The judging committee for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival has selected the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance production of “The Bluest Eye” for its regional competition in February 2019.

In addition actors Austin Taylor Brown, Karina Rodriguez and Jasmine Washington were nominated for the Irene Ryan Award for their performances in the production. 

The production of Lydia R. Diamond’s adaptation of Toni Morrison’s novel was presented in May 2018 and co-directed by  puppet creator Janni Younge, Granada Artist-in-Residence, and Margaret Laurena Kemp, Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance. 

Kemp said, “this show came to life on stage by melding of the work of an African American writer and an application of South African puppetry. Younge, best known for her ground-breaking work in the Broadway and international productions of ‘Firebird.’ co-directed the production. Our approach underscored the myth and magical realism that was ingrained in the narrative as a path to unpacking the themes of race, class and gender that are the core of this work.”