Theatre Arts faculty member and Director of the Acting Program Marie Ramirez Downing and five Theatre Majors, Mia Staraci, Ally Liberty, Sydnie Crumrine-Thomsen, Maick Poroj, and Bucky Brynjegard-Bialik attended the American College Theatre Festival Region VII in Spokane, Washington in February. The students competed in the Irene Ryan Acting competition (first round) and attended workshops that included, "Latinx: Building A Community, Fat Liberation in Theatre, Accessible: Writing Characters Living with Disability and Neurodivergence in Your Plays, Chicago Style Comedy, Acting Through Burlesque, LGBTQ(+) Affinity Group, African American Affinity Group, Cabaret Olympics, Musical Theatre Dance and Audition Techniques." They also attended invited shows from other Universities including a local professional theatre's production of Pass Over by Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu, an award-winning play. Professor Ramirez Downing was a panelist at the Latinx Building Discussion, led a workshop entitled, "The Self and The Speech: Finding your voice in Shakespeare's plays, and is also the Representation, Equity, and Diversity (RED) Vice-Chair for the region.
