CWU's Scott Robinson Honored with Gold Medallion for "Extraordinary Contributions"

Scott Robinson, theatre arts professor and chair, received a second Gold Medallion of Excellence from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival at the President's Reception, Thursday, February 19 at Central Washington University. It is the most prestigious regional award given by KCACTF and is one of the great honors in theatre education.

"Scott's tireless work behind the scenes in service to the students and faculty of our beloved region is inspirational," said David Lee-Painter, professor, theatre, University of Idaho, and national chair of KCACTF. "For at least a dozen years, Scott has been the chief fiscal officer of our region—and as the fiscal belts continue to tighten in academia across the country and across the regions—Scott has kept us on the path to fiscal health.

“As if that wasn’t enough, he also runs registration (a HUGE job)—prints name tags, coordinates registration packets, negotiates transportation and hotel contracts, and kept a bumbling chair like me safe and relatively sane,” Lee-Painter continued. “Scott has been a Herculean presence on our regional executive committee—I KNOW I could not have done the job without him as a wonderful partner—nor would I have wanted to, either. He was, and is, a blessing in my life.”

Kennedy Center Artistic Director, Greg Henry, gratefully acknowledged Robinson’s 13-year tenure, with an open-ended appointment of service, as Region VII’s chief financial officer during the presentation.

“The real honor is the ability to work with an organization full of fantastic artists, teachers, and student mentors who are engaged in building up the next generation through the varied programing of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival,” Robinson said.

He is a recipient of several Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival awards. In addition to the Gold Medallions, he has received meritorious awards for his costume design work on Fantasticks, and Man of La Mancha and scenic designs for Bird Woman: The Story of Sacajawea, and the world premiere of Blankity Blank.

Under Robinson’s leadership, CWU’s Theatre Arts Department has tripled in size and become a regional powerhouse for developing young talent in acting and design. Presently, CWU is the only public institution in Washington State that offers a bachelor of fine arts with specializations in musical theatre, performance, and design and production.

In addition to his teaching and administrative duties at CWU, Robinson’s professional work includes Waterville Opera House, Idaho Repertory Theatre, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and Utah Musical Theatre. He has been a reviewer for the American Library Association's Choice Magazine. He has served on numerous state and regional theatre organization's boards and committees and currently serving as the Financial Officer of Kennedy Center ACTF Region VII.

Prior to his arrival at CWU, Robinson was a faculty member at the University of Montevallo, and taught at Northern Michigan University, Illinois State University, and Lethbridge Community College. Robinson received his BFA in design from the University of Lethbridge in Canada, and his MFA in Theatre from Illinois State University in Normal.

Each year, the eight KCACTF regions honor individuals or organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to the teaching and producing of theatre and who have significantly dedicated their time, artistry and enthusiasm to the development of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Most importantly, recipients have demonstrated a strong commitment to the values and goals of KCACTF and to excellence in educational theatre.

Media Contact: Valerie Chapman-Stockwell, Public Affairs, 509-963-1518, valeriec@cwu.edu
February 20, 2015