First UTA students stage plays at Kennedy Center
For the first time, students from The University of Texas at Arlington’s Department of Theatre Arts and Dance qualified to take their talents to Washington, D.C., earning a spot on the national stage at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.
Seniors Edith Lara and Allison Marshall won top honors in the 10-minute play category at the festival’s Region 6 competition in Abilene, qualifying the two to showcase their work in the nation’s capital alongside 120 other outstanding theater students.
Both UT Arlington students were encouraged to submit their plays by department Chair and Professor Jeanmarie Higgins, who taught them in her playwriting class.
“We knew chances were slim to get showcased in our region, but the fact we both got in was pretty cool,” Lara said. “Of the six plays showcased in the region, two advance to nationals, and we were absolutely stoked we had the chance to go together.”
Started in 1969 by Roger L. Stevens, the Kennedy Center’s founding chairman, the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide that has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the U.S. Through state, regional and national festivals, KCACTF participants celebrate the creative process, see one another’s work and share experiences and insights within the community of theater artists. The KCACTF honors excellence of overall production and offers student artists individual recognition through awards and scholarships in playwriting, acting, criticism, directing and design.
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For her KCACTF submission, Lara entered her 10-minute play “The World Was Changing,” a coming-of-age story about a young woman navigating the generational and cultural expectations placed on Latina women. The play centers on a conversation between a granddaughter and her grandmother as they make tamales.
Marshall submitted her play, “Empty Chairs,” a story about how grief affects a family. It is set around a table, where a mother and daughter’s emotional conversation escalates, culminating in a dramatic moment as dishes shatter.
“I consider myself an actor first, but it was cool to be on the other side as a playwright,” Marshall said. “It was a cool perspective because when I was writing, I thought to myself, ‘Would an actor enjoy performing this?’ It was an interesting perspective to have, and it really helped me write my play.”
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Both Lara and Marshall said the department and faculty have provided them support and opportunities to explore different aspects of theater and film.
“I see our program being very focused now on not only making sure we get our degrees, but also on narrowing down what we want to focus on in our careers,” said Lara. “We are able to do a little bit of everything in the beginning and then work our way toward playwriting, directing, acting—there’s a lot of support to help us figure out what’s next.”
The Department of Theatre Arts and Dance features world-renowned faculty and more than 150 undergraduate students. A season of theatrical productions, paired with engaging coursework, provides a vibrant setting for student opportunities. The department offers two undergraduate degrees: a Bachelor of Fine Arts with concentrations in acting, musical theatre or design and technology; and a Bachelor of Arts, which offers concentrations in writing/devising/directing and theater education with licensure.
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
Celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2025, The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. With a student body of over 41,000, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.