Theatre Students Recommended for Acting Competition

Westminster College students Amber Scalfari and Ian Turner performed a scene from Chekov's The Bear at the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Competition held Jan. 2-6 in Pittsburgh.

The competition was part of the 2008 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival hosted by Carnegie Mellon University.

Scalfari, a senior theatre and fine art major, is a daughter of Larry and Desiree Scalfari of Littleton, Colo., and a graduate of New Castle High School.

Turner, a junior music education major, is a son of C. David Turner and Sharon Turner, both of Grove City, and a graduate of Grove City High School.

The Bear is one of two one-act plays that comprise Love among the Russians, a spring 2007 production of Theatre Westminster directed by Eileen Hendrickson, visiting instructor of theatre at Westminster.

"A scene does not go to the Festival unless it is recommended by a respondent," said Hendrickson. "A respondent is one who is sent from another college to watch and review the production, then talk with students after the performance, making critical and positive remarks about acting, directing, scenery, and technical points. The respondent then nominates the actor/actress he thinks was outstanding to go to the competition. Dr. Ralph Leary, an English professor at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, was our respondent. The director also nominates a performer, so Westminster had two students."

"About 16 colleges/universities in our region had invited scenes, so it is an honor to be included," she added. "This is the first time a scene has been recommended to go to the Festival since I have been here."

Hendrickson, who has been with Westminster since 1999, earned an undergraduate degree from Carthage College and a master's from Northwestern University.

Contact Hendrickson at (724) 946-7237 or e-mail hendriee@westminster.edu for additional information. 

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