STERLING – The Sterling College Theatre production of the play “Anatomy of Gray” staged in November of last year has been cited for excellence by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in four areas: direction, lighting design, ensemble acting and individual performances.

Stephen English, Sterling College theatre faculty member, directed the play by Jim Leonard Jr. and was cited for outstanding direction. Junior theatre student Emily Jones from Wichita received accolades for her lighting design. The entire 12-person cast was cited for outstanding ensemble acting while individual performances by Cate Gutteridge, junior from Oklahoma City, Okla., and freshman Raegan Jacobs from Topeka were named. 

Anatomy of Gray centers around a small prairie town facing a health crisis in the 1880s. The production was adjudicated by theatre professor Paula Makar who is director of theatre at Neosho County Community College in Chanute. 

This is the second theatre production from Sterling College to receive honors from KCACTF. The first was “Red Velvet” which was presented in August. 

Sterling College Theatre faculty Stephen English and Sasha Hildebrand will take 16 theatre students to the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region 5 conference in Des Moines, Iowa later this month. Sterling students plan to participate in a costume parade and in the acting competition for the Irene Ryan Acting Award. 

“Having two of our productions cited for excellence this year is a positive endorsement for our theatre program,” said Dennis Dutton, Arts Director at Sterling College. “Stephen, and fellow theatre faculty member Sasha Hildebrand along with their students work hard on each of our shows for the education and entertainment of our audiences and students. But accolades such as this are a nice acknowledgment of all their efforts to bring these shows to life.”