The CCRI Players recently presented The Universe Made Simple: Two Student-Directed One-Act Plays – The Whole Shebang by Rich Orloff and Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You by Christopher Durang. To cap off a weekend of terrific performances, the casts and crews of each production have been lauded for their work and recognized with nominations for regional awards.

The student directors of both plays, Jessica Grossman (Shebang) and Rusty Herman (Sister Mary), have been nominated for the American College Theater Festival (ACTF) Director Fellowship Award for the upcoming Region I Festival in January.

This is the second year that CCRI has produced two of the five fellowship candidates. Additionally, Sister Mary Ignatius is under consideration to perform and compete as part of the festival, a tremendous honor given the competition from 4-year and graduate drama programs.

(L-R) Andrew Veader, Gregory Infussi and Kelli Tortolani in Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You.

Another student, Ray Viera, has received an award nomination for Student Costume Designer. Students Lindsay Gordon (Sister Mary) and Jared Benson (Whole Shebang) were invited to compete for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship. Kelli Tortolani and Meryn Flynn were named alternates.

Luke and Linda Murphy Sutherland, both CCRI faculty members, will present at the festival on director/designer collaboration.