Six Pellissippi State Community College students have been nominated for regional college theatre awards for their recent production of Peter and the Wolf, a devised theatre piece using shadow puppets, overhead projections and other technology to tell the classic children’s story in a new way.
McKenzie Dawson, Caden Elliot and Isabella Ellis are nominated for Irene Ryan acting scholarships from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Region 4, while Elliot and Caryss Johnson are nominated for puppetry design; Megan O’Neal for mask design; and Josh Leslie for assistant technical direction.
Professor Grechen Wingerter has received a Certificate of Merit for Direction, and the production is under consideration for the KCACTF Region 4 Festival in Albany, Georgia, in February 2024. Finalists will be determined Dec. 9.
“This show was a whole new process for us all – new design and technology ideas, new ways of telling stories, new ways of creating theatre,” Wingerter said. “We are immensely proud of our students who brought this production to life. They created it from the ground up, from storyboarding and storytelling to puppet design and construction to final execution.”
The Arts at Pellissippi State includes music and theatre productions as well as visual art exhibits, all of which are open to the public. See the full schedule of events here.
Open presentations
Dolly Parton’s impact on education and Covid’s impact on student success and mental health are among the topics Pellissippi State Community College students have researched this fall.
And now these English and communication students are ready to tell the world during Pellissippi State’s inaugural Undergraduate Research Forum. Presentations will be Monday and Wednesday, Nov. 27 and 29, in the West Chevrolet Auditorium at the Blount County campus. One set of 3-5-minute presentation will occur 8:30-11:20 on both days; while another set will be from 1:30-3 p.m. same days and place.
“Research takes many forms; it’s not just field studies or hands-on experiments,” Professor Kelly Rivers said. “Any time someone looks up information to support an argument or defend a position, they are conducting research. As coordinators of this pilot, Dr. Shaquille Marsh and I want students (and the community at large) to make connections between what we do in the classroom and what will be required in the workplace.” Info here.
Pellissippi State Community College provided information and quotes for this story.