An Illinois College senior will gain national recognition this spring after earning Kennedy Center honors this month.
Jordan Hall was recognized at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival for excellence in leadership and theatrical lighting design.
Hall attended the regional program virtually from his hometown of Fairview Heights while on holiday break from I.C. January 6th through the 9th. He says overwhelmed was the only word he could use to describe the moment his name was announced as the winner.
Hall was chosen as the recipient for the ASPIRE Leadership Fellowship Program after competing against students from across the Midwest. He will gain national recognition for the honor as he represents Illinois College at the national conference to be held virtually this spring.
Hall was also awarded the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas Award for Excellence in Technology and Design. That honor came with an invitation to attend a master class in lighting design in Las Vegas in the future.
He was chosen as runner-up for the Theatrical Excellence for Lighting Design award for his work on IC’s fall production of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.”
According to the denouncement made by Illinois College, the experience was memorable as work began on the play in the spring, but restrictions due to COVID-19 interrupted progress and brought uncertainty about whether the show would be completed.
The production was able to take place in the fall of 2020 in front of a small audience of only IC community members. The performance was also streamed for an online audience. Hall had a role on stage in the play and served as lighting designer behind the scenes.
After graduation from Illinois College, Hall plans to continue honing his technical skills at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he has been accepted with a full tuition scholarship and stipend into a master’s program with a focus on lighting design.