University of Northwestern – St. Paul’s (UNW) Jennifer Hunter, Director and Professor of Theatre, accepted the award “Outstanding Production of a Play or Musical,” “Outstanding Director of a Play or Musical,” and “The Citizen Artist Award” from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) in April 2025. The award was in recognition of The Night Witches, UNW’s Fall 2024 production.
Hunter expressed, “Being in Washington DC at the Kennedy Center representing UNW Theatre was illuminating in so many ways! These awards are a testament to the creative spirit, passions and callings that the Lord has put into each and every one of our theatre students. It is such a blessing to see them shine Christ’s light and amplify the gospel with the gifts God has given them. It was an added bonus to teach a session on “The Fusion of Direction, Movement and Design”, and sharing about my directorial process to the student directing fellows.”
The Night Witches production tells the story of the 588th, a Soviet all-female World War II bomber regiment.
The women of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment flew in planes made of canvas and wood, and they dropped bombs on Germans every 15 minutes through the night to keep their enemy from sleeping. They were constantly being shuffled and moved to perform new duties; mechanics became navigators, navigators became pilots, and pilots became commanders. But when the time comes, to the sky they must go. Tonight, however, is different than any night they’ve faced before—their enemy has employed a new tactic taking them completely by surprise. Using movement, song and lyrically styled dialogue, we follow these brave women through one fateful evening during the war.
During the Festival, Northwestern’s production of The Night Witches was awarded a significant number of awards and recognitions including:
- Facilitation of a Brave Rehearsal Space
- Outstanding Performance and Production Ensemble
- Outstanding Hair and Makeup Design, Lindsey Fields
- Distinguished Lighting Design, Alita Roberson
- Distinguished Sound Design, Krister Kahl
- Distinguished Projection or Media Design, Sarah Gullickson
- Distinguished Choreography or Movement Direction, Jennifer Hunter
- Distinguished Dramaturgy, Sophia Danielson
- Distinguished Stage Management, Simon Luckow
The KCACTF is described as, “a national theater program involving 18,000 students annually from colleges and universities across the country.” Their aim is to acknowledge a wide range of theatre productions, allowing a format for feedback and recognition of accomplishments, striving for quality and innovative productions.
Northwestern’s Department of Music & Theatre teaches, mentors, and equips students to think, perform, worship, and lead with creativity and conviction, to the glory of God. Our facilities offer one of the largest stages in the Twin Cities area, fly space, an elevated orchestra pit, and state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment that is fully staffed all year.
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University of Northwestern – St. Paul (UNW) is a nondenominational, Christian university in St. Paul, Minn. With a Biblical worldview integrated into all programs, UNW provides a unique educational experience for students who want to combine faith and education. Northwestern offers more than 50 areas of study, including five master’s degrees, and online and early college programs. Northwestern Media, a ministry of the university, owns and operates 105 radio signals throughout the Midwest across 13 states with a total listenership of more than 2 million listeners. Visit unwsp.edu for more information.
Elena Nowlin
Marketing – Class of 2022
