Taulli Named Chair

Will Head up Region VIII of Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival

February 12, 2007

Titan alumnus James R. Taulli, associate professor of theatre and dance, is the new chair of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival’s (KCACTF) Region VIII. His term is for three years and begins during the national KCACTF gathering in Washington, D.C., in April.

This week, Taulli is at Southern Utah University in Cedar City for Region VIII’s festival as vice chair — for which he is wrapping up a three-year term — and as part of Cal State Fullerton’s award-winning Theatre and Dance Department team.

Launched in 1969, the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities that has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States.

As chair, Taulli “will be responsible for the regional festival each year — what it offers.” In addition, he says, “my board will work with me to make sure there are qualified people to go out to see productions and respond to the acting, directing, playwriting, dramaturgy, technical and design work of the students across our region.”

The region — whose members include colleges and universities in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Guam and America Samoa — represents the largest number of institutions among all the regions. While the others typically enter 40-50 shows for consideration for their respective regional festivals, Region VIII submits as many as 150 productions.

“My goal is to see 80-90 percent of the entries,” Taulli says.

Media Contacts:
James R. Taulli, Theatre and Dance, 657-278-2279 or jtaulli@fullerton.edu 

Gail Matsunaga, Public Affairs, 657-278-4851 or gmatsunaga@fullerton.edu