The 46th annual Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival announced winners of its 2014 awards, given to college students from across the U.S. who took part in eight regional festivals held during the first two months of this year. Winners will head to Washington, D.C. April 14-19 to showcase their winning work.

The productions and artists listed below were recognized for their “outstanding achievement.” The runners-up or “nominees” for each category were recognized for “distinguished achievement.”

PRODUCTION AWARDS
Outstanding Production of a Play: Pentecost by David Edgar, Middlebury College
Distinguished Production of a Play: Miss Evers’ Boys by David Feldshuh, University of Oklahoma
Outstanding Production of a Musical: Next to Normal, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, music by Tom Kitt, Utah Valley University
Distinguished Productions of a Musical: Avenue Q, music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, book by Jeff Whitty, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, and The Pirates of Penzance, book and lyrics by W. S. Gilbert, music by Arthur Sullivan, Westmont College
Outstanding Production of a New Work: Decision Height by Meredith Levy, Hollins University
Distinguished Productions of a New Work: Kafka In Tel Aviv by Peter Sampieri, Salem State University; The Plain Princess, book and lyrics by Jim Christian, music by Tom Edward Clark, from the book by Phyllis McGinley, Weber State University; Microburst Festival by Chelsea Hickman, Katie Jarvis, Chauntel Lopez, Amy McGreevy, Amber Plourde, Taryn Politis, and Amanda Welch, Brigham Young University; AutoPLAY: STOP, YIELD, and DETOUR by Ali Ahmad, Bryson Jones Allman, Zizou Arvizu, Jessica Atkinson, Emily Barnett, Keenan Carter, Ryan Connolly, Iesha Coston, Riley Dandy, Chenelle Danylowich, Stayton Danylowich, Gabrielle Duguay, Alejandra Marroquin-Flores, Jose Furlan, James Gil, Anna Gion, Stephanie Hernandez, Brazil Jiminez, Allison Joseph, Noah Katz, Bridget King, Emma Klages, Jai Marquel, Ward Mohammed, Caroline Muniak, Georgina Navarro, Teddra Nixon, Lisette Nunez, Vincent Perez, Alvaro Ramirez, Chellee Ray, Christopher Ray, Laura Sammons, Diego Sotelo, and Ana Maria Stanciu, The Theatre Academy of Los Angeles City College; and pool 63’ by Philip Valle and members of the Company, Cuesta College
Outstanding Production of a Devised or Company Generated Work: pool 63’ by Philip Valle and members of the Company, Cuesta College

DIRECTING AWARDS
Outstanding Director of a Play: Richard Romagnoli and Cheryl Faraone for Pentecost, Middlebury College
Distinguished Directors of a Play: Carol Blitgen for Oleanna, Clarke University; and Alissa Millar for Miss Evers’ Boys, University of Oklahoma
Outstanding Director of a Musical: David Tinney for Next to Normal, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, music by Tom Kitt, Utah Valley University
Distinguished Director of a Musical: John Blondell for The Pirates of Penzance, book and lyrics by W.S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan,Westmont College
Outstanding Lead Deviser/Director of a Devised Work: Bree Valle, pool 63’, Cuesta College
Outstanding Director of a New Work: Peter Sampieri for Kafka In Tel Aviv by Peter Sampieri, Salem State University
Distinguished Directors of a New Work: Ernest Zulia for Decision Height by Meredith Dayna Levy, Hollins University; George Nelson for Microburst Theatre Festival by Chelsea Hickman, Katie Jarvis, Chauntel Lopez, Amy McGreevy, Amber Plourde, Taryn Politis, and Amanda Welch, Brigham Young University; and Leslie Ferreira for AutoPLAY: STOP, YIELD, and DETOUR by Ali Ahmad, Bryson Jones Allman, Zizou Arvizu, Jessica Atkinson, Emily Barnett, Keenan Carter, Ryan Connolly, Iesha Coston, Riley Dandy, Chenelle Danylowich, Stayton Danylowich, Gabrielle Duguay, Alejandra Marroquin-Flores, Jose Furlan, James Gil, Anna Gion, Stephanie Hernandez, Brazil Jiminez, Allison Joseph, Noah Katz, Bridget King, Emma Klages, Jai Marquel, Ward Mohammed, Caroline Muniak, Georgina Navarro, Teddra Nixon, Lisette Nunez, Vincent Perez, Alvaro Ramirez, Chellee Ray, Christopher Ray, Laura Sammons, Diego Sotelo, and Ana Maria Stanciu, The Theatre Academy of Los Angeles City College
Distinguished Achievement in Music Direction: Rob Moffat for Next to Normal, Utah Valley University
Outstanding Achievement in Composition: Michael Elliott for Frankenstein, Ball State University

