Indianapolis Theatre Major Wins Regional Irene Ryan Acting Award

Sophomore theatre major Anne Thompson of Illinois State University won the regional Irene Ryan Acting Competition at the Region III Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival held in Milwaukee last weekend.  Thompson, who is from Indianapolis, Ind., will advance to the national competition at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. this spring.

Thompson was nominated for her role in this fall’s School of Theatre world premiere production of “Relatively Close” by Chicago playwright James Sherman.  The play, a collaboration with Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theatre, will have its professional premiere at Victory Gardens Theatre this summer.

Thompson’s acting partner, sophomore Brynne Barnard of Glen Ellyn, was named Best Partner of the festival. 

Thompson won a $500 scholarship for her regional win.  Two national Ryan Acting Competition winners will be chosen this spring and each will receive a $3,500 scholarship. 

Illinois State had 15 students (nominated for their performances in productions this past year) competing at the regional competition against hundreds of other college and university students from Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.

The acting award is funded and named for the late actress Irene Ryan, who performed in vaudeville, radio and motion pictures, but is best remembered as Granny Clampett on “The Beverly Hillbillies.”  When she died, Ryan left her $1 million-plus estate to fund the Irene Ryan Foundation, which awards scholarships to outstanding student performers at the regional and national ACTF theatre festivals.