Sarah Bauch, a December summa cum laude technical theater graduate from Effort, became the third East Stroudsburg University student since 2014 to be named a National Stage Management Fellow at the region II Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

In April, she will join seven other winners from across the country at the national theater festival conference in Washington, D.C.

Bauch has earned the region II stage management award twice and is now focused on pursuing a graduate degree in stage management.

The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival is a national program that serves as a catalyst to improve the quality of college theater through its network of more than 600 universities throughout the United States. A stage manager is responsible for coordinating all elements of the production, making it one of the most important leadership positions in the theater.

“The stage management award is very competitive,” noted Yoshinori Tanokura, interim chair of ESU’s theater department. “Our students go up against their peers from larger institutions, who often produce winners in this category.”