Levy earns invitation to National KCACTF for dramaturgical work
Theatre AUM senior Dusti RW Levy (’98) has been selected as one of five national Dramaturgy Fellows invited to attend the prestigious Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) National Conference in April.
The invitation comes in recognition of Levy’s previously announced Region IV Outstanding Casebook and Dramaturgy Award for AUM’s fall production of “RED,” a play by John Logan directed by Theatre AUM faculty member Michael Krek. Set in the 1950s and inspired by real events, “RED” offers a powerful exploration of the evolving relationship between an artist and his creations.
“This is an incredible and prestigious honor, which speaks to the high caliber of our students, and especially our faculty,” said Andrew McMichael, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. “This marks the first time an AUM student has received national recognition in dramaturgy.”
As a Fellow, Levy will receive travel, lodging, per diem, and three days of professional development sessions alongside a community of like-minded theatre artists from across the country. The KCACTF National Conference will take place from April 15-19 in Washington, D.C.
“This national Dramaturgy Fellowship will provide me with a higher level of professional development as well as access to a wide network of people involved at every stage of literary management in theatre,” said Levy, whose hometown is Omaha, Nebraska. “I’m excited to work closely within my cohort of five student dramaturgs on new plays that will be developed during the national festival.”
In February, Levy along with Theatre AUM students and faculty earned numerous accolades at KCACTF’s Region IV conference in Greensboro, North Carolina, for their work on “RED,” which was named one of the top five regional invited productions. During the festival, students participated in stage management, design, technology, directing, dramaturgy, performance, and other networking and professional events. The annual regional festival includes participants from nine states, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“My experience at the KCACTF Region IV Festival in February gave me the opportunity to meet with and learn from highly-regarded professionals as well as work on fun, challenging, short-term projects like the Ten Minute Play Festival,” Levy said.
In addition to working on “RED”, Levy is a member of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA). They are also part of the summer staff of Contemporary American Theater Festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where they serve as the assistant audience services manager in the areas of disability and neurodivergence.
A returning student, Levy earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from AUM in 1998. They will graduate this spring with a bachelor’s degree in communication with a concentration in theatre. Starting in Fall 2025, they will pursue a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, with a full scholarship and teaching stipend.
About KCACTF’s National Conference
Each April, the Kennedy Center welcomes approximately 125 outstanding theater students to the KCACTF National Festival. Through workshops, presentations, conversations, and staged readings, students can learn from and connect with established theatre artists and peers from across the country.
