November 7, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two Theatre UAB shows written, performed and directed entirely by students swept the awards at the 2007 Alabama Conference of Theatre (ACT), held Oct. 26-27 at Auburn University Montgomery.

The shows, “Crazy Kind of Grace” by Valerie Wynn of Montgomery, and “Swell at the Tidwells” by Stephen Webb of Madison, won all four awards presented. Luke Harlan of Fayetteville, Ark., was named best director for “Crazy Kind of Grace”; Ashleigh Butgereit of Madison was named Best Performer; and Webb was named Best Playwright. “Swell,” directed by Dustin Cañez of Tuscaloosa, also was named Best Play Overall at the competition.

The 2007 ACT competition event featured six 10-minute plays from schools across the state. The winning short plays, developed in UAB playwriting classes, were originally featured in the UAB Festival of 10-Minute Plays earlier in the fall semester. The shows are entirely student-written, student-directed, student-designed and student-performed. Theatre UAB submitted the two plays for consideration at the ACT.

“Crazy Kind of Grace” starred Butgereit, Stefannie Azoroh, Tim Craig, Katie Hines, Austin Hackney and Krystal Hsu. “Swell at the Tidwells” starred Brittney Williams, Keith Pettway, Tim Craig and Ashleigh Butgereit.