CCRI Players Celebrate 50 Years of Excellence at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival

02/14/2025

The Community College of Rhode Island's (CCRI) student-run theatre group, the CCRI Players, proudly marks half a century of participation in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Region 1, held this year at Central Connecticut State University. Over the five-day event, the Players distinguished themselves by securing 10 awards across various disciplines, including acting and properties design.

Individual Honors:

• Ayana Desimone of North Kingstown, RI, received the Outstanding Ensemble Performance in a National Playwright Production (NPP) Reading for her role in Schrödinger & Co.
• Nathaniel Campbell of Johnston, RI, was honored with the Eye of the Storm Award for his exceptional talent in properties design.

Individual Merit Awards:

• Nathaniel Campbell – Properties Design for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
• Kayla Kennedy of Coventry, RI – Properties Design for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Stage Management for Let the Right One In
• Elissa Parente of Cranston, RI – Assistant Director for Let the Right One In

Ensemble Merit Awards:

The ensemble casts of the following productions were recognized for their outstanding collaborative performances:

• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
• You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown
• Let the Right One In
• Doubt: A Parable

Additionally, Benjamin Card of Coventry, RI, and Maxwell Hayden of Warwick, RI, advanced to the final round of the prestigious Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Audition, showcasing their exceptional acting talents.

As well as being recognized with a Merit Award for its outstanding collaborative performance, Doubt: A Parable captured the attention KCACTF’s regional respondents. Each year, KCACTF selects 10 scenes from numerous submissions to invite for presentation at the conference. Professor and director Luke J. Sutherland (who also serves the region as a KCACTF respondent) and CCRI actors Ben Card (Irene Ryan Scholarship Finalist) as Father Flynn and Samantha Gromkiewicz (Irene Ryan Scholarship Semi-Finals Alternate) as Sister Aloysius were asked to present a scene from the play on the evening of Thursday, Jan. 30.  Their performance was enthusiastically received by an audience of students and theatre faculty.

The students' achievements were guided by the dedicated mentorship of CCRI faculty members Ted Clement, Anthony Goes, Justin Carroll, and Mark Colozzi, who devoted their time over the winter break to help students perfect their performances.

Reflecting on the milestone, Ted Clement, Theatre Program Coordinator and Professor at CCRI, stated, "Our 50-year journey with the KCACTF has been a testament to the unwavering commitment and passion of our students and faculty. This year's accomplishments highlight the exceptional talent within our program and our dedication to fostering artistic excellence."

The CCRI Players 2024/2025 season continues March 6 – 8 with a production of Stephen Sondheim’s multiple Tony Award-winning theatrical tour-de-force, Assassins. For more information about the CCRI Players and their upcoming performances, please visit www.ccri.edu/performingarts/theatre.

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival was founded to cultivate theater education in the United States. Each year, students from across the country convene at regional festivals to showcase performances, develop acting skills, and engage in the creative process.

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