College Theater Competition Set for SDSU : Theater

For the first time in the 20-year history of the American College Theater Festival, the competing productions in Region VIII of the 12-region national contest will be held in San Diego. San Diego State University will present the area finalists at the Don Powell Theatre Feb. 18-21.

The competing schools are the University of Arizona, which will present “As Is” at 8 p.m. Feb. 18; UCLA and Occidental College, which will show “When Esther Saw the Lights” at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 19; Santa Barbara City College, which will show “Biloxi Blues” at 8 p.m. Feb. 19; El Camino College, which will present “A Streetcar Named Desire” at 8 p.m. Feb. 20, and the University of Redlands, which will present “Old Hippies,” an original student play, at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 21.

The festival will also feature invitational scenes, the Irene Ryan Scholarship auditions (Ryan, best-known for her roles as Granny in the television show “The Beverly Hillbillies” and in the Tony Award-winning “Pippin,” donated her estate to the festival), a festival of new plays, design competitions and exhibits and theater workshops. Festival tickets are $25 and can be purchased from the Department of Drama at San Diego State University.

Winners of regional theater competitions will go to Washington where a national winner will be selected and honored with awards and scholarships.