The Taylor University Theatre production of David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Rabbit Hole has received 10 national honors after its appearance at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF).
Rabbit Hole tells the story of a family trying to cope with the death of a child. The play won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Actress Cynthia Nixon won a Tony Award for her portrayal of Becca, one of the play's central characters, in the Broadway production. After seeing Taylor’s Rabbit Hole performances last February, festival respondents nominated the production for acceptance into the Regional Festival—one of eight across the United States.
The National Awards Committee for productions showcased at the 2017 Regional Festivals honored the Taylor production in the following categories:
- Outstanding Lighting Design—Kevin Gawley
- Distinguished Production of a Play
- Distinguished Director of a Play—Tracy Manning
- Distinguished Ensemble of a Play
- Distinguished Performance by an Actress in a Play—Leah Murphy
- Distinguished Performance by an Actress in a Play—Morgan Turner
- Distinguished Scenic Design—Corey Rodeheaver
- National Commendation for Technical Direction—Terrance Volden
- National Commendation for Properties Design—Conner Reagan and Leah Murphy
- National Commendation for Make-up Design—Jessica Schulte
As a participating production from Region III (Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana) in the KCACTF regional festival, Taylor Theatre’s Rabbit Hole was considered for national awards recognizing outstanding achievement in production, design, direction and performance.
“We are so grateful to have been recognized by KCACTF,” said Tracy Manning, Taylor’s Theatre director. “We are proud for Taylor University to have gotten a national recognition in the arts, and I am thankful to work with such dedicated student artists who engage difficult material, celebrate one another and worship their Creator through the creative act of playmaking.”
Taylor Theatre provides an immersive experience for audiences and participants by pursuing excellence on and off the stage, embracing difficulty and asking questions in pursuit of truth.