SVSU Welcomes 1,200 College Theater Students
Region Registers to Ring in $2.8 Million
January 2, 2013
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By: O. J. Cunningham
"It's like the Super Bowl for college theater," said Ric Roberts, SVSU associate professor of theatre.
More than 1,200 college students from across five states will descend upon Saginaw Valley State University for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Tuesday, Jan. 8 through Saturday, Jan. 12.
"It's like the Super Bowl for college theater," said Ric Roberts, SVSU associate professor of theatre. "It gives our theatre department a national platform to showcase not only our talented faculty, staff and students, but also our world-class facilities."
If the festival is the Super Bowl, SVSU is hosting the playoff game for students from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, as successful performers, playwrights and others can advance to the national festival in Washington, D.C. More than 100 professionals from the stage, film and television industries will judge the weeklong event.
The Great Lakes Bay Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates the local economic impact of the festival will be $2.8 million, as visitors spend money in local restaurants, hotels and other businesses.
"Every hotel in Saginaw is sold out, and we are currently booking people into Bay City and Midland hotels," Roberts said.
SVSU will have more than 75 volunteers for the festival, including Roberts, who served as the host and head of the festival committee; Kelly Helmreich, faculty secretary, was the travel coordinator. SVSU theater faculty members Steve Erickson, Genesis Garza and Dave Rzeszutek also have active roles.
SVSU previously hosted the event in 2009 and 2010.
For more information about the Region III Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, visit www.kcactf3.org.
O. J. Cunningham
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O. J. Cunningham is the Publisher of MyBayCity.com. Cunningham previously published Sports Page & Bay City Enterprise. He is the President/CEO of OJ Advertising, Inc.
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