CU Theatre Students Earn Honors at American College Theatre Festival

Three Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg theatre students earned honors at the Region 2 American College Theatre Festival held in January.

Frankie Webb, a theatre major from Palmerton, was named an ACTF National Stage Management Fellow for work on the Bloomsburg University Players' fall 2025 production of Ride the Cyclone, directed by Prof. David Miller. Webb is mentored by faculty member Dr. Carrie Winship. 

Theatre major Theo Lemons from Easton was named an ACTF Award for Theatrical Design Excellence in Lighting for work on Ride the Cyclone. Lemons is mentored by Prof. Ethan Krupp.

Tom Halko, a theatre major from Ambler, was named an ACTF Institute for Theatre Journalism and Advocacy Fellow.

National Finalists are invited to participate and present their first-place-winning work at the National Festival programming that will occur in April. These CU-Bloomsburg students were selected from competitors across the region, which includes undergraduate and graduate theatre programs in six states.

Additional student involvement at the festival included:

Rebekah Vermuelen, a theatre major from Coopersburg, was a Musical Theatre Intensive (MTI) featured Closing Ceremony Performer at the festival. This opportunity was the result of her selection as the MTI Nomination from CU-Bloomsburg for her performance as Jane Doe in Ride the Cyclone; directed by Prof. David Miller.

Theatre major Xaria “Mickey” Brathwaite was cast as a performer in an NPP One-Act Reading.

Theo Lemons and Mickey Brathwaite competed as part of the four-person team that placed second in the regional Tech Olympics.

At the festival, faculty member Carrie Winship served on the ACTF Region 2 leadership committee as the coordinator for the Institute of Theatre Journalism & Advocacy and a faculty respondent in the first round of the Musical Theatre Intensive Auditions.