Winston-Salem, NC - Four graduates of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) have been selected as the 2008-09 Kenan Fellows at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

The 2008-09 William R. Kenan, Jr. Performing Arts Fellows at Kennedy Center are: 
Jason Caballero of Houston, Texas (2007 Bachelor of Arts in Stage Management);
Elisheba Ittoop of Cary, North Carolina (2007 Master of Fine Arts in Sound Design);
Samuel Kitchel of Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan (2008 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Lighting Design); and
Brahim Pettis of Clarkston, Georgia (2008 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Lighting Design) 

“This class of Kenan Fellows once again showcases the talents of recent graduates from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts,” says Margaret S. Mertz, Executive Director of the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts.  “The professional contacts and introduction to the national network of theatre and design professionals offered through our program partners at The Kennedy Center allow these emerging artists to take an unparalleled step forward with their careers.” 

“We are pleased to welcome this talented group to The Kennedy Center,” says Darrell Ayers, Vice President of Education. “For nine years, The Kennedy Center has worked with outstanding graduates from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in helping to further their professional careers in the theater.”

Established in 2000, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Performing Arts Fellowship Program at The Kennedy Center provides opportunities for young and promising creative artists to collaborate with established professionals on a wide variety of projects. In 2008-2009, four graduates of UNCSA will spend six months in residence at The Kennedy Center and selected theatres developing their skills and broadening their experiences as designers and stage managers.

“We’re looking forward to a productive residency with these theater artists from UNCSA and fruitful mentorships with our educational partners: theater companies such as Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Round House Theatre, Signature Theatre, and individual assistantships with Beverly Emmons, Colin Bills, Nancy Schertler, Brian MacDevitt, Robert Kaplowitz, Bob Balaban, Marsha Norman, and Jason Robert Brown, ” says  Gregg Henry, Director of The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival and the Kenan Fellows Program.

Following is more information on the 2008-2009 Kenan Fellows:

Jason Caballero worked for the stage operations crew at the Alliance Theatre for Christmas Carol, Sophisticated Ladies and Seussical the Musical. While at UNCSA, he was the assistant stage manager for the 50th anniversary production of West Side Story, directed by Gerald Freedman. Other shows Jason managed include Goodnight Moon, The Heidi Chronicles, Brothers Karamazov, The Sunshine Boys, The Fantasticks, and How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying.

Elisheba Ittoop was recently named the recipient of the 2008 Rising Star Award, given to one young designer a year through the United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT). While at UNCSA, Ittoop designed Levee James, Fathers and Sons, Spring Dance, Habeas Corpus, and The Heidi Chronicles. She also was the audio mix engineer for West Side Story, at both the Stevens Center and the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. While in residence, she will sound design Mermaids, Monsters and the World Painted Purple, a World Premiere Kennedy Center Commission.

Samuel Kitchel designed the lighting for Dead Man Walking, a modernized Romeo and Juliet, Winter Dance 2007, The Servant of Two Masters while at UNCSA and also assisted on a production of Orpheus in the Underworld. His most recent lighting design work is the Dvořák opera, The Devil and Kate, which was produced by the A. J. Fletcher Opera Institute, and performed in Winston-Salem and Raleigh, N.C. He has worked as Master Electrician for productions of Doubt and Tales from the Mississippi Delta at Triad Stage in Greensboro, N.C.

Brahim Pettis lighting design credits while at UNCSA include Gem of the Ocean, Walking Down Broadway, Habeas Corpus, and Winter Dance 2008. Brahim was on the lighting design staff of the playwrights and cabaret conferences at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center in 2007, and assisted Lighting Designer Nancy J. Schertler on the national tour of Teddy Roosevelt and the Treasure of Ursa Major in January 2008.

The William R. Kenan, Jr. Performing Arts Fellowship Program at The Kennedy Center is a project of the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts, which builds partnerships to support creative projects, many of which are associated with the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.  For more information, call the Kenan Institute at 336-722-0030 or visit www.kenanarts.org.

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