By Mike Greife,
May 3, 2016
WARRENSBURG, MO - Nellie Maple, a senior theatre performance major at the University
of Central Missouri, and her acting partner, Daniel Parman, a graduate student in
theatre, claimed top prize at the prestigious Kennedy Center American College Theatre
Festival Irene Ryan National Acting Scholarship Auditions. The auditions were held
at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., on April 15.
Maple and Parman won the national competition after claiming first place in the Kennedy
Center American College Theatre Festival Region V Festival in January.
The Irene Ryan Foundation was established in 1971 to award scholarships to the most
talented student actors performing in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre
Festival. This year marked the 43rd anniversary of the scholarship program.
More than 2,500 students competed at the regional and national competitions for the
scholarship awards. At each of the eight regional festivals, judges selected one outstanding
student actor to receive the regional scholarship. Maple received the $500 regional
scholarship and the national scholarship of $3,000. Maple also won the Mark Twain
Comic Acting Award, a $2,000 scholarship.
Maple performed a six-minute selection of songs, scenes and monologues. Her song was
“Perfect” from the musical “Til Death Do Us Part,” and her monologue was from William
Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” and her acting scene was from “The Kiss” by Mark Harvey
Levine.
Maple is is the daughter of Kevin and Kathy Maple of Raymore and a graduate of Raymore-Peculiar
High School. She has been a major performer in the mainstage program at UCM since
her freshman year. Nellie was also part of the company of “Zooom!” that performed
at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. She is a member of The Honors College
and has received numerous scholarships, including the New Theatre Guild Scholarship,
the Lucy Bergman Scholarship and the Charles G. and Laura Keynon Kuhn Distinguished
Theatre Artist Award.
Parman is the son of Randy and Billie Parman and a graduate of Harrisonville High
School and State Fair Community College. As a BFA Musical Theatre major and now a
M.A. Theatre major, he has performed in mainstage theatre and musical theatre performances
at UCM. He was also part of "Zooom!"
