Salem State University theatre student Fernando Barbosa of Everett received the New England Theater Conference (NETC) Best Comedic Actor Award at the 2021 Region 1 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF), which took place virtually, January 24-31, 2021.
Three additional Salem State students won regional awards, two of whom will advance to the Kennedy Center national festival in the categories of acting and lighting design. In addition, Salem State University won the Tech Trivia Championship overall, and will have the honor of running the Tech Olympics at the 2022 KCACTF Region 1 Festival.
Barbosa, class of 2022, is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance. His credits include: Much Ado About Nothing (Irene Ryan Nomination) and The House of Blue Leaves (Salem State University); Native Gardens (Gloucester Stage); All’s Well that Ends Well and Cymbeline (u/s), (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company); Assassins (Arts After Hours); Jesus Christ Superstar (Marblehead Little Theatre); Macbeth, (UMass Lowell); Cloud Tectonics (Fort Point Theatre Channel); and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, (Apollinaire Theatre Company, Elliot Norton Nomination). This spring Barbosa can be seen in a recorded performance of Sophie Treadwell’s “Machinal” at Salem State, online March 11-18.
“I am so proud of our very talented students and our wonderful professors who mentor them,” said Jerry L. Johnson, chair of the theatre and speech communication department at Salem State University. “Go Salem State Theatre!”
Established in 1969, the KCACTF is a national theater program that recognizes and celebrates the “finest and most diverse work produced in university and college theater programs” and involves 18,000 students annually. Salem State University competes in KCACTF Region 1 which includes colleges and universities based in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Northeast New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Salem State’s 2021 Region 1 KCACTF award recipients include:
Fernando Barbosa, ‘22: New England Theater Conference Best Comedic Actor Award
Laura Chipman, ‘21: Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas Award
Isaac Goldbaum, ‘22: Region 1 Achievement in Scenic Design Award, the Vectorworks Award, Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas Award, and Tech Trivia Champion
Rémani Lizana, ‘22: Region 1 Finalist for the National Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship
Hunter A. Mountz, ‘21: Region 1 Excellence in Lighting Design Award, Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas Award, and an invitation to attend the USITT virtual conference Salem State University, established in 1854, is a comprehensive, public institution of higher learning located approximately 15 miles north of Boston, Massachusetts. One of the largest state universities in the Commonwealth, Salem State enrolls about 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students. It offers 32 undergraduate programs and graduate programs that offer degrees in 24 fields. The university also has a continuing education division that offers both credit and non-credit programs. Known for the academic strength of its faculty, Salem State was named a Top Producer of U.S. Fulbright Scholars in 2011 and for the 2016-2017 academic year. The university is designated a Top College and University by Military Advanced Education and a Best for Vets College by Military Times. Salem State proudly participates in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement and has shown a student voting rate well above the national average, earning the university a gold seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge