CANTON, Mo. — 91ֱ�� theatre students were recognized with awards and experienced professional opportunities at the American College Theatre Festival (ACTF) held in late January in Rochester (Minn.), highlighting the strength and versatility of the C-SC’s theatre program.

Fifteen Culver-Stockton students participated in the weeklong regional festival, which brings together hundreds of student artists from across ACTF Region 5 for performances, competitions, workshops, and networking with theatre professionals.

Riko Davis, a sophomore from Tauranga, New Zealand, and scene partner Xander Brown, a freshman from Kirksville (Mo.), advanced to the semi-finals of the prestigious Irene Ryan Acting Competition. The pair placed among the top 64 performers selected from more than 300 preliminary competitors.

C-SC students recognized with other top honors include: Micah Peterson, a junior from Madison Lake (Minn.), who earned the Student Choice Award for Best Publicity and Promotions for “Carrie the Musical.” Charlotte Hansert, a senior from Fulton (Mo.) and her team “Techtastic” captured the Student Choice Award in the Stage Crew Olympics. Addison Wetzel, a senior from Ursa (Ill.), was awarded Best Direction of an original 10-minute Play for “Firing Squad,” a production she cast, rehearsed, and directed during the festival prior to its showcase performance.

Additional honors recognized the excellence of C-SC students across multiple theatrical disciplines. Zoey Kiser, a senior from Macon (Mo.), received a Merit Award for Costume Design for the musical “The Great American Trailer Park,” while Hansert earned a Merit Award for Sound Design for the same production. Ensemble Performance Merit Awards were presented to Lora Nickel, a freshman from Green City (Mo.) and Davis for “Eurydice.” Wetzel also received a Merit Award for Properties Management and Creation for “Eurydice.”

Students were also selected for several competitive festival opportunities. Kiser was cast in the 10-minute play “Trial and Error,” chosen from more than 100 auditionees. Kyla Grose, a junior from Troy (Mo.), was selected to stage manage the 10-minute play “Manifest Destiny.” Brown, Maddison Pruitt (a senior from Bowling Green, Mo.), and Arabella Rose (a freshman from Keokuk, Iowa), participated in the Musical Theatre Intensive Competition.

Leadership roles further distinguished Culver-Stockton’s presence at the festival. Wetzel and Kiser, members of the ACTF Student Advisory Board, helped emcee the Student Choice Showcase, host the Student Improv Showcase, and serve as liaisons between students and festival leadership.

Students Brandon Arnana (freshman, Farmington, Mo.), Jaysie Báez (freshman, Canto, Puerto Rico), Kaitlyn Buckwalter (sophomore, Palmyra, Mo.), Kai Maurice (junior, Sarasota, Fla.), and Sabastion Pearson (senior, LaBelle, Mo.) were also among the C-SC students who engaged in professional development workshops covering vocal performance, movement, stage combat, and other specialized theatre skills.

For more information about C-SC’s areas of study in theatre — including theater, musical theatre, and speech and theatre education — visit /majors/.

ACTF is a nationally recognized program that engages more than 18,000 college theater students annually from institutions across the country. Since its founding, the festival has provided over 400,000 students with opportunities to receive professional critique, refine their artistic skills, and earn national recognition for excellence in collegiate theater. Festival productions have drawn more than 16 million audience members nationwide.

During the weeklong event, Culver-Stockton students are engaging in a variety of competitive and educational experiences, including the Irene Ryan Acting Competition; design, technology, and management competitions; 10-minute play directing; stage management and technical crew competitions; and professional workshops focused on all areas of theatrical production.

In addition to performance and technical competitions, students are meeting with representatives from professional organizations to explore graduate programs, internships, and career opportunities in the performing arts.

The American College Theatre Festival is dedicated to elevating the quality of college and university theater while celebrating innovative and diverse artistic work. The organization encourages institutions to produce new plays, including student-written works, alongside reimagined classics and experimental productions. Participation provides students with practical experience and professional insight as they prepare for careers in the theater industry.

