DSU Students Rueckert and Kantack Receive Award

Alyssa Ternes

Jamie Rueckert and Zachary Kantack, two DSU students, received an award at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival hosted in Ames Iowa in January.

The National Allied Crafts Excellence for 2nd place was awarded to Jamie Rueckert and Zachary Kantack at the Region V Festival XLIV closing ceremonies on Friday January 20, 2012.

Zach and Jamie worked collaboratively on crown designs in DSU’s fall production of Metamorphoses written by Mary Zimmerman, Based on the Myths of Ovid. There were many Greek Gods and Goddesses in need of headdress, and all the pieces were designed with these Greek myths in mind. The two designers scoured the theater for recycled props and materials to create the accessories. They created crowns for Zeus, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Hades and many more mythical beings. At the end of the process, each actor had a crown fit for a Greek God.

The two designers entered their costume designs into a contest at KCACTF hosted in Ames, Iowa. KCACTF is a national theater program involving over 600 academic institutions across the United States. This program allows theater departments and student artists to showcase their talents and be critiqued by professionals in the artistic community. Zach was also nominated for the Irene Ryan Scholarship for his acting performance in DSU’s production of Anything Goes last spring, and the entire cast of Metamorphoses was awarded a certificate of Merit for costume design.

Needless to say, the entire theater department is proud of the Zach and Jamie and their contributions to DSU Theater off and on stage.