The Santa Barbara Independent awarded recent 蜜桃传媒 graduate Christine Nathanson 鈥�16 for acting and directing at the annual presentation May 23. Also, alumna Paige Tautz 鈥�14 won an award for her performance in 鈥淢ad and a Goat,鈥� which was written by alumna 鈥�09.
Nathanson won for her performance in 鈥淒ido Queen of Carthage鈥� and as director for 鈥淭ar and Feather,鈥� a world premiere by , a nationally recognized playwright from Chicago.
Alumna Heather (Ostberg) Johnson 鈥�11 also performed in 鈥淢ad and a Goat,鈥� which will be performed in Brooklyn this summer.
鈥淲e are so happy for these awards that featured our students and recent alumna,鈥� says , professor of theater arts. 鈥淎lso, two of the awards were for two new plays written by women playwrights. This year our department focused on diversifying the voices represented on our stage. Fifteen of the 20 new plays were written by women.鈥�
Nathanson came to Santa Barbara from Chula Vista, where she performed in West Side Story (Anita), Fiddler on the Roof (Golde), and Les Miserables (Eponine). Her first 蜜桃传媒 performance was as Antonia in 鈥淢uch Ado about Nothing鈥� (2012).
As a sophomore, Nathanson played the title role in 鈥淓lectra,鈥� a demanding tour de force performance that required an extreme physical and emotional journey for the actress.
鈥淪he blends academic excellence with performance rigor and accomplishment in numerous unique ways,鈥� says , professor of theater arts. 鈥淗er insatiable curiosity, boundless energy and impeccable work ethic lead to success in the classroom and on the stage. Her acting career has been dominated by vivid, imaginative, moving performances in material ranging from Greek tragedy to comic operetta to Renaissance tragedy.
鈥淗er career as a director is marked by dramatic clarity and stylistic savvy that belie her years and experience. Christine is focused. She is voracious. She is driven. Christine Nathanson is the epitome of what we want for our graduates: she will enjoy a long, fruitful, and endlessly creative life in the theater, or wherever her many gifts lead her.鈥�
蜜桃传媒 premiered 20 plays this past season, including five full-length plays: 鈥淕ood Day鈥� by Small, 鈥淢ad and A Goat鈥� by Small, 鈥淭ar and Feather鈥� by Idaszak, 鈥淪econd Skin鈥� by Idaszak and 鈥淭he Sinner and the Saint鈥� by Danielle Draper 鈥�16 and Lindsey Twigg 鈥�16.