SOSU Theatre Director Awarded Prestigious Kennedy Center Fellowship

Press Release Date: 03-23-2006

Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s Dell McLain has been awarded the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Fellowship in Directing.

Only one Fellowship in Directing is given annually to Higher Education theatre professors. According to Gregg Henry, Kennedy Center Educational Artistic Director, the Center three years ago began a program of professional development for faculty members from participating colleges and universities.

“I’m very, very happy, to understate it,” McLain said. “This is a tremendous honor. I may not have had this opportunity to succeed at other universities. SOSU has helped me so much.’’

“The mission of this new program,” Kennedy said, “is to identify, acknowledge and encourage outstanding teachers in university and college theater programs. Opportunities change from year to year, with programs in development for faculty designers, directors, actors and playwrights.”

The Kennedy Center’s national director of education processes a nomination for the Fellowship through regional and national committees prior to selection.

McLain is in his eighth year as Director of Theatre at Southeastern. Previous teaching positions include stints at Northeastern State University and Austin College.

“I will travel to Washington, D.C., April 17-23 for a week of workshops, seminars and performances with some of the top academic and professional leaders in our field,” McLain said. “I will also have the chance to work with student playwrights and see a series of shows brought to Washington for this event. It represents a world-class opportunity for which I am truly grateful.

“I wasn’t quite sure what it meant when my name was called for the award. I didn’t understand. A colleague from another university congratulated me, wishing me a good time in Washington. ‘We’ll see,’ I said, thinking I had only been nominated. ‘No,’ he said, ‘You won the thing, you’re going to Washington.’

“This award is actually a testament to the terrific work of our faculty, staff and students here at Theatre at Southeastern. A director is only as good as the other artists with whom he works.”

McLain received his MFA (Master of Fine Arts) Degree from the University of New Orleans and his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Southeastern. He is a recipient of the Oklahoma College Theatre Teacher of the Year Award and has twice been named to Who’s Who Among American Teachers.

McLain’s professional credits include acting/directing positions with the Louisiana Shakespearean Festival, the Toulouse Cabaret, University of Oklahoma’s Summer Stage and the Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival at Southeastern.

Last spring, McLain was cast in the national professional production of “My Fair Lady,’’ which was a co-production of the Portland Center Stage and the Dallas Theatre Center. He is the past Oklahoma Chair of the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival and was awarded the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Bronze Medallion in 2005 for service to that organization.