SHEPHERD THEATER STUDENT RECEIVES SCHOLARSHIP TO DEPAUL
CATF star accepted into elite acting program


[March, 2008] Shepherdstown, West Virginia - Shepherd University student Chris Boykin has received a scholarship to pursue his Master’s degree at The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago. This selective program holds auditions for hundreds of applicants in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, selecting only 10 actors (5 male and 5 female) into their Master’s of Fine Arts in Acting program. Boykin, currently a Mass Communications and Theater major at Shepherd, was one of those chosen.

A Baltimore native, Boykin spent a number of years performing in local theater before participating in an Advanced Scene Study Workshop at the Woolly Mammoth Theater Company in Washington, DC. His first formal training was with Vera J. Katz, the legendary acting and directing instructor at Howard University. In 2004, Boykin was cast as an Acting Intern and Understudy at the Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF). “After that summer, I was accepted and enrolled at Shepherd University,” Boykin explained. “This is where Ed [Herendeen] has taken me from not knowing what acting and theater are about, to shaping me into the early form of a creative artist and interpreter who could ask the right questions, do his homework, and research and bring the text, the story and the world of the play to life.” Boykin said DePaul was his top choice “because they train actors in the Meisner technique, and having seen Sanford Meisner talk about acting, I can say that he has definitely influenced my philosophy as an actor.”

“You don’t find actors like Chris every day,” stated Ed Herendeen, CATF founder and producing director. “Although I’ve seen him in several productions, I am still amazed at the amount of raw talent Chris possesses.” Associate Producing Director Peggy McKowen added, “Getting accepted into DePaul’s acting program is a testament to Chris’s talent. We’re incredibly proud that one of our students will be continuing his education in one of the most respected programs in the country.” At Shepherd, Boykin has performed Jesus Hopped the “A” Train, Fat Pig, and other plays, as well as the CATF Actor’s Lab. He has also played lead and supporting roles in three independent films. “Shepherd University and CATF have been huge in my development as an artist, a humanitarian and a scholar,” Boykin stated. “I'll never forget what I've learned here.  It'll always be a home for me.” He will begin studying at DePaul this fall, after performing in this summer’s CATF repertory in “The Overwhelming” by JT Rogers.

The 2008 CATF season runs from July 9 to August 13. For more information, please visit www.catf.org or call 304-876-3473 or 800-999-CATF (2283).

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Media Contact:
Sandy Sponaugle, Publicist
O: 304-876-8321
C: 304-702-0350


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