CHOREOGRAPHY AWARD
Outstanding Choreography: Tori Lee Averett for Single Girl’s Guide, Troy University
Distinguished Achievement in Choreography: Melanie Stewart for Who Will Carry the Word, Rowan University; and Christine Moreno for Good Woman of Szechwan, Tarrant County College Northwest DESIGN AWARDS
Outstanding Scenic Design: Mark Evancho, Pentecost, Middlebury College
Distinguished Achievement in Scenic Design: Zach Gent, In The Next Room (or the vibrator play), University of Southern Indiana; and Peter Lerohl, Las Hermanas Padillas, Anoka Ramsey Community College
Outstanding Costume Design: Elisa Bierschenk, The Single Girl’s Guide, Troy University
Distinguished Achievement in Costume Design: Jule Emerson, Pentecost, Middlebury College; Lyndsey Hille, In The Next Room (or the vibrator play), University of Southern Indiana; Bree Valle, pool 63’, Cuesta College; and Amanda Shaffer, The Plain Princess, Weber State University
Outstanding Lighting Design Michael Grey, Next to Normal, Utah Valley University; and Raquel Davis, Three Sisters, Boise State University
Distinguished Achievement in Lightning Design: Wayne Vettleson, Vortex, Albright College
Distinguished Achievement in Scenography: Danila Korogodsky, The Pirates of Penzance, Westmont College; and Cocol Bernal, Vortex, Albright College

PERFORMANCE AWARDS:
Outstanding Performance by an Actress: Jacquelyne Jones as Diana in Next to Normal, Utah Valley University; and Rachel Staton as Ensemble in The Laramie Project, University of Mississippi
Distinguished Achievement: Tosca Giustini, Gabriella in Pentecost, Middlebury College;
Renita Lewis, Thyona in Big Love, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Grace Bailey, Emma in The Single Girl’s Guide, Troy University; Kara McDowell, Harriet Belagombe in The Single Girl’s Guide, Troy University
Outstanding Performance by an Actor: James Weschler as Kafka in Kafka in Tel Aviv, Salem State University; and Nathan Burke as Ensemble in The Laramie Project, University of Mississippi
Distinguished Achievement: Kamron McClure, Caleb in Miss Evers’ Boys, University of Oklahoma
Outstanding Performance and Production Ensembles: Next to Normal, Utah Valley University; pool 63’, Cuesta College; Pentecost, Middlebury College; and Miss Evers’ Boys, University of Oklahoma
Distinguished Achievement: Microburst Theatre Festival, Brigham Young University; Big Love, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Decision Height, Hollins University; Who Will Carry the Word, Rowan University

PLAYWRITING AWARDS
The Harold and Mimi Steinberg National Student Playwriting Award: Meredith Dayna Levy of Hollins University for Decision Height
Second place recipient is Karen Wurl of Texas Tech University for Underworld
The Paula Vogel Award in Playwriting: Jen Silverman of The Juilliard School/University of Iowa for The Dangerous House of Pretty Mbane
Second place recipient is Kristin Idaszak of the University of California-San Diego for The Liar Paradox
The KCACTF Theater for Young Audiences Award: Reina Hardy of University of Texas at Austin for Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven
The KCACTF Musical Theater Award: Tommy Newman and Gordon Greenberg of Troy University for The Single Girl’s Guide
The David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Award: Peter Sampieri for Kafka in Tel Aviv, Salem State University; and Steven Barkhimer for Windowmen, Boston University
The KCACTF Award for Latino Playwriting: Briandaniel Oglesby of University of Texas at Austin for She Gets Naked in the End
The second place recipient is Cassie M. Seinuk of Lesley University for From the Deep
The Paul Stephen Lim Playwriting Award: Russyan Mark Mabeza of Brown University for Broken Zipper
The second place recipient is Michael Yichao of California Institute of the Arts for Jellyfish Pine.
The Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award: Jeff Augustin of the University of California-San Diego for Little Children Dream of God
The second place recipient is Nathan Davis of Indiana University for Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea
The Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award: Brian J. Polak of University of Southern California for Henry and the Hippocampus
The second-place recipient is Vic Shuttee of University of Houston for Brick Wall
The Mark Twain Prize for Comic Playwriting: Abbey Fenbert of Boston University for Intentions.