Learn more about C-SC’s Theatre major at culver.edu/majors/theatre/ and follow the department for updates on Instagram at .

Pictured in the photo is C-SC student Addi Wetzel at the ACTF in Rochester. She’s showing her costume design for “Carrie: The Musical,” which was staged Fall 2025 at C-SC.

Performances will take place as follows:

• Thursday-Friday, Nov. 6-7 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 8-9 at 2 p.m.

All performances will be held in the 91ֱ�� Black Box in the Robert W. Brown Performing Arts Center. Admission is free for all 91ֱ�� students, faculty, and staff. Admission for non-C-SC students is $5 and $10 for adults.

Because seating is limited, reservations are required for all performances. Reservations may be made in any of the following ways:

• Scan the QR code on the promotional poster
• Reserve online:
• Email David Lane at dlane@culver.edu

“Carrie: The Musical” is produced by the 91ֱ�� Department of Theatre. Learn more about the study of theatre at C-SC at /majors/theatre/.

Eaton understands what a fantastic opportunity this apprenticeship is and knows she will get to work with industry professionals. “I hope to refine the skills I’ve learned at C-SC and develop an even better understanding of industry practices. Technology has been constantly evolving and I look forward to learning more about the new fixtures and systems that Theatre Aspen uses. Above all, I’m looking forward to working with Broadway professionals and other up-and-coming professionals in the industry.”

The C-SC musical theatre major allows students to participate on stage and behind the scenes immediately with NO freshman freeze. Students design mainstage productions, direct one-act and full-length plays, work with practicing guest artists, compete in the Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre Festival, and dramaturg productions. Students also have the opportunity to write and direct their plays. “I feel what set me apart from other applicants was how well-rounded my resume is,” stated Eaton. Other colleges tend to place their theatre students in a specific bubble, but Culver-Stockton does the opposite. The faculty encourages you to explore all the different aspects of theater and delve into what resonates with you. This sentiment has helped me, and many other students, thrive in an industry where being a jack of all trades is insanely marketable.” Culver-Stockton faculty are award-winning in screenwriting, design, and directing, and have been involved nationally. The Performing Arts Center facility includes two production spaces, a traditional proscenium auditorium, and a flexible black box theatre. Additional internship possibilities include The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and Disney World.

For more information about 91ֱ�� and the 80 majors and minors that are offered – including musical theater – go to culver.edu. To connect with Dr. Heaton email her at hheaton@culver.edu.

Set against the backdrop of the afterlife, “This Is How We Get Better” navigates the complexities of friendship, love, and loss. The story unfolds as three roommates grapple with the aftermath of their fourth roommate’s funeral. As they confront the regrets of words said and left unsaid, they discover that the ghost of their departed friend is inexplicably confined to their apartment. “This Is How We Get Better” contains mature language and subject matter while addressing the challenges of coping with grief. For more information about the performances, contact Lane via email at dlane@culver.edu or via phone at 573-288-6398.

The show, adapted for the stage by the University of Northwestern, St. Paul Theatre professor Jennifer Hunter, features Alice (Zoey Kiser) as she faces her fears and moves through this strange world. Along the way, she meets the characters from the tale: White Rabbit (Kalista VanDerAa), the French Mouse (Morgan Zavoral), the Mad Hatter (Baylee Northington), the Cheshire Cat (Cassie Williams), the Caterpillar (Celeste Frogge), Tweedle Dee (Kenzie Coleman) and Tweedle Dum (Brad Collins), and the Queen of Hearts (Megan Eaton). She also confronts the Jabberwocky creature from the story’s sequel.

Other cast members include:

Eaton as Matilda
Addison Wetzel as Duck, Mushroom, White Knight
Rowdy Jackson as Dodo, Mushroom, White Knight
Demi Brown as Lory, Mushroom, White Knight
Cheyenne Moyer as Fish Footman
Kyla Grose as Tiger Lily, Mushroom, Card 5
Micah Peterson as Peony, Mushroom, Card 7
Randi Green as Rose, Mushroom, Card 9
Faith Myers as Poppy, Mushroom, Card 3
Christian Stewart as Executioner
Hadyn Roberts as Knave
Anna Gable as White Queen
Spencer Shively as Humpty Dumpty

Crew members for the production include:

Kaitlyn Beth, stage manager
Charlotte Hansert, assistant stage manager
Madi Pruitt, assistant stage manager
Williams, costume design
Eaton, lighting design
Stewart, master electrician
Arrow Andrews, make-up design
Collins, sound design
Coleman, props design
VanDerAa, props design
Alexis Mallon, Jabberwocky design

David Lane, senior lecturer in speech/theatre education, is directing the show. Michael York, assistant technical director for the C-SC theatre department, is the scenic design and technical director.

Admission to the show is free to C-SC students, faculty, and staff. Tickets for the public are $10 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. For reservations or more information, contact Lane at dlane@culver.edu or call 573-288-6398.

Show dates are March 30, 31, and April 1 at 7:30 p.m. with a 3:00 p.m. matinee on Sunday, April 2. Admission to the event is $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Please reserve your tickets on the MyCulver home page following the Get Your Theatre Tickets link. Contact the Fine Arts Office at 573-288-6346 or email at finearts@culver.edu. The production is rated PG-13 for some language, drug use, and sexual innuendo.

Saturday, December 10

• 3 p.m., Student Directed One Acts
• 7:30 p.m. Advanced Directing Project

Sunday, December 11

• 3 p.m., Student Directed One Acts
• 7:30 p.m. Advanced Directing Project

With the instruction of Dr. Haidee Heaton, Professor of Theatre and Chair of the Theatre Department, six student directors will produce their plays, which will be free and open to the public. These student directors include: Kaitlyn Beth, a senior Theatre major, who will direct Places, Please by Dave Brandl; Noah Klauser, a senior English major and Theatre minor, who will direct Stephen Gregg’s Why We Like Love Stories;  Alexis Mallon, a junior Arts Management and Religion and Philosophy major, who will direct Words, Words, Words by David Ives; Jace Murphy, a senior Theatre major, who will direct Jimmy The Antichrist, written by Keith J.Powell; Trevor Pruitt, a senior Arts Management major/Theatre and Business minor, who will direct Dustin Robert Blake’s The Trips;  and Cassie Williams, a junior Musical Theatre major, who will direct A Game by Dennis E. Noble.

Senior Theatre major Emma Hackett will present David Mamet’s Oleanna as an Advanced Directing project.  Hackett was chosen to direct a full-length, character-driven piece after her successful one-act production last fall. This production explores the volatile relationship between a student and professor and how blurred lines can upend lives instantly.

Some of these productions contain adult language and subject matter.  Contact Dr. Haidee Heaton at hheaton@culver.edu or call 573-288-6434 for more information.

Director Dr. Haidee Heaton, Professor of Theatre, leads the production team, including Set Designer Andy Trusley, Assistant Professor of Theatre; Student Lighting Designer sophomore Megan Eaton; Projection Designer alumnus Chris Deeds; and Assistant Technical Director Michael York.

Admission is free to C-SC students, faculty, and staff. Admission for the public is $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.

For further information or reservations, please contact the fine arts office at 573-288-6346 or finearts@culver.edu. C-SC students, faculty, and staff can reserve tickets on the MyCulver home page following the Get Your Theatre Tickets link.

Performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. on September 22-September 24 and a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, September 25, in the Robert W. Brown Performing Arts Center. This production is directed by David Lane, Lecturer of Speech and Theatre Education, with production design by Andy Trusley, Assistant Professor of Theatre.

Admission is free to C-SC students, faculty, and staff. Admission for the public is $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. For more information or to purchase a ticket, please contact the box office at 573-288-6346.

For further information or reservations, please contact the fine arts office at 573-288-6346 or finearts@culver.edu. C-SC students, faculty, and staff can reserve tickets on the MyCulver home page following the Get Your Theatre Tickets link.