2008 Woodie Awards
ISU theater student wins acting award
Dilan Brown
Issue date: 4/20/05 Section: News
Philip Shepherd is this year's recipient of the Pumphrey Scholarship.
The scholarship is awarded annually to a theater student displaying outstanding talents in both singing and acting. Winners of the award are given free vocal lessons from the scholarship's namesake, Laurel Pumphrey, a local musical director. Given his partiality towards musicals and his own admission of the genuine need for the lessons, auditioning for the scholarship was a no-brainer for Shepherd.
"I definitely wanted to take advantage of the opportunity," said Shepherd, a sophomore from American Falls. "I figured, who needs free vocal lessons more than someone who actually needs them?"
Competition for the scholarship was hectic, those auditioning were asked to perform two differing genre pieces during the two-minute tryouts. Shepherd selected sections from a comedy piece, "Country Wife," as well as a contemporary piece, "Safe Sex."
"I was really nervous," said Shepherd of the audition, which included Pumphrey herself on the selection panel. "I wasn't expecting to get it at all."
Shepherd first became involved with the performing arts at American Falls High School, where his theater teacher strived to establish a reputable program. After his first high school show, "Hello Dolly," Shepherd says he was hooked.
"It was mostly the audience," Shepherd said. "I really loved it."
In his two collegiate years, the twenty-year-old Shepherd has been involved with six ISU productions including "Lend me a Tenor," "Servant of Two Masters," "Something's Afoot," and "Shadow Box," in which Shepherd played the role of Mark."Shadow Box really meant a lot to me because of the nature of the show."
Shepherd will next be playing the role of Malvolio in "Twelfth Night," which kicks off Friday at the Frazier Auditorium.
"Philip is immensely talented," said Twelfth Night director Norm Schroder. "Every night he brings you something new. He never stops exploring his characters."
The scholarship is awarded annually to a theater student displaying outstanding talents in both singing and acting. Winners of the award are given free vocal lessons from the scholarship's namesake, Laurel Pumphrey, a local musical director. Given his partiality towards musicals and his own admission of the genuine need for the lessons, auditioning for the scholarship was a no-brainer for Shepherd.
"I definitely wanted to take advantage of the opportunity," said Shepherd, a sophomore from American Falls. "I figured, who needs free vocal lessons more than someone who actually needs them?"
Competition for the scholarship was hectic, those auditioning were asked to perform two differing genre pieces during the two-minute tryouts. Shepherd selected sections from a comedy piece, "Country Wife," as well as a contemporary piece, "Safe Sex."
"I was really nervous," said Shepherd of the audition, which included Pumphrey herself on the selection panel. "I wasn't expecting to get it at all."
Shepherd first became involved with the performing arts at American Falls High School, where his theater teacher strived to establish a reputable program. After his first high school show, "Hello Dolly," Shepherd says he was hooked.
"It was mostly the audience," Shepherd said. "I really loved it."
In his two collegiate years, the twenty-year-old Shepherd has been involved with six ISU productions including "Lend me a Tenor," "Servant of Two Masters," "Something's Afoot," and "Shadow Box," in which Shepherd played the role of Mark."Shadow Box really meant a lot to me because of the nature of the show."
Shepherd will next be playing the role of Malvolio in "Twelfth Night," which kicks off Friday at the Frazier Auditorium.
"Philip is immensely talented," said Twelfth Night director Norm Schroder. "Every night he brings you something new. He never stops exploring his characters."