UCM Theatre and Dance Presents Scholarships, Awards at Annual Banquet

UCM students who received New Theatre Guild Scholarship Awards are, from left, Reagan Medlock, John Plasencio,
Hannah Vath, Trae Selemaea and Claire Groos. 

 

The University of Central Missouri (UCM) Division of Theatre and Dance hosted its annual Scholarship and Awards Banquet on May 3 at the Highlander Theatre. 

UCM’s chapter of Theta Alpha Phi, the national theatre honorary fraternity, presented the following awards: Outstanding Performance in a Mainstage Play to Alannah Trigg for “She Kills Monsters;” Outstanding Performance in a Mainstage Musical to Rosalyn Schuster for “Cabaret;” Outstanding Dancer in a Mainstage Show to Allison Whitbey for “Cabaret;” Outstanding Choreography in a Mainstage show to Raegan Weber for “Cabaret;” Outstanding Mainstage Dramaturgy to Dr. Kristy Boney for “Cabaret;” Outstanding Stage Management to Anna Fletcher for “Love (IM)Perfectly;” Outstanding Mainstage Lighting Design to Arianna Kendrick for “Cabaret;” Outstanding Mainstage Properties Design to Alyna Mathews for “Cabaret;” Outstanding Mainstage Sound Design to Gabe Sokolowski for “Cabaret;” Outstanding Mainstage Costume Design to Molly Blackburn for “Cabaret;” Outstanding Hair/Makeup Design to Molly Blackburn for “She Kills Monsters;” and the Hugh Hocking Memorial Award for Superior Technical Theatre to Molly Blackburn.

Other awards included Outstanding Mainstage Assistant Direction to Kaia Trujillo for “Cabaret;” Outstanding New Play in the New Play Festival to John Plasencio for “The Devil Came to Arkansas;” Outstanding Mainstage Understudy to Anna Fletcher for “Cabaret;” Outstanding Contribution to the Studio One-Act Theatre to Raegan Weber for “The Gulf;” Outstanding Studio to Quinn Allen and Molly Blackburn for their direction and technical direction of “The Gulf;” and Outstanding Contribution to a Black Box Production to Audrey Shepard for “Fuggetaboutit!” 

Audrey Shepard received the Outstanding Theatre Freshman Award, and Alannah Trigg received the Guiding Lighting Award for Outstanding Achievement as a Senior. Theatre and Dance faculty members presented the Outstanding Theatre Student Awards to Rosalyn Schuster and Molly Blackburn.

Theta Alpha Phi's new initiates were recognized, and senior members were presented with graduation cords.

Throughout the evening, students, faculty and donors awarded 48 scholarships worth $63,000 to current and incoming Theatre and Dance students.

The New Theatre Scholarship Guild in Overland Park, Kansas, annually awards five $3,500 scholarships to four universities, including UCM. This year’s recipients included the New Theatre Guild McDowell Family Scholarship presented to Claire Groos; New Theatre Guild Mary Wyram Family Scholarship presented to Hannah Vath; New Theatre Dennis D. Hennesy and Richard Carrothers Scholarship to Reagan Medlock; New Theatre Arlene Krings Memorial Scholarship to John Plasencio; and New Theatre Guild Highlander-See presented to Trae Selemaea.

Additional scholarships of the night included James L. Highlander Theatre Scholarship to Xander Corkins and Joseph Devoro; Mancow Muller Theatre Scholarship to Raegan Weber; Loneta Pearce Scholarship for the Promotion of Theatre Arts to Avory Nail; Charles G. and Laura Keynon Kuhn Distinguished Theatre Artist Award to Molly Jones, Brody Lafrentz, Audrey Shepard and Allison Whitbey; Lucy Bergman Memorial Scholarship in Theatre to Mason Enright, Anna Fletcher, Jesse Moore and Hannah Rodriguez-Nemeth; Virgil E. See Theatre Scholarship to Jacob Collins; Nina L. Devenny Distinguished Theatre Artist Award to Elizabeth Molina; Dolores M. and John W. Kitterman Theatre Scholarship to Rosalyn Schuster; Biggins Scholarships to Nathalia Cordero, Samuel Fischer, Arianna Kendrick, Payton Lawrence, Alyna Mathews and Emma Stevens; Harold and Sherralyn Craven Scholarship in Theatre to incoming student Frankie Nelson; William Martin Scully IV Creativity Scholarship to Madison Keep; Foundation Scholarship to Noah Martin; Peer Mentor Scholarship to Raegan Weber; Richard Herman Black Box Theatre Scholarship to Kaia Trujillo; and David R. Peerbolte Technical Theatre Scholarship to Gabe Sokolowski. 

Theatre and Dance Ambassador Scholarships were presented to current and incoming students: Kelley Akers, Taleah Brown, Ayden Christensen, Caleb D’Amico, Chase Dernier, Avory Nail, Frankie Nelson, Tyler Schroder, Rosalyn Schuster, Kaia Trujillo, Charlie Vitale, Alea Ware and Cami Wieberg. 

The Distinguished Patron of the Year Award went to Colette Tilden, a former office professional of Theatre and Dance for 34 years and an avid supporter of the program and production season. 

UCM Theatre and Dance announced its 2025-26 production season, “Make ‘em Laugh,” featuring comedies from a broad genre of plays and musicals. Season tickets will be available beginning in August.

The season begins with Central Missouri Repertory’s annual summer children’s show tour, “Space Kids,” at 10 a.m. June 9 in the Highlander Theatre. Next will be the student-produced Studio One-Acts entitled “Lost and Found” on Sept. 11-13; “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” on Oct. 2-5; UCM Fringe Festival on Oct. 30-Nov. 2; “The Importance of Being Earnest” on Nov. 19-22; “Bus Stop” on Feb. 26-March 1; and “9 to 5” on April 17-19 and April 23-25.

For more information, contact Ashley Miller-Scully, chair of the Division of Theatre and Dance, at almiller@ucmo.edu or visit ucmo.edu/theatre.