Centreville High grad Michael Peterson, 19, will be performing at the 37th annual American College Theater Festival on April 18-24 at The Kennedy Center.
The festival showcases the best in university theater, writing, acting, and backstage work through awards and scholarships.
Four productions were invited to perform at the festival, including Boston University's "Jasper Lake." Peterson is a sophomore at BU who graduated from Centreville High in 2003.
"I AM VERY excited. I don't know what to expect," said Peterson, the son of Mark and Linda Peterson of Little Rocky Run. The play "Jasper Lake" centers around two wealthy families who meet on a lake where a drowning haunts the main character, Liz. Peterson plays Liz's boyfriend, Drake. The play was written by John Kuntz, a graduate student at BU.
"[Kuntz is] very disconnected from the two families," says Peterson. "The playwright doesn't give anything away ... [the audience] is deciding things on their own."
Peterson performed in "Jasper Lake" at Rhode Island College in Providence earlier this year, where it was named best in the Northeast region. The winners from each region go on to compete at the Kennedy Center.
"I can't really believe it. I didn't realize how big the Kennedy Center was until I left. At BU, I met people from California who knew the Kennedy Center. I am very lucky, very lucky," says Peterson, who, as one of the youngest cast members, filled the position of an actor who could not continue with the April performances.
"It's a little surreal but at the same time I'm comfortable with the show," he said.
AN ACTING major in the College of Fine Arts at Boston University, Peterson started honing his craft rather early. He began the three-week Followspot Theater Camp with the Fairfax County Park Authority when he was in third grade. He began dancing at age 9. At Centreville High School, he was active in the theater, the drama club and the Jazz Ensemble. In 12th grade, he was the vice president of the Drama Club, and won a Cappie Award.
"Michael's one of those kids that walked in a shy, quiet guy and walked out an extrovert. The one thing about Michael is when he puts his mind to do something, he's definitely going to see it through," said Mark Rogers, drama director at CVHS. "He was one of my great kids, and I will be there giving him a standing ovation at the end."
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The ACTF will be held from April 18-24 at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. "Jasper Lake" will be performed in the Terrace Theater on Saturday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m., and on Sunday, April 24, at 2 p.m.