NORTH COAST, Calif. – This year, for the first time, the Mendocino College Theatre Arts Department participated in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

The festival was a weeklong learning experience, including theatre classes, performances and scholarship auditions, as well as opportunities to learn about transfer theatre programs at four year universities.

The college’s fall semester production of José Rivera’s play “Sueño,” directed by Reid Edelman, was entered into the festival as an associate production and students Rickie Farah and Chris Griffith were invited to perform a nominated scene.

The students revived the selected scene, performing for an enthusiastic audience of 1,000 fellow theatre students from all over the northwestern United States.

Two of the actors in the production, Rickie Farah and Lindsey Chapman, were also nominated for the prestigious Irene Ryan Acting Award, which provides recognition, honor and financial assistance to outstanding student performers wishing to pursue further education.

In future years, Edelman hopes to expand Mendocino College’s involvement in this festival by entering both of the college’s two major yearly productions.

Next year, Edelman also plans to double the number of participants, bringing eight to 10 students to the spring 2019 festival, which will be held in Eugene, Ore.

The Mendocino College Theatre Arts Department extends a very special thanks to everyone who made this learning opportunity possible.

The festival itself, will be a weeklong learning experience, including theatre classes, performances and scholarship auditions as well as opportunities to learn about transfer theatre programs.

For information about the Mendocino College Theatre Arts Department, call 707-468-3172 or visit http://www.mendocino.edu/the-arts/theatre.