers at each regional festival. The scholarships provide recognition, honor, and financial assistance.
Meaning “mad words” or “wild speech,” kyôgen is a form of traditional Japanese comic theater historically performed as a break between each of the five plays of the more sober noh dramas. Today, kyôgen stands as a form of theater in its own right and is known for its lavish costumes, simple, elegant set, and acting style.