NIC theatre student recognized for scholarly paper

North Idaho College Theatre student David Fisher was recently awarded the George R. Caldwell Undergraduate Scholarly Paper Meritorious Achievement Award by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Region 7. Fisher received the honor for his essay “Local Theatre in Northern Idaho: Hate Has Role in Our Community.”

An NIC sophomore who plans to complete an Associate of Arts in Theatre this summer, Fisher said he wrote the paper for his English 102 course and found the work relevant to his fine arts program of study.  

“We had to write an essay on an institution in the Northwest, its history, and its impact on the community, so I chose something I could enjoy writing about: community theater,” Fisher said. “Theater, and art in general, is meant to teach us lessons, tell our stories, and unite our communities, and it can't do that if we censor it.”

Fisher plans to transfer to Humboldt State University in California to earn a bachelor’s degree in Theatre. He is interested in directing, playwriting and theater journalism.

“David is a gifted writer and deep thinker,” said NIC Professor of Theatre and Theatre Director Joe Jacoby.

Fisher is currently directing a North Idaho College Theatre Department production. “The Few,” written by Moscow playwright Samuel D. Hunter and set in Mullan, Idaho, is scheduled to be performed virtually on April 22, 23 and 24 at 7:30 p.m. A link to view the performance will be announced at a later date.

“I think ‘The Few’ is a great example of the kind of stories that people in our area have to tell, stories about the impact of loneliness, perseverance through difficult times, the importance of community and supporting each other, and finding love in the face of hate,” Fisher said.

The Kennedy Center American College Theater (KCACTF) is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide. Since its inception, KCACTF has given more than 400,000 college theater students the opportunity to have their work critiqued, improve their dramatic skills and receive national recognition for excellence. KCACTF Region 7 comprises Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Hawaii and northern sections of Nevada and California.

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