June
27, 2008
ICC Theatre Students
Earn Transfer
Scholarships
The William Inge Theatre
Department at Independence
Community College has
announced that several of
their second year students
in the class of 2008 have
been awarded scholarships to
prestigious theatre schools.
Andrew Silva, of Neodesha,
was awarded theatre
scholarships to The Theatre
School at DePaul University,
in Chicago, and to Stephens
College of Columbia,
Missouri. Andrew has decided
to attend Stephens and is
currently appearing in their
summer stock season in
Okojobi, Iowa, which began
June 17.
“I had dropped out of the
Engineering program at
K-State after one semester
and didn’t know what I was
going to do,” said Silva,
“and now I’m on my way to a
professional career in the
theatre. I’ve had a
wonderful experience at
ICC.”
Gabriel DiChiara, who came
from Las Vegas to study at
ICC, also earned a theatre
scholarship to Stephens and
is joining Silva for the
summer. They were two of
only eight male theatre
students selected by
Stephens for their award
winning Theatre Program in
2008!
International student Maysa
Sapargeldiyeva earned a
theatre scholarship to Park
University in Kansas City
where she plans to study
singing and dance as well as
theatre.
Kevin Mnich, of
Bartlesville, has been
awarded a scholarship to
study theatre arts at
Southwestern College in
Winfield Kansas where he
intends to study Theatre
Education.
ICC theatre graduates are
also currently studying at
high-profile theatre schools
such as The Boston
Conservatory of Music, The
Hartt School of Theatre and
Point Park University.
“We’re extremely happy for
our students’ success in
their transfer efforts”,
said Jon Sidoli, Head of the
Theatre Department. “We are
proud of our program for
preparing them for the
difficult audition process
and making the jump to a
professional training
program.
The Theatre Department takes
the students to the National
Unified Auditions every
February as well as to the
Kansas Community College
Theatre Transfer Auditions.
The Theatre Department also
announced the winner of the
prestigious “Margaret Goheen
Scholarship” to freshman
theatre student Sarah Bell
of Sedan. This award, named
for the founder of The
William Inge Theatre
Festival, is awarded each
year to a first year student
who contributed the most in
talent, time and effort to
the theatre department.
Tony-winning actress Michele
Pawk and Ellen Goheen,
daughter-in-law Margaret
Goheen, presented the
scholarship to Bell during
the William Inge Theatre
Festival’s gala dinner in
April.
