Kennedy Center Festival Selects Student-directed Play for Competition

Virtual Production Performed at Regional Fest for National Consideration

MEDIA CONTACT: Damita Chambers, dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile

(BOWIE, Md.) – Students from Bowie State University were selected to perform their powerful and innovative virtual production addressing racialized violence at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival’s regional program next month. BSU Theatre’s performance of “What to Send Up When It Goes Down” by Aleshea Harris is Bowie State’s first student-directed play to be invited to the Jan. 11-15, 2021, regional festival, as well as the first BSU Theatre production invited to the festival since 2014.

The production, focused on exploring the impact of racialized violence, also garnered additional honors for outstanding direction and outstanding ensemble performers. Rashaud Matthews, a graduating theatre arts major, served as the play’s director, and the ensemble performers were Rakell Foye, Cayla Hall, Nikolas Hubbard, ​Kaythee Israel, Jasmine Matthews, Oladia Menchaca and Angelique Sterling.

Most major BSU Theatre productions are not directed by a student, but this year was different. The faculty and students collaborated in a way that allowed for greater student input in using creative storytelling devices, such as virtual whiteboard participation from the audience. The result impressed the Kennedy Center festival judges.

“This happened because of faculty and student collaboration in the truest sense in that we all went into a space to learn together,” said assistant professor Elena Velasco, who is the theater arts program’s coordinator in the Department of Fine & Performing Arts. “We as a faculty become aware of the real need to center student voice.”

Despite navigating remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and producing a virtual performance of a play addressing the broad-ranging impact of racialized violence, the students achieved a historic achievement.

“It gave the students an opportunity to see that even though there is so much right now that is challenging, they can still have a major success,” said assistant professor Kathryn Kawecki. “One of the things that I thought was most important was helping the students understand that experimenting and trying things that are totally unknown are a part of being an artist.”

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About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.