SOU Student Named Finalist for Prestigious Award

(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University Theatre Arts student Stephanie Neuerburg has been invited to the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, where her play, “Science Night,” is a John Cauble Award national finalist.

“Science Night” was selected from hundreds of entries and will be performed on stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, during the festival, which runs April 14-18. Kennedy Center staff will work with Neuerburg to cast professional actors for the play, which up to this point has been performed solely by student actors.
“It’s really exciting to think about professional actors performing my play on stage at the Kennedy Center,” Neuerburg said. “This truly is an honor.”
The play, which is set in a fictional high school, tackles contemporary social issues such as sexual assault and homelessness, according to Neuerburg. “Most of the play takes place during a 30 minute conversation between a teacher and student following a high school science fair,” she said.
Started in 1969 by Roger L. Stevens, the Kennedy Center’s founding chairman, the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival is a national theater program involving more than 20,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide annually. The organization has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States. It has grown into a network of more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country.
“This is a really big deal! We are all so proud of Stephanie and thrilled that her work will be recognized on a national level,” said Professor Jackie Apodaca, head of performance at SOU. “The night her play was chosen as a Region 7 finalist, she also performed as a finalist in the Irene Ryan acting competition. She’s an amazing actor and playwright.”
The John Cauble Award winner will be named at the culmination of the American College Theater Festival.
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About Southern Oregon University
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