STUDENT CENTER: Conquering KCACTF — Day 4: Goodbyes and Festival Flashbacks

Just as we were settling into a comfortably insane routine of Starbucks and shows, Festival 45 was over before we knew it.

We had a low-key schedule for our last day. Our long, fun-filled and sleepless nights had finally caught up with us, as we all spent the morning packing for the trip home and enjoying our last Starbucks for awhile. (Nope ... Bona's doesn't have one).

After loading up the van with luggage and Emily's design displays, we enjoyed a lovely variety of scenes in the Irene Ryan final round performance. The near 270-entries had been narrowed down to 16, and each duo displayed their talents with confidence. A highlight had to be the appropriately hysterical "Song that Goes Like This" from Monty Python's SPAMALOT. Brava to all on a fine morning of scenes.

Emily was also recognized for her amazing design work during the Regional Design, Technology and Management awards, winning the Green Costume Contest and the Regional Allied Design Technology Award, for her costumes in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and her magnificently crafTed Wings in Jose Rivera's THE WINGED MAN, respectively.

As always, we left festival wishing we had seen more productions and gone to more workshops, but in my three years as a participant, there always seems to be too much theater packed into the 5-day event. There's never enough time in the day to see or do everything you want, sacrificing normal eating habits and regular sleep hours as a result, making that last day at festival all the more entertaining with everyone's exhaustion spurring silly battles in who can make up the best "You know what they say..." cliché.

The Bonnies had a fantastic time in Towson, and I asked each of them to reminisce about their experience, noting their favorite show, festival memory, Starbucks drink and their own "You know what they say..." phrase.

Emily West

Senior journalism and mass communication and theater major

4th year at festival

Favorite show: The Bacchae

Favorite festival memory: PF Chang's

Starbucks drink: Soy vanilla roobis tea latte

"You know what they say, a feeder indoors fattens no birds."

Brett Keegan

Senior Philosophy major

1st year at festival

Favorite show: The Walls

Favorite festival memory: Dionysius night

Starbucks drink: Green tea

"You know what they say, a goat in the pasture means milk in the barn."

Brooke Perkins

Junior theater major

3rd year at festival

Favorite show: The Walls

Favorite festival memory: Just hanging out and spending time together, also meeting theater people from all around

Starbucks drink: Mocha Frappuchino

"You know what they say, YOLO because you're not a cat."

Freddy Alvarez

Junior journalism and mass communication and theater major

1st year at festival

Favorite show: the Bacchae

Favorite festival memory: honesty hour

Starbucks drink: vanilla spice latte

"You know what they say, ice keeps your drink cold."

Makeda Loney

Junior journalism and mass communication major

2nd year at festival

Favorite show: The Bacchae

Favorite festival memory: honesty hour and running around the hotel with Tori and Freddy. Also meeting new people during the Irene Ryans.

Starbucks drink: white chocolate mocha with shots of gingerbread

"You know what they say the freshest popcorn pops first."

Tori Lanzillo

Sophomore journalism and mass communication and theater major

2nd year at festival

Favorite show: Tie between The Bacchae and The Walls

Favorite festival memory: Just being able to hang out and meet a bunch of people that shared the same passion for theatre

Starbucks drink: A soy vanilla rooibos tea latte

"You know what they say, the tallest person is not the shortest unless they are."

Mary Best

3rd year at festival

Junior journalism and mass communication major

Favorite show: TICK,TICK...BOOM

Favorite festival memory: epic feasting and theater discussions at P.F. Chang's

Starbucks drink: Iced Passion Tea Lemonade"You know what they say, those who color code their closets aren't color blind."

Overall, KCACTF was a blast for a third time, and I hope to be privileged to attend next year with SBU Theater. There's nothing better than a road trip with a bunch of theater people who happen to be friends and celebrate your passion for theater with a thousand equally passionate and eccentric individuals. No one sleeps or takes a normal picture, but it's one of the greatest weeks of your life.

Oh, and the final Starbucks count was 32. Until next year, festival-goers!

Photo Credits: Emily West, Makeda Loney and Tori Lanzillo

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