FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jan. 18, 2002 CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119 DRAKE SELECTED FOR REGIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL Drake University Theatre's production of "Equus" has been selected from more than 60 plays to be performed next week at the Region V Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The 14-member cast and 10-member crew have been rehearsing seven hours a day this week to prepare for the festival, where they will perform "Equus" for an audience of approximately 1,300 theatre professionals, students and educators at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25. "The play was first presented last October in the studio theatre, so we've adapted the production to fit a 2,300-seat auditorium," said director John Holman, assistant professor of theatre arts at Drake. The American College Theatre Festival is a national organization sponsored by the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The festival is designed to promote and recognize excellent work in educational theatre throughout the country. Each region may opt to send its best production to be performed at the Kennedy Center in April as part of the national festival. "Being invited to perform before such a large group of peers at the regional level is quite an honor," Holman said. "The students and faculty members who are involved with the production are incredibly excited about the honor and the opportunity." It's been at least 10 years since Drake has had a production selected to be performed at the regional festival, Holman said. The last Drake production presented at the festival was "Like Father," a student-written play by Seth Kramer, JO'93. Holman said he believes "Equus" was selected this year because of the quality of the production and his nontraditional approach to the play that involves unconventional costumes and the use of masks for all but one of the characters. "The script is very specific and I have definitely strayed from the script," he added. "Equus," the Tony-Award winning play by Peter Shaffer, tells the story of Alan, a highly disturbed young man, who is sent to Dysart, a psychiatrist, after he brutally blinds six horses. Dysart battles his own demons as he tries to help his patient, Alan. In addition to Holman, three other faculty members are involved with the production. They are John Pomeroy, chair of the theatre arts department, who serves as technical designer for the production; Josie Poppen, Drake's costume designer and designer of the "Equus" set; and William Dougherty, chair of the music department and composer of original music for the play. Deanna Conley, assistant professor of theatre arts, also will attend the festival. Students are in charge of costume design and sound design. Olivia Vavroch designed the costumes while Ursula Bowden is the sound designer. The cast consists of Brett Hanson, Tom Rinkoski, Greg Marcy, Audrey Bostrom, Tiffany Bryson, Emeric Dwyer, Jessica Christensen, Erin Tylski, Michelle Hessel, Nicholle Breikjern, Abigail Buell, Angela Cady, Angela Ludwig and Sarah Reeves.