Minnesota State Mankato's Department of Theatre & Dance Shines at the Region V American College Theater Festival 58
Minnesota State University, Mankato Department of Performing Arts News Release
MANKATO- The Minnesota State University, Mankato Department of Performing Arts is excited to announce the award recipients from the American College Theatre Festival, Region V. The 58th annual festival was held in Rochester, Minnesota, Jan. 18-24, 2026. There were 55 students and 12 faculty members from Minnesota State University, Mankato who attended the festival.
Region V represents Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri, and its regional festival is the largest of the eight in the country. The productions that are included in consideration for awards were performed in the 2025 calendar year.
Three students received national awards at the festival. Eve Gilmore received a National Award for Scenic Design for “The Women of Troy.” Anastasiia Didenko received a National Award for Sound Design for “The Women of Troy.” Landon Hudson was the runner-up in the Irene Ryan Acting competition.
Irene Ryan Semi-Finalists and the Musical Theatre Intensive (MTI)
The Irene Ryan Foundation awards eight regional scholarships and one national scholarship annually through a competitive round of acting auditions. MTI celebrates and recognizes outstanding musical theatre students throughout the region.
Klara Lybeck, Meg Breithaupt, Caden Strampe and Ryan Peltier advanced to the semifinals of the Irene Ryan Acting competition. Brooklyn Kellenberger (partner Davis Jensen), Alyse Boudreau (partner Callie McConnell), Chris Martens (partner Landon Javens), Landon Javens (partner Chris Martens), Gwyneth Abrams (partner Landon Hudson) and Landon Hudson (partner Callie McConnell) advanced to the Irene Ryan Acting Finals. Alyse Boudreau (partner Callie McConnell) received the Student Choice Award for the Irene Ryan Acting Competition.
Alyse Boudreau, Landon Javens, Davis Jensen, Brooklyn Kellenberger, Elleandra Maloney and Alex Vigil advanced to the MTI Singing Semi Finals. Landon Hudson, Jed Stahlback, Jacynda Santiago, and Landon Hudson and Davis Jensen’s duet advanced to the MTI Singing Finals. Jacynda Santiago received the MTI Evolution in Performance Award and Jed Stahlback received the MTI Bravery in Artistry Award.
Nathan Barker, Joshua Barclay, Alyse Boudreau and Sara Hurtado Islas advanced to the MTI Dance Finals.
Design, Technology and Management Awards
- Jakob Kamp received a Regional Honorable Mention award for Lighting Design for “The Roommate.”
- Matthew Walsh received a Regional Award for Lighting Design for “Jard & Julia.”
Chevelier Wiggins received a Regional Award for Sound Design for “Misery.”
Anastasiia Didenko received a National Award for Sound Design for “The Women of Troy.” - Vicky Shlenova received a Regional Honorable Mention for Costume Design for “The Roommate.”
- Mel Christinsen received the Jay Duckworth Proptologist Award for puppet design for “Cinderella.”
- Mel Christinsen, Jakob Kamp, Kayleigh Weidendorf and Chevelier Wiggins received the Don Childs DTM Cross-Discipline Collaboration Award for their work on “Misery.”
- Vickly Shelnova received the Achievement in Costume Parade award for “The Women of Troy.”
Certificates of Merit
Certificates of Merit are awarded by individual ACTF representatives who come to campus and respond to a production. This award represents a noteworthy achievement by an individual or group on that particular production.
The following individuals were recognized for their work on “A Streetcar Named Desire”:
- Dana Sibri for Stage Management
- George Grubb for Sound Design
- James C. Van Oort for Direction
- Jayna Sherman for Direction
- Steven Smith for Lighting Design
- Dana Sibri for Scenic Painting
- John David Paul for Scenic Design
- Mel Christinsen for Scenic Design
- Jayna Sherman for Intimacy Direction
The following individual was recognized for their work on “The Winter’s Tale”:
- Anastasiia Didenko for Sound Design
The following individuals were recognized for their work on “Heroes of the Fourth Turning”:
- Clayton Thorson for Technical Direction
- Ella Halpern for Production Stage Management
The following individuals were recognized for their work on “Cinderella”:
- Matthew Caron for Direction
- Nicholas Wayne for Music Direction
- Anastasiia Didenko for Sound Design
- Liz Albenesius for Choreography
- Steven Smith for Lighting Design
- Meagan Flaherty for Stage Management
- Jay Wetenkamp for Stage Management
- David McCarl for Costume Design
The following individuals were recognized for their work on “Oklahoma!”:
- S.C. Gildner for Choreography
- Meagan Flaherty for Paint Charge
- Jay Wetenkamp for Stage Management
The following individuals were recognized for their work on “Misery”:
- Mel Christinsen for Properties Design
- Wells Schmeidel for Properties Design
The following individuals were recognized for their work on “The Women of Troy”:
- Eve Gilmore for Scenic Design
- Anastasiia Didenko for Sound Design
- Vicky Shlenova for Costume Design
The following individuals were recognized for their work on “The Roommate”:
- Ace Boucher-Kampf for Stage Management
Additional Awards and Recognitions
- Brooks LaPlante was a finalist in the Stage Directors and Choreographers competition.
- The costumes from “The Women of Troy,” designed by Vicky Shlenova, were invited to be presented at the costume parade at the festival.
- Faculty members Nicholas Wayne, Vladimir Rovinsky, Christi Smith, Yukina Sato, and Corrie Eggimann and graduate students Phyllis Horridge, Meg Breithaupt, Vicky Shlenova , Anastasiia Didenko, Ngoni Chikowore, Jakob Kamp (with Mel Christinsen), S.C. Gildner, Chris Martens, Landon Javens and Selwyn Ofori presented workshops during the festival. Faculty member Matthew Caron served as assistant coordinator of the Invited Scenes Event.
