Carson School's Howard is national finalist for Kennedy Center's national theatre festival

calendar icon13 Mar 2015    

Lincoln, Neb.--Bryan Howard, a senior English, Theatre Arts and Human Behavior (Interdisciplinary Studies) major in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film from Howell, New Jersey, has been selected as one of four national fellows in dramaturgy at the National Festival of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

“When I received the e-mail that I was selected as one of the four National Fellows in Dramaturgy for the national festival, I very audibly gasped,” Howard said. “That I now get to attend the national festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and begin meeting more dramaturgs (both professional and up and coming) and learn more about the craft and the field is absolutely wonderful. I am ecstatic about this opportunity and still cannot believe it’s real.”

Howard won first place in the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas/Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (LMDA/KCACTF) student dramaturgy competition at the Region V festival in Minnesota in January.

As part of the evaluation process after his regional win, he interviewed with Heather Helinsky, an independent dramaturg.

“After an over two-hour long conversation in which she not only provided me excellent advice on how to strengthen my dramaturgy moving forward, but also discussed with me at length many facets of the field itself, Ms. Helinsky began connecting me with other professional dramaturgs,” Howard said. “Getting the chance to pick her brain and starting to network with other people doing exactly what I want to be doing has been wonderful.”

The LMDA/KCACTF Student Dramaturgy Award recognizes contributions by student dramaturgs to the conception, development and production of theater within their colleges and universities, or to educational projects in dramaturgy. One dramaturg was selected from each of eight regions in the U.S. Of these, four were chosen to be in residence at the National Festival.

“Bryan has consistently distinguished himself as an intelligent, creative force in the Johnny Carson School, serving as the President of Masquers—the student organization for theatre students. He is one of those rare students who demonstrates consistent excellence in everything he pursues,” said Paul Steger, Director of the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film. “Possessing exceptional professional skills, a strong work ethic, maturity beyond his years and an open and approachable personality, Bryan is destined to make a significant impact. On behalf of the staff, faculty and his peers, we are extremely proud of his accomplishments to date and look forward to his continued contributions to the theatre over what appears to be a long and productive career.”

Howard will be in residence at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts April 14-18 for workshops and masterclasses led by Helinsky, Mead Hunter and with Iris Turcott, Drew Lichtenberg, Adrien-Alice Hansel and others, as guest artists.

Howard has also received honorable mention in the KCACTF Undergraduate Theatre Scholar Award for “’Methinks I have a manly spirit in me:’ Bess’s Gender in ‘The Fair Maid of the West, Part I.’”

To enter the regional dramaturgy competition, Howard was required to submit a digital protocol, not to exceed 100 pages, along with a physical one and a display board highlighting his work as dramaturg. Howard submitted 96 pages that detailed the research and work he did for UNL’s production of “Love’s Labor’s Lost” last semester, directed by guest director Melora Kordos.