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Keene State "Equus" Production Earns National Awards

Equus
Equus

The Keene State College Theatre and Dance Department’s fall production of Equus earned four national awards for outstanding achievement from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. The KCACTF national awards were announced last week from work showcased at the eight regional festivals that took place January 2 to March 1.

KSC senior Taylor Jorgensen of Wilton, N.H., who played the troubled teen who blinded horses in Equus, won Distinguished Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.

William Howell of Peterborough, N.H., a KSC alumnus and staff member, who portrayed the psychiatrist in the drama about human behavior, earned the Distinguished Performance by a Guest Artist-in-Residence award.

Equus, co-directed by KSC Professors PeggyRae Johnson and William Seigh, earned an award for Distinguished Performance and Production Ensembles. Seigh choreographed an ensemble of horses played by five students—Matthew McDougal of Keene, N.H., Josh Bernard-Kriegl of Dover, N.H., Henri Hardina-Blanchette of Northampton, Mass., Mitch Hodge of Windham, Maine, and Kenon Veno of Edgartown, Mass. The students visited Stonewall Farms in Keene and Jeannie Butler’s farm in Marlborough to learn how horses behave and move.

The Keene State production of Equus, written in 1973 by British playwright Peter Shaffer, also won Distinguished Achievement in Production, which salutes the efforts of all faculty, staff, students, and community members involved in the production. Other members of the cast included community members Jeannie McGartland of Keene, N.H. and Paige Lussier Johnson of Jaffrey, N.H. who is a KSC Theatre and Dance alumna. Other KSC student cast members were Will Adams of Fernandina Fla., Cara Gerardi of Dennis, Mass., Megan Pereira of Randolph, N.J., and Mia Plympton of Marblehead, Mass. Jillian Strazzere of Wilmington, Mass., was the stage manager. KSC theater alumna Elizabeth Streeter designed the costumes for Equus and KSC faculty member Tiffany Dalian designed the scenery and Technical Director Craig Lindsay designed the lighting.

The Theatre and Dance Department received the honor of being invited to present its production of Equus, at the KCACTF New England region which includes the State of New York on January 27–31 in Hyannis, Mass. Equus was presented October 21–25 at Keene State.

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