SUNY Oswego's Theatre Department hosted 400 high school theatre students and chaperones on Friday, April 24, for a full day of performances, workshops and collaborative learning on campus during its annual Dramafest.

Representing 16 schools from across Central and Northern New York — including Cayuga, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Oswego, Seneca and Wayne counties — participants gathered in Tyler and Hewitt halls to share their work and engage with faculty, staff and alumni.

Eight visiting schools presented scenes from their current productions. Among them, the local Oswego High School performed “Revolting Children” from "Matilda The Musical," directed by Robert Dumas, who also is a SUNY Oswego music faculty member. Each performance received thoughtful feedback from guest respondents Marguerite Mitchell, director of education at the Syracuse-based Redhouse Arts Center, and Bella Poynton, assistant professor of theatre at SUNY Oswego.

The afternoon featured an array of hands-on workshops led by SUNY Oswego faculty, staff and alumni. Sessions covered topics such as improv, scenic painting, stage makeup, prop and mask making, audition techniques and acting for the camera. Alumni presenters contributed workshops in scene study and live entertainment touring, highlighting professional pathways in the field.

Additional interdisciplinary offerings were provided by colleagues in the Departments of Cinema and Screen Studies and of Music, including workshops in live sound mixing, shadow puppet filmmaking, soundstage production and voice acting and motion capture for video games. Carey Barnette, assistant director of Campus Recreation and a theatre adjunct faculty member, led a high-energy musical theatre dance workshop.

The day concluded with a sold-out, standing-room-only performance of the department’s spring musical, "All Shook Up." Prior to the performance, the department introduced a new tradition celebrating incoming students. Twelve high school seniors in attendance — each committed to enrolling at SUNY Oswego in the fall across majors including theatre, psychology and education — were entered into a drawing and one of them was selected at random to receive a $250 award applied to their Student Flex Account.

This event reflects the Theatre Department’s ongoing commitment to community engagement, arts education and fostering the next generation of creative artists and scholars.

“Dramafest brings together not only our entire department,” Department Chair Krystal Kennel said, “but also many of our campus partners in the College of Communication, Media and The Arts, as well as Auxiliary Services and Catering, Campus Events and Conference Services, Ticketing and Box Office, Parking and University Police, Career Services and Campus Recreation. We are forever grateful for everyone’s enthusiastic support of this celebration of theatre and community.”

As this spring semester winds down, the Theatre Department is already actively at work on next year’s production season. The fall productions include "The Appliance Department" written by theatre faculty member Poynton, and the student-directed production of "God of Carnage" by Yasmina Reza. Next year, Dramafest coincides with the department’s spring presentation of William Shakespeare’s "Love’s Labour’s Lost."

For more information about upcoming events or to learn more about the Theatre Department, contact Kennel or visit oswego.edu/theatre.

-- Submitted by the Theatre Department