In January 2025, Middlesex Community College’s theatre program was chosen by The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) to perform their Spring 2024 production of the musical “Alice by Heart.” The only musical of four shows selected, Middlesex received 12 awards for the performance.
“I feel both incredibly proud and deeply humbled by the awards we received,” said Karen Oster, MCC’s Chair of Performing Arts. “From the moment I knew we’d be presenting this piece at MCC last April, I had a strong sense it would be something truly special. I wanted to showcase a production that would put our theatre department on the map – one that would highlight the strength of our program and our students and demonstrate that community college theatre can produce truly great work.”
Winner of the Distinguished Achievement in Performance award, Kole Ferreira, of Lowell, is a 2025 graduate of MCC’s liberal arts and sciences performing arts theatre program. In addition to the KCACTF award, Oster presented him with the Theatre Award for Outstanding Achievement at the college’s Evening of Excellence awards night ceremony. In “Alice by Heart,” Ferreira played Dodgy, Duchess and one of the Mock Turtles.
“It feels great to receive the reward, it was a very welcome surprise,” Ferreira said. “It felt great to know that someone was acknowledging and valuing my performance. It was one of my most difficult roles I have had. Hearing and seeing people talk about the show in general made me really happy and reminded me why I started my acting journey in the first place.”
As part of KCACTF, the entire cast and crew of the show traveled to New Britain, Conn. and restaged the performance. A retelling of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” the show is from the Tony and Grammy award-winning Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, co-written by Jessie Nelson. The musical follows Alice and her friend Alfred in the aftermath of the London Blitz during World War II, featuring familiar characters from the original novel.
MCC’s production of “Alice by Heart” ran from Thursday, April 18 to Sunday, April 21, 2024 for six performances at the college’s Richard and Nancy Donahue and Family Academic Arts Center in Lowell. Oster believes the experience at the festival provided students with exposure to industry professionals, valuable feedback, and a network of peers and mentors to help them grow on a personal and professional level.
“It was a tremendous undertaking, made possible by the hard work of our students and the incredible support of the administration,” Oster said. “Our students absolutely rose to the occasion. After receiving a standing ovation at the festival, they were approached again and again by students who not only sang their praises but wanted autographs! Not only was it fun and exciting for them, but it was also deeply gratifying to know that their work was truly seen and celebrated.”
At KCACTF, Middlesex received awards for Outstanding Achievement in the Facilitation of a Brave Rehearsal Space, Distinguished Choreography or Movement Direction, Distinguished Intimacy Choreography or Fight Direction, Distinguished Performance Ensemble, Distinguished Achievement in Costume Design, Distinguished Achievement in Production of a Musical, Distinguished Achievement in Lighting Design, Distinguished Achievement in Performance and Production, Distinguished Achievement in Stage Management, Distinguished Performance in a Play or Musical, Distinguished Achievement in Performance, and Distinguished Achievement in the Direction of a Musical.
MCC adjunct professor Tavya Young teaches a lighting design class and lights MCC productions during the academic year, including “Alice by Heart.” At KCACTF, she was awarded Distinguished Achievement in Lighting Design.
“These awards help us bring in more students and show the current students that hard work is acknowledged by their peers,” Young said. “The theatre department is phenomenal. The students here are getting so much out of this program and to go to a festival and receive these awards just shows how we are doing something right here in our community.”