Wake Forest Students Earn Top Honors at ACTF Region IV

Wake Forest Theatre & Dance students Senya Li and Allison Sweeney, accompanied by faculty members Jon Herbert and Stephen Wrentmore, earned major recognition at the 2026 American College Theater Festival (ACTF) Region IV conference, held at Auburn University at Montgomery.

Selected from hundreds of submissions in a regional 10-Minute Play competition, Li and Sweeney were chosen as two of only six directors invited to present staged readings of six plays. Li was awarded Best Director for her production of A Soft Place to Land, and Sweeney’s production of The Rut received the award for Best Play.

After a rapid audition process involving dozens of actors from across the region, both directors led intensive rehearsals culminating in staged readings presented at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, one of the Southeast’s leading regional theatres.

In addition to directing, Li and Sweeney attended workshops and viewed productions selected from across the area. Festival highlights included Twelfth Night, The Birds, and Camp Logan from Alabama State University.

The department extends its gratitude to Jon Herbert and Stephen Wrentmore for their mentorship and support, and congratulates Senya Li and Allison Sweeney on their outstanding achievements. Their work at ACTF reflects the creativity, rigor, and collaborative spirit of Wake Forest Theatre